Calorie Burn — Yoga

How the yoga estimate works

The calculator applies the MET equation — MET × body mass (kg) × hours — with three published entries from the Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: Nadisodhana (alternate-nostril breathing and similarly still, breath-centred practice) at 2.0 METs (code 02170), Hatha yoga at 2.3 METs (code 02150), and Power yoga at 4.0 METs (code 02160). The Compendium also lists a high-intensity Hatha entry at 8.0 METs (code 02153) for unusually athletic sequences, mentioned here for context rather than offered as a default option.

The formula, worked through

A 75 kg practitioner in a one-hour Hatha class: 2.3 × 75 × 1 = 172.5, rounded to 173 kcal. The net figure — energy above what an hour of sitting would have cost — is 98 kcal. That gap between gross and net matters more for yoga than for any cardio activity on this site, because the resting baseline is nearly half the total.

A second scenario: a vinyasa flow

A 65 kg practitioner in a 75-minute Power yoga class: 4.0 × 65 × 1.25 = 325 kcal. Continuous flowing sequences with frequent chaturanga transitions roughly double the per-minute cost of held-pose Hatha practice. A 60-minute Nadisodhana or restorative-leaning session for a 75 kg person, by contrast, prices at 2.0 × 75 × 1 = 150 kcal gross — and only 75 kcal net.

Reading yoga numbers honestly

Yoga's published costs are low, and the honest framing is that calorie expenditure is not the primary measurable outcome of most practice. Measured oxygen-uptake studies of Hatha sessions consistently place them at 2–3 METs — comparable to slow walking — because much of a class is spent holding positions, transitioning slowly, or lying in savasana. Marketing claims of 400–600 kcal per hour for ordinary classes exceed the measured literature severalfold. Heated classes raise sweat loss dramatically, but sweat is water, not oxidised fuel; measured energy cost in heated rooms rises only modestly over the same sequence at room temperature.

Where styles land

Within-class variation is wide. Sun salutations performed continuously have been measured around 4–6 METs, while seated pranayama sits below 2. A class's average depends on its ratio of flow to stillness: Ashtanga and vigorous vinyasa average near the 4.0 Power entry, gentle and yin formats sit at or below the Hatha entry, and mixed-level classes fall between. Body weight scales the estimate linearly, and the load-bearing nature of arm-balance-heavy practice means heavier practitioners genuinely do work harder in absolute terms.

Gross versus net

At 2.3 METs, 43% of the gross figure is metabolism that would have run anyway. The net row — (MET − 1) × mass × hours — is therefore the more informative number for energy-balance arithmetic: 98 kcal for the worked Hatha hour. Activities in this range are better compared on their measured mobility, strength, and down-regulation outcomes than on their calorie lines.

Yoga in context

For calibration against familiar activities: an hour of Hatha at 2.3 METs costs about what 35 minutes of moderate walking costs; an hour of Power yoga at 4.0 METs approximates an hour of brisk walking. The comparison runs one way only — walking does not stretch hip capsules or train balance under fatigue — but it anchors expectations for anyone using this calculator alongside the site's walking and activity-comparison tools.

Disclaimer

This tool is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical, clinical, or training advice and does not replace consultation with a physician, registered dietitian, or certified coach. All calculations return population-derived estimates that may differ from individual measured values.