Today I was curious about how many calories I burn daily doing 90 minutes of Bikram Yoga… so did a little research. I read several articles and got various numbers so I won’t quote any in particular, but I did like this particular article I read and thought I’d pass it along. This article is written by Benna Crawford.
Hot yoga classes are hot exercise choices for increasing numbers of fitness buffs. The combination of challenging sequences and serious sweating makes them an attractive option for a weight-loss program.
Bikram yoga is synonymous with the style of yoga practiced in a heated, humidity-controlled studio designed to induce sweating while focusing on a standard asana routine. But weight loss equals calories expended, so it’s worth knowing just how Bikram stacks up against other calorie-burning exercise programs.
Counting Calories
Weight loss follows a simple algorithm: fewer calories consumed than calories expended. The Mayo Clinic points out that each pound is worth about 3,500 calories, so if you carry a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day, you can lose a pound a week.
Burning those calories is where it gets complicated. Aerobic activity that challenges the cardiovascular system is the number one calorie burner.
Low- to moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like most yoga routines, burns a high percentage of fat as fuel. Increase intensity with exercise like sprinting — or a demanding yoga routine — and you draw on greater amounts of carbs and protein for fuel. But high-intensity exercise burns more calories overall, so the tougher your workout, the more you lose. Building muscle mass through strength training also cuts calories because even resting muscle burns fuel for energy.
High-intensity yoga provides a vigorous cardio and resistance workout.
Bikram Protocols
Bikram’s hot yoga requires a series of 26 fixed poses, performed under the guidance of a trained instructor in a heated studio.
The poses are traditional Hatha yoga moves, but the performance is a kind of yoga boot camp. The room is heated to approximately 104 to 105 degrees F with a constant 40-percent humidity. During the 90-minute class, participants typically run through the routine twice. Bikram’s website claims that the heated studios quickly warm muscles and increase flexibility so you can work safely with a greater range of motion. You will sweat, so you will notice a water weight loss which does not translate directly to fat calories burned. But you work hard — a Bikram class is challenging enough to be an aerobic workout — and yoga poses use body weight for resistance, so you do some muscle building and high-intensity calorie burning.
Bikram Calorie Burn
Bikram yoga burns more calories than many other forms of exercise and yoga styles. According to Everyday Health’s Yoga Calorie Counter, a 160-pound person performing Bikram yoga for one hour uses 726 calories, compared to 508 calories for Ashtanga and Power yoga classes.
Most Bikram classes are 90 minutes, so the calories burned per session are 1,089 for Bikram versus 762 for other intense yogas. The Mayo Clinic calculates the caloric cost to a 160-pound individual for one hour of high-impact aerobics at 533 calories. For singles tennis, the cost is 584 calories, for swimming laps 423 calories and for stair treadmill 657 calories. As a bonus, yoga’s ability to reduce stress and increase fitness improves your chances of sticking to a diet.
Precautions
Bikram yoga is not for everyone. Hypertension, glaucoma, pregnancy, some forms of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease are all reasons to check in with your doctor before signing up for a hot yoga class.
If you do add Bikram to your calorie-burning strategies, drink plenty of water to counter the effects of vigorous exercise in a hot room. As the exercise boosts your metabolism you sweat more to maintain a healthy core temperature. In a hot studio with other sweaty bodies, your evaporation system has to work harder to release the extra heat. If you experience weakness, fatigue, dizziness or headache in a hot yoga class, you could be in danger of heat exhaustion or heat stroke and you should seek immediate medical attention. end of article.
So there you go. What I gained from this article for ME is Bikram Yoga good for me at this stage in my life. Today was day 12 doing Bikram in a row.
They say give Bikram 30-days will change your body and 60-days will change your life! Two weeks ago I was nursing a tennis elbow. I couldn’t play tennis due to the pain and working out at the gym had its limitations as well.
I sat quietly and asked my body what it needed and heard a rather loud “Whisper” :
“Bikram Yoga”. Really???? I don’t even like yoga. But I listened and here I am enjoying the many benefits of Bikram Yoga.
Although I have NO IDEA if I have lost a pound on the scale, I do know that already my clothes are fitting better AND my flexibility and balance have improved a lot!
If you are stuck in a fitness routine that may no longer be serving you like I was consider sitting quiet and asking your body what it needs to keep you healthy and fit. You may be surprised that it is a new exercise program that you never would have imagined on your own.
Two products that seem to be supporting my new fitness activity are electrolytes to replenish the minerals I lose in sweat, and Quantum Relief Strips for balance, chi, energy to my body.
I’d love to hear from you. Do YOU like Bikram Yoga? Have you ever done 30 days in a row? Did you get fit, more flexible and lose body fat doing Bikram Yoga?
Joy Edgerton
802-846-7530
My dear Joy!! I do believe and have experienced that Bikram Yoga is a much better metabolism regulating tool than any other exercise, and I lost 30 pounds in 2-3 years (and have kept it off for 10 years!) by only doing Bikram Yoga – no other exercise and no more dieting or calorie counting.
However, the calorie burn numbers that are gleaned from heart rate monitors are completely inaccurate. The heat causes the heart rate to be higher than the calorie burn accounts for. Dr. Brian Tracy’s research out of Colorado State is so far the only accurate calorie count based upon actually energy/calorie use. Pure Action publishes the poster of his research results if you would like to take a look.
I am 100% with you in supporting Bikram Yoga as the most effective tool for weight loss and maintenance; it is just that the reasons for it are different than the heart rate monitors would lead us to believe. All my best to you!!!
hi Ann, Thank you so much for your comment. When I Googled calories burned I saw such a variety of answers and you explained it well. I really do believe in the therapeutic benefits of Bikram and one being hormone balancing. Since menopause it has been difficult losing belly fat and this is working!!! Day 29 today on my 30-Day Challenge. 🙂
Joy
PS Congratulations on your weight loss and keeping it off.