Yoga Calories Burned Calculator

Calories burned during yoga depends on your body weight, yoga style intensity, and session duration. Yoga spans a wide range — from gentle restorative yoga (comparable to reading) to vigorous power yoga or Bikram hot yoga (comparable to a brisk walk or light jog). The standard calculation uses MET values (Metabolic Equivalent of Task).

Calories burned formula: Calories = MET × Weight (kg) × Duration (hours)

Where:

• MET = Metabolic Equivalent of Task — how many times more energy the activity burns versus rest (rest = 1.0 MET)
• Weight (kg) = body weight in kilograms (lbs ÷ 2.205)
• Duration (hours) = session length in hours (minutes ÷ 60)

MET values by yoga style:

• Restorative/Yin yoga: 2.0–2.5 MET
• Hatha yoga (gentle): 2.5–3.0 MET
• Vinyasa flow (moderate): 3.5–4.5 MET
• Power yoga / Ashtanga: 4.5–6.0 MET
• Bikram / Hot yoga (60 min): 5.0–7.0 MET
• Aerial yoga: 3.5–5.0 MET

Calories burned per 60 minutes at 70 kg by style:

• Restorative: ~147–175 cal
• Hatha: ~175–210 cal
• Vinyasa: ~245–315 cal
• Power yoga: ~315–420 cal
• Bikram: ~350–490 cal

Worked example: A 75 kg (165 lb) person attends a 90-minute Vinyasa yoga class (MET = 4.0).

• Duration in hours = 90 ÷ 60 = 1.5 hours
• Calories = 4.0 × 75 × 1.5 = 450 calories

For comparison, the same person running at an easy pace (MET = 8.0) for 45 minutes would burn: 8.0 × 75 × 0.75 = 450 calories — the same total, in half the time. Yoga’s benefits go beyond calorie burn: improved flexibility, balance, stress reduction, and mindfulness make it valuable regardless of its caloric output.