Calories burned doing yoga
By style, by time and by body weight — with the arithmetic shown and an honest note about what the numbers cannot tell you.
Start with what is not knowable
Plenty of sites publish a calorie figure for individual asanas. Those numbers are made up. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — the reference every legitimate calculator uses — publishes MET values for styles of yoga practice, because that is what has actually been measured. There is no published metabolic measurement of Trikonasana.
So this site does the only honest thing available: every pose is mapped to the nearest published Compendium code, the code is named on the page, and the figures are given for a practice of that kind rather than for one pose. Where a number cannot be sourced, it does not get published.
The four published values
| Style of practice | Compendium code | MET | 15 min | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restorative and quiet seated practice Long supported holds and seated breathing practice. Almost no muscular work by design. |
02170 | 2 | 37 | 74 | 147 |
| Hatha — held poses, one at a time The classic format: enter a pose, hold it, come out, rest. Most of this library is practised this way. |
02150 | 2.5 | 46 | 92 | 184 |
| Surya Namaskar and continuous flow One breath per movement, never stopping. The step up in cost comes from the lack of pauses, not the difficulty of any pose. |
02160 | 3.3 | 61 | 121 | 243 |
| Power and strong vinyasa Continuous flow with long holds, arm balances and inversions in it. |
02175 | 4 | 74 | 147 | 294 |
By body weight
Calories for 30 minutes of practice. The relationship is linear in body mass, so you can read between the columns.
| Style | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restorative and quiet seated practice | 53 | 63 | 74 | 84 | 95 |
| Hatha | 66 | 79 | 92 | 105 | 118 |
| Surya Namaskar and continuous flow | 87 | 104 | 121 | 139 | 156 |
| Power and strong vinyasa | 105 | 126 | 147 | 168 | 189 |
MET × 3.5 × body mass in kg ÷ 200 = kcal per minute. Multiply by the minutes practised. Every other activity, from walking to weightlifting, is computed the same way at BurnLab.
Sequences on this site, costed
| Sequence | Minutes | MET used | kcal, 70 kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surya Namaskar A | 10 | 3.3 | 40 |
| Surya Namaskar B | 12 | 3.3 | 49 |
| A first practice | 25 | 2.5 | 77 |
| Morning practice | 15 | 2.5 | 46 |
| Wind-down practice | 30 | 2.5 | 92 |
| Desk worker — neck, shoulders and hips | 20 | 2.5 | 61 |
| Spine and back care | 25 | 2.5 | 77 |
| Whole-body flexibility | 35 | 2.5 | 107 |
| Hips | 30 | 2.5 | 92 |
| Hamstrings | 25 | 2.5 | 77 |
| Trunk strength | 20 | 2.5 | 61 |
| Balance | 20 | 2.5 | 61 |
| Standing strength | 25 | 2.5 | 77 |
| Ten minutes, every day | 10 | 2.5 | 31 |
| Higher-effort flow | 40 | 3.3 | 162 |
| Gentle seated practice | 20 | 2.5 | 61 |
Questions
How many calories does yoga burn in 30 minutes?
Between about 74 and 147 kcal for a 70 kg adult, depending entirely on the style. A restorative practice at 2.0 MET costs roughly 74 kcal; a Hatha practice of held poses about 92; continuous Surya Namaskar around 121; and a power practice about 147.
Which asana burns the most calories?
None of them, individually — and any site giving you a per-pose calorie figure has invented it. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which is where legitimate MET values come from, publishes codes for styles of yoga practice, not for poses. What raises the cost is continuity: a flow that never stops sits higher than a class of held poses, whatever poses are in it.
Is yoga enough for weight loss?
Body composition follows total food and total activity across weeks, not any single session. A 40-minute flowing practice costs roughly what a brisk walk of the same length costs — real, worth having, and not a large number next to a day's eating. What yoga adds that a walk does not is leg and trunk strength and joint range, and what any of it needs to matter is that you keep doing it.
How do I adjust these numbers for my own weight?
Multiply by your weight in kilograms and divide by 70. The underlying relationship is MET × 3.5 × body mass in kg ÷ 200 kcal per minute, so the whole thing scales linearly with body mass. A 90 kg adult spends about 29% more than a 70 kg one doing exactly the same practice.
Asana names are traditional. Every step, benefit and caution on this page is written for YogaPath rather than reproduced from any book, studio or other library — see how this site is written. Energy figures derive from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.