Does yoga burn any calories at all?

Yes, but few: at about 150 kcal per hour (70 kg) Hatha Yoga is only just over twice the pure resting metabolism of about 65 kcal per hour.

How many calories does an hour of Power Yoga burn?

At 70 kg about 260 kcal – roughly as much as normal walking.

Which yoga style burns the most?

Of the styles in the Compendium, Power Yoga (4.0 MET), then Vinyasa (2.7 MET) and Hatha (2.3 MET).

Calories burned by sportCalories burned

Calories burned doing yoga

By Thomas Freimoser · Updated: October 26, 2026

Yoga is many things – a calorie burner it usually is not. Calm styles are below a walk; only Power Yoga burns noticeably more.

Short answer

At 70 kg you burn about 150 kcal per hour with Hatha Yoga, about 175 kcal with Vinyasa and about 260 kcal with Power Yoga.

kcal per hour by pace and body weight

Pace / variant	55 kg	70 kg	85 kg	100 kg
Hatha2.3 MET · Code 02150	135	150	165	185
Vinyasa2.7 MET · Code 02185	155	175	195	215
Power4 MET · Code 02160	230	260	290	320

Example person: 35 years, 172 cm · total energy including resting metabolism · rounded to 5 kcal · MET values: Compendium 2024.

Calculate for your bodyHeight, age and sex shift the values by up to 20 %.

What raises the burn

Style decides: Power Yoga burns about 74 % more per hour than Hatha Yoga.
An honest comparison: even Vinyasa (2.7 MET) is below normal walking (3.8 MET). If burning calories is the main goal, a walk serves you better.
Valuable as balance: yoga puts heavy load on hardly any joint and fits between hard sessions. The planner allows up to 3 hours a day.

Frequently asked questions

Does yoga burn any calories at all?: Yes, but few: at about 150 kcal per hour (70 kg) Hatha Yoga is only just over twice the pure resting metabolism of about 65 kcal per hour.
How many calories does an hour of Power Yoga burn?: At 70 kg about 260 kcal – roughly as much as normal walking.
Which yoga style burns the most?: Of the styles in the Compendium, Power Yoga (4.0 MET), then Vinyasa (2.7 MET) and Hatha (2.3 MET).

In comparison

Similar burn at 70 kg, from the calmest to the most intense variant:

Nordic walking280–345 kcal/h
Strength training230–390 kcal/h
Walking195–360 kcal/h
Yoga150–260 kcal/h

And for the 10K Burn Challenge?

With yoga alone it would take 5.7 hours to burn 1,000 kcal. The planner shows how a whole day of 5,000 to 10,000 kcal comes together.

Build a day in the planner

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For healthy, trained adults only. Burning 10,000 kcal in a day is extreme. Drink, eat, rest – and stop immediately at any warning sign. Safety & methodology