What Is the Yoga Calories Burned Calculator?
This calculator estimates how many calories you burn during a yoga session using the internationally recognized MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method. A MET expresses the energy cost of an activity relative to sitting quietly, which is defined as 1 MET. Different yoga styles carry different MET values: gentle Hatha yoga sits around 2.5 METs, while a vigorous Power or Hot yoga class can reach 5–6 METs.
How to Use It
Pick the yoga style closest to your practice, enter your body weight in kilograms, and add the duration of your session in minutes. The calculator returns the total calories burned, the MET value applied, and a handy calories-per-minute figure so you can compare intensities.
The Formula Explained
The core equation is $$\text{kcal} = \text{MET} \times \text{weight(kg)} \times \frac{\text{minutes}}{60}$$ Because one MET roughly equals 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour, multiplying the MET value by your weight and the fraction of an hour you exercised yields total energy expenditure. Heavier people and longer or more intense sessions burn more calories.
Worked Example
Suppose a 70 kg person does 60 minutes of Vinyasa flow (MET 4.0). The calculation is $$4.0 \times 70 \times \left(\frac{60}{60}\right) = 4.0 \times 70 \times 1 = \mathbf{280 \text{ kcal}}$$ or about 4.67 kcal per minute.
FAQ
Is this estimate exact? No. MET-based figures are population averages. Your actual burn depends on fitness, muscle mass, room temperature, and effort.
Which MET should I choose for hot yoga? Heated styles like Bikram raise heart rate and are commonly assigned about 6 METs.
How do I convert pounds to kilograms? Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2046. For example, \(154 \div 2.2046 \approx 70\) kg.
