When you think of calorie burn yoga, a form of physical activity that combines movement, breath, and mindfulness to improve fitness and reduce stress. Also known as yoga for weight loss, it’s often misunderstood as just gentle stretching. But not all yoga is the same—some styles can torch calories almost as fast as a brisk walk. The truth? A 60-minute Hatha yoga session might burn around 180 to 250 calories for a 150-pound person. That’s not huge compared to running, but it’s not nothing either. What most people miss is that yoga isn’t just about calories during the session—it’s about how it helps your body recover, move better, and stick to a consistent fitness routine long-term.
Not all yoga styles, different approaches to practicing yoga that vary in intensity, pace, and physical demand. Also known as types of yoga, it includes everything from slow-paced Yin to fast-flowing Vinyasa are equal when it comes to burning energy. Vinyasa and Power Yoga move continuously, linking breath to motion, which raises your heart rate and turns it into a cardio-like workout. One study from the American Council on Exercise found that people doing Power Yoga burned about 400 to 500 calories per hour—close to a light jog. On the flip side, Restorative or Yin Yoga barely raises your heart rate. So if your goal is calorie burn, pick the right kind. And don’t forget: yoga improves muscle tone, which boosts your resting metabolism. More muscle means you burn more even when you’re not moving.
Yoga also plays a big role in active recovery, low-intensity movement used to help the body recover after intense workouts. Also known as recovery exercise, it helps reduce soreness and prevent injury. If you’re lifting heavy, running miles, or playing sports, yoga gives your body a chance to reset without stopping completely. It’s not just about flexibility—it’s about balance, joint health, and breathing better under stress. That’s why athletes use it. And if you’re trying to lose weight, recovery matters just as much as the workout. Skip recovery, and you’ll burn out—or worse, get hurt.
Here’s the real secret: yoga won’t magically melt fat overnight. But when you combine it with smart eating and other movement, it becomes a powerful tool. It helps you stay consistent because it’s low-pressure, doesn’t require gear, and can be done anywhere. You don’t need a gym membership to burn calories with yoga—you just need your mat and a little time. And if you’re tired of high-intensity workouts that leave you drained, yoga gives you a way to move without burning out.
Below, you’ll find real insights from people who’ve used yoga to lose weight, recover from injury, and stay active without the grind. Some of these articles break down exactly how many calories different yoga styles burn. Others show how yoga fits into a bigger fitness plan. No fluff. No hype. Just what works.
