Short answer: Hot yoga calories burned in a 90-minute Bikram class average about 333 for women and 460 for men, according to a 2014 University of Wisconsin study. Your own number depends on body size, effort and class length, so treat it as a range, not a promise.
That’s lower than many studio posters claim, and it’s the figure we stand behind at YogaFX in Bali. Below you’ll find the research, what moves the number up or down, and what a class in natural tropical heat does and doesn’t change. Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, teaches every class on the same fixed 26&2 sequence, so the effort is easy to compare from one day to the next.
Hot Yoga Calories Burned in a 90-Minute Class: What the Study Found
The most cited measurement of hot yoga calories burned comes from a 2014 University of Wisconsin study of Bikram classes (Porcari and colleagues, locked in our research notes at PubMed 24700459). Participants wore heart rate monitors and metabolic equipment through a full 90-minute class. Average heart rate sat near 80% of maximum, which is hard aerobic work for most people.
| Group | Class length | Average calories burned | Per minute (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 90 minutes | 333 kcal | 3.7 kcal |
| Men | 90 minutes | 460 kcal | 5.1 kcal |
Hot yoga calories burned at a glance
333 kcal
Average for women in a 90-minute class
460 kcal
Average for men in a 90-minute class
About 80%
Of maximum heart rate during class
90 min
One full 26&2 sequence, start to finish
40°C
Room target at YogaFX, from natural tropical heat
Notice what the table does not say about hot yoga calories burned. It doesn’t promise a number for you. It gives two group averages, and individual results spread widely around them.
Which Part of a Hot Yoga Class Burns the Most?
The 26&2 sequence has two halves, and they feel very different. The first half is the standing series, where you balance, bend and hold big postures on your feet. The second half is the floor series, where you work on your back, stomach and side.
Most of the hot yoga calories burned come from the standing series. Your legs are the biggest muscles in your body, and in postures like Utkatasana (Awkward Pose) they’re working hard while your heart pounds. The floor series is lower and slower. It still asks for effort, but your heart rate usually settles a little.
That’s one reason we ask students to stay in the room and keep trying, especially in the standing series. Skipping those postures costs you more than skipping a floor posture does.
Calories Burned in Hot Yoga for Men vs Women
Men averaged 460 calories and women 333, so men burned about 38% more per class. That gap says little about who works harder. It mostly reflects body size and muscle mass, because moving a heavier body through the same postures costs more energy.
So if you’re a lighter man, expect to land nearer the women’s figure. If you’re a larger woman, expect to land nearer the men’s. Four things explain most of the spread:
- Body weight. Moving more mass through Standing Bow or Triangle costs more energy.
- Muscle mass. Muscle burns more at rest and under load than fat tissue does.
- Effort inside each posture. Kicking harder and holding longer raises your heart rate. Coasting lowers it.
- Fitness level. A fitter body works more efficiently, so the same class can feel easier and burn slightly less.
Hot Yoga vs Regular Yoga: Does the Heat Add Calories?
Heat does raise your heart rate, because your body works to keep its core temperature steady. But we haven’t found a trustworthy study that gives one clean multiplier, and figures like “heat adds 20 to 30 percent” circulate online without a source. We’d rather not repeat them.
What we can say is simple. A fixed, continuous 90-minute sequence keeps you moving with almost no rest, and the room adds cardiovascular load on top. That combination is why the measured heart rate was so high. For a closer comparison of the two styles, read our guide to hot yoga vs regular yoga in Bali.
Hot Yoga Calories Burned by Class Length (Estimates)
Many studios run 60 or 75 minute classes, and plenty of people search for “hot yoga calories burned 60 minutes”. The study measured 90 minutes only. If you scale its averages in proportion, you get rough estimates like the ones below. They’re arithmetic, not measurements.
| Class length | Women (approx.) | Men (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 minutes | about 222 kcal | about 307 kcal |
| 75 minutes | about 278 kcal | about 383 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 333 kcal (measured) | 460 kcal (measured) |
At YogaFX we teach the full 90-minute class, so you get the complete sequence in one sitting. That means the measured hot yoga calories burned figures apply to what you do in our room.
Does Bali’s Natural Heat Change the Numbers?
Our classes run in natural tropical heat at our Seminyak studio, with a target of 40°C and about 40% humidity. There are no electric heaters. If you’ve searched “how hot is Bikram yoga”, our page on temperature, humidity and what natural heat feels like goes into detail.
Does that raise hot yoga calories burned compared with a heated studio elsewhere? No study we can cite compares the two, so we won’t claim it. What we see in class is a room that feels humid rather than dry, and students who can keep working steadily for 90 minutes. Steady work is what drives the number.
Are Calories the Right Goal? Strength, Mood and Consistency
If you only chase calories, you’ll miss most of what the practice gives. A 2013 study by Tracy and Hart (PubMed 23438366) found that eight weeks of Bikram yoga raised posterior chain strength by about 20%, alongside better flexibility and body composition.
There’s a mental side too. A 2023 trial from Massachusetts General Hospital, published by Nyer and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, found that 59.3% of people doing heated yoga cut depression symptoms by half or more, against 6.3% on a waitlist. You can read the Harvard Gazette summary of that eight-week trial. Hot yoga isn’t a treatment, and anyone dealing with depression or any health condition should consult a healthcare professional first.
For weight goals, the honest takeaway is that classes help, but food and sleep matter just as much. Our review of what the research shows on Bikram yoga for weight loss covers body composition, not only calories per class.
What a regular practice gives you besides calories
Strength
About 20% more posterior chain strength after 8 weeks of Bikram yoga (Tracy and Hart, 2013)
Mood
59.3% of heated yoga participants halved depression symptoms vs 6.3% on a waitlist (Nyer et al., 2023)
Routine
One fixed sequence, so progress is easy to track week by week
Balance
Standing series trains balance in every class
Hot Yoga Calories Burned: Myths Worth Dropping
Because the numbers are modest, studios are tempted to stretch them. Here are three claims we’d ask you to question, and what the evidence supports instead.
- “You burn 1,000 calories in one class.” The measured averages were 333 and 460. A four-digit figure would be more than double the men’s average, and no study we can cite supports it.
- “The more you sweat, the more fat you lose.” Sweat is mostly water. The scale may dip after class, but that weight comes back when you drink. Sweat tells you the room is hot, not how much you burned.
- “Your watch tells you the real number.” Wrist devices estimate calories from heart rate and your profile, and they can be off by a wide margin in a hot, humid room. Use them to compare one class with the next, not as an exact reading.
A better habit is to track what you can control: how many classes you attend each week, how long you stay in the room, and how you feel afterwards. Those habits drive results far more than any calorie number on a screen, and they’re the reason we describe hot yoga calories burned as a range rather than a target.
How Hot Is the Room, and Does Temperature Matter?
People often search for “what temperature is Bikram yoga” right after they look up hot yoga calories burned, and the two questions are linked. The method calls for roughly 40°C and 40% humidity. In Bali, we get close to that from the climate itself, which is warm and humid for much of the year.
Heat changes how class feels more than it changes the headline calories. You sweat earlier, your heart rate climbs sooner, and your muscles loosen faster. Those effects are real, and they’re why beginners should start gently. Our guide to Bikram yoga for beginners explains how to pace your first week.
What Students Say About Training With Us
We don’t publish calorie promises from students, but we do hear plenty about the experience. These are first-name excerpts from trainees in our teacher training reviews on YouTube.
“And finally, I did something for myself. And I thought the best part was going to be getting this certificate… But the best part was meeting all of you.”
Greta, YouTube review, 2026
“This has actually exceeded my expectations of what the experience would be.”
Ajay, YouTube review, 2024
“This has been a brilliant experience… that lovely family feeling and I know everybody had my back.”
Marion, YouTube review, 2024
How to Get More From Every Class
- Drink before you arrive. Dehydration cuts how hard you can work. Sip water through the day, not just before class.
- Stay in the room. Resting on your mat for long stretches lowers your heart rate. Sitting out one posture beats leaving.
- Keep breathing. Holding your breath in the heat shortens your effort. Slow breaths keep it going.
- Show up on a rhythm. Our guide on how often to do Bikram yoga helps you pick a weekly pattern you can keep.
- Skip the heavy meal. Eat lightly a couple of hours before class so you feel good in forward folds.
Want a calculator-style walkthrough with different body weights? The Hot Yoga Teacher Training team has a longer guide to hot yoga calories burned that works through the maths step by step.
Try a Class at YogaFX Bali
Classes run 06:30 to 08:00, booking only, at our Seminyak studio, 90 minutes each, in natural Bali heat. Mr. Ian Terry has taught more than 12,000 hours, and our teachers follow his Original Hot 26&2 method. New to the room? A free guest pass lets you try one class before you decide. For safe general activity targets, the CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for adults, and a class or two fits inside that.
FAQ
How many calories does hot yoga burn in a class?
A 2014 University of Wisconsin study of 90-minute Bikram classes found an average of 333 calories for women and 460 for men, at about 80% of maximum heart rate. Your result depends on body size, fitness and effort, so use those figures as a guide, not a guarantee.
Does hot yoga burn more calories than regular yoga?
Heat raises your heart rate, and a continuous 90-minute sequence leaves little rest. However, we haven’t found a reliable study giving one exact multiplier, so we avoid quoting one. The practical difference is steady cardio work on top of strength and flexibility in the same class.
How many calories does 60 minutes of hot yoga burn?
The research measured 90-minute classes, so any 60-minute figure is an estimate. Scaling the study averages in proportion gives roughly 222 calories for women and 307 for men. Treat those as rough guides, since effort, body weight and the style of class all change the result.
Is Bikram yoga good for weight loss?
It can help as part of a wider routine. Classes burn calories, build muscle and give you a fixed routine to stick with. Results still depend heavily on food, sleep and consistency, so think of class as one useful part of your plan. Check with a healthcare professional first if you have health concerns.
Does the Bali studio use electric heaters?
No. Classes at our Seminyak studio run in natural tropical heat, with a target of 40°C and about 40% humidity. Independent training, not official Bikram Choudhury Teacher Training, is how our teacher courses are described. Studio classes simply follow the Original Hot 26&2 sequence.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp to claim your free guest pass.
Mr. Ian Terry