Vigorous yoga

Currently, there is one entry in the database for "hatha yoga" that is 191 calories per hour. However, Yoga styles vary -- some are very slow and restful, while other styles (Vinyasa, Ashtanga, "Power Yoga" etc.) are more vigorous with long sequences of continuous motion. Can there be another entry added for vigorous yoga (if those styles burn more calories)?

I don't have a HRM -- is there anybody with an HRM who's done the experiment, and has measured the difference between restful and vigorous yoga? Is there in fact a difference?

Bummer - I had intended to put this into the "Calorie Count" forum for the attention of Calorie Count developers. Mods, can you please move this?

 

http://www.self.com/health/activity/calculato rs/yoga

 http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view .asp?tid=18619&posts=3

It is really hard trying to find places that actually have the differences in the styles of yoga and their respective calorie burn, but the above two might help you. You may have found these already, but at least you prompted me to look for myself. I have asked this same question within my own mind numerous times. Lol!

I just started yoga this past October, but I do the Classic Style and Yin Yoga. I have issues that kind of stop me from doing the vigorous ones.

Thanks for prompting me to try and find some info on this!

Gail

 It depends a lot on your instructor. That said:

 Taranimator snuck a heart rate monitor into her Ashtanga yoga class once to find an answer to that question.

 Her average heart rate was 77 BPM. Which means that while it's an excellent tool for flexibility work, strengthening the mind/muscle connection, relaxation and so on, it's not much of a workout by itself.

 Embracing yoga as a lifestyle has other benefits though, and it still beats sitting on the couch, so it's not something to be avoided. But it's not enough for a full fitness regime - from a strict fitness standpoint yoga is at best accessory work once you're past the initial 6-8 weeks of newbie gains and "Shock growth" that doing unfamiliar exercises provides.

 In the very best case you could log it as "Pilates" if you're feeling brave, but the general yoga entry in the database is sufficient for all but the most vigorous workouts.

Ok, here is a link with some calculations and heart rate monitor measurement showing 500 calories for a 90 minute class, and another reporting heart rates from 120 to 145. Those make sense to me.

http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view .asp?tid=17278&posts=1

Perhaps for guys into weightlifting, bodyweight poses like arm balances are trivial. For me, they are quite challenging and represent real strength work. I also find that the mental attention required in yoga helps a lot to get me to really work, and get the form right to do the stretch and use the muscle. My mental attitude when simply using a machine or doing reps with weights is to count and get it over with.

So, until the really vigorous yoga classes become easy for me, I get a lot more out of a yoga class than doing A x B reps on a machine or with a dumbell.

Another thing -- I bike and run, and find that yoga is spectacular at improving body alignment, which prevents overuse injuries in those sports. I was a runner as a teenager and had chronic problems with knees and hips - once I started doing yoga in my early 30s, the joint problems cleared up.  So, yoga supports performance in these other sports.

Once I reach plateaus in some other exercise areas, I'd like to see if I can learn some of the more interesting-looking whole-body weight routines that might be less boring for me (may come back asking for advice :-) )

File under "people vary" and "works for me" :-)

Edited to add paragraph on yoga supporting cycling / running.

 

Oh, for mind/muscle connection and flexibility it's excellent - and as you yourself noted, as auxiliary work for your main activities of running and biking it's very helpful.

 And yes, arm balancing poses are ...challenging... no matter who you are - your body is a weight and you can do interesting things with grip and leverages to make bodyweight workouts more difficult.

 And even if yoga has limits in terms of what it can do for you in terms of raw strength - well, if you're satisfied with those limits once you find them, there's no point in doing more, is there :)

 As for the 500 cals for 90 minutes- well, that's roughly what a similar-duration Pilates class would burn when you log it into CC, so I think you'd have a reasonably accurate figure for the burn using that.

 There's room in your fitness toolbox for many things depending on the fitness qualities you want to develop; and contrary to popular opinion I don't think "lift iron" is the answer to everything. Just most things :-P Anyway - as long as you're satisfied with your current results and motivated to keep working out, I don't think there's any point in making changes either. Give me a shout when you want to try something new though, and I'll see what I can find :)

quick google on bikram yoga approximates 640 cal/hr for someone weighing 140lb. That makes a pretty good burn for a 90 minute class. It's definitely the most intense workout I've done (and at the moment I'm doing HIIT at my gym). Worth a try if you're into the more vigorous yoga.

Just want to chime in on the benefits of vigorous yoga.  I find it very challenges, tend to sweat, and have to work very hard to maintain breath and stillness in some of the poses.  It is something conventionally fit people often struggle with.  At the same time, while I'm not into and won't run for miles, put me and a runner on skis or skates or a hike or moving furniture, etc. I keep up.

 

And there was a very famous, very good football player who never touched a weight, he did all "callisthenics"  Of course I can't place the name or team, and I'm pretty sure he's a receiver rather than a tackle or lineman, but you get my drift.  And I love lifting weights, too.  Just don't dis yoga.  

 

Until this paragraph where you guys can TOTALLY throw away the above:  So, I did a vigorous yoga workout today--sort of a yoga-pilates blend.  I've been working full time and in grad school full time and so its been a while.  I used to wear high heels a lot, and now I work in a secure facility with sex offenders, so they won't let me wear heels, I need to be able to run, they say, so they say flats.   Down to the point:  I loved the work out it was great.  Lots of warrior and triangle positions, as well as some child's pose with the toes curled under to balance a lot of pointed toe stuff that was included.  I cool down for a half hour (sigh, yes, on the couch) and get up and the ball of my foot is killing me.  I added heat (is it supposed to be cool first?) and some arnica gel and could walk around a lot, got a foot massage, etc. and it was fine.  But then I stopped and ate dinner and had nice conversation, and it was killing me again.  So I'm applying heat now (is it supposed to ice after a few hours, I know it is one first and then the other later).

So, anyone have this happen before?  Does this sound like your regular pulled muscle, if in a weird place?  Is it cold then hot or hot then cold?  I guess I'm getting old, but I'm not accustomed to sports-related injuries.  I realize you all aren't doctors, and the doctors among you have more ethics than to treat me over a chat board, but other folks with a similar experience, would you commiserate with me?

Yeah, it sounds like a strained muscle in an unusual place.  About.com orthopedics says use ice in the first 48 hours to minimize swelling. Use heat later on.  If you're still having problems after a few days, see a doctor. 

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicin e/a/iceorheat.htm

I'm usually really cautious about yoga classes because I've gotten some pretty entertaining injuries when I pay too much attention to the teacher and the flexible people in the class instead of how my body is feeling.

When getting back into yoga most recently, I started out at an Iyengar studio. They focus on precise form and have lots of modifications for different levels of ability, so that's a good way to get up to speed and avoid injury. I've recently added some Vinyasa flow classes that are more active. Once I feel really good with the Vinyasa class with good form, I'll try a different studio that has apparently harder-core Ashtanga/Power/Bikram classes.

I'm not so thrilled about Bikram because the teacher who came up with the style has copyrighted the sequence of poses (!). Yoga is thousands of years old. Copyrighting yoga poses is absurd.

http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/1143?pri nt=1

 

Thanks for the info. I need to be a little more patient with myself rather than alarmed at lost flexibility after a while off. 

 My access to smart yoga instructors is limited due to being in a rural area, but I'm not awful at doing a correct pose as I had some pretty intense training (was considering being an instructor a decade ago).  I'm pretty sure I know where it was that I hurt myself and it was me being overzealous and ignoring what I know about my body.

 You are right that copyrighting poses is ridiculous.