DOES YOGA BURN MORE FAT THAN CARDIO?

Most forms of yoga are mild. They don't elevate the heart rate significantly, though they do tone muscles and help improve fitness. Any type of physical activity has the potential to aid fat burning, but cardio does burn more calories than yoga over the same period of time, and it's more likely to help with weight loss.

Benefits

Both yoga and cardio have the potential to reap significant physical and psychological benefits. The Mayo Clinic says regular physical activity of any type has the potential to help people sleep better, elevate their moods, increase energy levels and reduce risks for conditions including cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and high cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic adds that yoga specifically can help manage depression, anxiety and insomnia as well as reduce stress.

Cardio exercise burns more calories than yoga. According to the American Council on Exercise, one hour of hatha yoga and posed stretching burns about 180 calories for a 160-pound person, but moderate aerobic exercise burns closer to 475 calories. For a person of the same weight, the Mayo Clinic notes that cardio exercises such as jogging, jumping rope, brisk walking and treadmill running burn about 580, 730, 275 and 650 calories, respectively. It takes about 3,500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat, so cardio will take off weight more quickly than yoga.

Comparison

Although cardio exercises burn more calories than yoga, which makes them better for weight loss and fat loss, yoga workouts have separate benefits. Because they involve so much stretching, they can help build flexibility and prevent injury during more vigorous exercise. Yoga may also help to target and tone specific muscle groups in the body more effectively than cardio.

Expert Insight

Dr. Donald Hensrud, preventive medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic, says yoga does not have the same calorie-burning power as cardio exercise, so any weight-loss routine that involves yoga should also involve some aerobic activity. Hensrud adds that healthy weight loss calls for reducing daily calorie intake as well as participating in regular physical activity, as exercise on its own helps with weight maintenance more than weight loss.