5 Powerful Yoga Poses That Burn More Calories Than Walking
Yoga is often associated with relaxation, flexibility, and mindfulness, but many poses can also be surprisingly effective at burning calories. While a leisurely walk burns about 200–250 calories per hour (depending on body weight and pace), certain dynamic yoga poses can engage multiple muscle groups, increase heart rate, and enhance metabolism to burn more calories.
We will explore five yoga poses that can burn more calories than walking, along with detailed explanations of how they work, their benefits, and the science behind their calorie-burning potential.
1. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
Chaturanga Dandasana, often compared to a low plank, is an intense yoga pose that strengthens the arms, shoulders, core, and legs while engaging deep stabilizer muscles. Since this pose is a fundamental part of Vinyasa flow yoga, it is performed multiple times in a single session, significantly increasing the calorie burn.
How It Burns Calories
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This pose requires constant muscle engagement, especially in the core and upper body.
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It activates the large muscle groups, which burn more energy.
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Holding Chaturanga increases heart rate, similar to resistance training.
Calories Burned
Holding Chaturanga for 30–60 seconds or flowing through it multiple times in a Vinyasa session can burn 8–10 calories per minute, which is significantly higher than walking.
How to Do It
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Start in a high plank position with hands shoulder-width apart.
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Keep elbows close to the ribs and lower your body until your arms form a 90-degree angle.
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Engage your core, thighs, and glutes to maintain a straight line.
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Hold for 15–30 seconds, then either push back up or move into Upward-Facing Dog.
Additional Benefits
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Builds upper body strength, helping with push-ups and other strength exercises.
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Enhances core endurance, leading to better posture.
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Stimulates metabolism due to the engagement of multiple muscle groups.
2. Navasana (Boat Pose)
Boat Pose is a powerful core-strengthening exercise that also engages the hip flexors, lower back, and leg muscles. Because of the intense muscle activation and balance requirement, it burns more calories than walking.
How It Burns Calories
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It creates isometric contraction in the core muscles, increasing energy expenditure.
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The effort to balance forces multiple muscle groups to work harder.
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If performed in a flow (with movement), it enhances cardiovascular endurance.
Calories Burned
Holding Navasana for 30 seconds or more can burn 7–9 calories per minute, depending on intensity and repetitions. A dynamic version, where you lower and raise your legs in a controlled manner, can burn even more.
How to Do It
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Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat.
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Lean back slightly while engaging your core.
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Lift your feet off the ground, bringing your shins parallel to the floor.
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Extend your arms forward, keeping your spine straight.
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Hold for 30–60 seconds or repeat in sets for maximum calorie burn.
Additional Benefits
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Strengthens abdominal muscles and reduces belly fat over time.
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Improves balance and coordination.
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Enhances hip flexor strength, reducing back pain.
3. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
Utkatasana, or Chair Pose, is a powerful lower-body exercise that activates the thighs, glutes, and core. It mimics the action of a squat and can burn more calories than walking due to its isometric hold and strength-building movement.
How It Burns Calories
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It requires constant muscle contraction, especially in large muscles like the quadriceps and glutes.
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Holding the pose for extended periods increases caloric expenditure.
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A dynamic variation (squat pulses) boosts heart rate, making it a fat-burning pose.
Calories Burned
Holding Chair Pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute can burn 6–9 calories per minute, and when done dynamically with small pulses, it can burn even more.
How to Do It
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Stand with feet hip-width apart.
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Bend your knees and lower your hips as if sitting in an invisible chair.
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Extend your arms forward or overhead while keeping the spine neutral.
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Engage the core and hold the position for 30 seconds or more.
Additional Benefits
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Strengthens leg muscles, improving endurance.
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Helps in toning the glutes and thighs.
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Improves posture and stability.
4. Phalakasana (Plank Pose)
Plank is a full-body exercise that activates the core, shoulders, arms, legs, and back, making it one of the best calorie-burning yoga poses. While static planks burn significant calories, adding dynamic variations (like plank taps or side planks) can increase the calorie burn further.
How It Burns Calories
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Engages the core muscles, leading to high-energy expenditure.
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Holding the pose requires stability and strength, increasing metabolism.
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Plank variations introduce cardiovascular benefits, similar to HIIT exercises.
Calories Burned
Holding a standard plank burns 5–8 calories per minute, but moving planks (such as plank jacks) can increase this to 9–12 calories per minute.
How to Do It
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Start in a push-up position, with hands under shoulders.
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Engage the core, keeping the body in a straight line.
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Hold the pose for 30–60 seconds.
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Modify with side planks or plank taps to boost calorie burn.
Additional Benefits
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Strengthens core muscles, improving back health.
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Enhances shoulder and arm endurance.
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Boosts metabolism due to full-body muscle engagement.
5. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog with Variations)
Downward-Facing Dog is a foundational pose in yoga, but adding movement (such as knee taps or leg lifts) transforms it into a calorie-burning powerhouse.
How It Burns Calories
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The full-body engagement requires strength and flexibility.
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Holding the pose builds muscular endurance, increasing calorie burn.
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Moving variations (such as Down Dog to Plank) elevate heart rate, making it an aerobic exercise.
Calories Burned
A static Downward Dog burns 4–6 calories per minute, but adding dynamic variations can raise this to 8–10 calories per minute.
How to Do It
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Start on all fours, then lift the hips up and back.
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Straighten the arms and legs, forming an inverted V shape.
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Engage the core and shoulders while pressing heels toward the floor.
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Hold for 30 seconds or add leg lifts to increase intensity.
Additional Benefits
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Strengthens the arms, shoulders, and legs.
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Improves blood circulation and flexibility.
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Helps in relieving back pain and stress.
Conclusion
Yoga isn't just about flexibility—it can be a high-calorie-burning activity when done with intensity. The five poses above—Chaturanga Dandasana, Navasana, Utkatasana, Phalakasana, and Adho Mukha Svanasana (with variations)—engage multiple muscle groups, boost metabolism, and burn more calories than walking.
Incorporating these poses into your routine can help build strength, improve endurance, and enhance weight loss, all while promoting mindfulness and balance. If you’re looking for a low-impact yet effective way to burn calories, yoga might just be the perfect workout for you!
Photo from: iStock , Adobe Stock
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