Enter your body weight and hold time to calculate your calories burned doing yoga inversions. Most yoga inversions burn about 2 to 5 calories per minute for many adults, with supported poses on the lower end and active balance holds on the higher end.

Yoga Inversion Calories Burned Calculator

Basic
Advanced

Yoga Inversion Calories Burned Formula

The calculator uses body weight, hold time, and an activity factor based on inversion style.

C = W \times T \times F
  • C = calories burned
  • W = body weight
  • T = hold time in minutes
  • F = activity factor for the inversion style

Activity factors used in the advanced calculator:

  • Supported: 0.0159 per lb per minute or 0.0350 per kg per minute
  • Standard: 0.0198 per lb per minute or 0.0438 per kg per minute
  • Active balance hold: 0.0238 per lb per minute or 0.0525 per kg per minute

What Counts as a Yoga Inversion?

A yoga inversion is any pose that places the head below the heart or shifts a large share of body weight upward through the shoulders, arms, or core. Common examples include legs-up-the-wall, supported shoulder stand, headstand prep, forearm stand, and handstand holds.

Supported inversions usually have the lowest calorie burn. Freestanding or strength-based inversions raise the total because they demand more shoulder stability, trunk tension, and balance control.

Calories Burned by Hold Time

The table below shows calories burned for a standard inversion style.

Body Weight5 Minutes10 Minutes15 Minutes
120 lb11.923.835.7
150 lb14.929.844.7
180 lb17.935.753.6
200 lb19.839.759.5

How to Calculate Calories Burned from Yoga Inversions

Example: a 150 lb person holds a standard inversion for 6 minutes.

C = 150 \times 6 \times 0.0198

C = 17.8 calories