Do You Lose Weight Faster With Yoga or Belly Dancing?

When choosing between belly dance and yoga for weight loss, belly dance will likely be the faster option. The movements of belly dance are typically higher in intensity than yoga movements. The higher level of activity will increase your heart rate, allowing belly dance to burn calories at a quicker rate and bring quicker weight loss than yoga can.

Calories In, Calories Out

According to My Health News Daily, yoga - an anaerobic exercise - burns fewer calories than aerobic exercises that get you up and moving, such as jogging or kickboxing. Belly dancing is not quite as aerobic as something like boxing, but it is generally more so than yoga. An hour of belly dance will burn 300 calories, according to dance instructor Ananke of Ananke Dance; that number falls to 240 calories for an hour of yoga, as preventative medicine specialist Donald Hensrud, M.D. tells MayoClinic.com.

Be Choosy

Keep in mind that there are different types of yoga with varying degrees of calorie-burning effects. Women's Health Magazine states that power yoga incorporates every muscle in the body and raises metabolism, thus burning a higher rate of calories than other types, such as hatha or kripalu. Ashtanga yoga involves rapid, flowing movements that change with each inhale and exhale, according to Women's Health. The same holds true for belly dancing, in terms of variations. You'll get the most calorie burning out of a belly dance fitness class, which combines dancing with higher levels of cardio specifically for weight loss purposes, according to Ananke. Professional belly dancer Shira describes the Egyptian Oriental style as having minimal, subtle movements, while the American Restaurant style incorporates more sweeping movements and stronger extensions.

Change Within, Change Without

Yoga and belly dance also encourage weight loss in different ways. Yoga generally produces slower changes in the body that start intrinsically, as part of its practice is to pay attention to how one feels physically, emotionally and spiritually. Thus, one may begin to avoid foods that affect him or her negatively in a physical, emotional or spiritual way. Belly dance encourages similar reflection, focusing often on the beauty and sensuality of the feminine form, as well as inducing slightly higher calorie burning. World Belly Dance likens belly dance to "a state of dance-meditation."

Ifs, Ands and Buts

Despite its edge over yoga, belly dancing alone does not necessarily guarantee weight loss. According to World Belly Dance, it is important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet along with your belly dance practice for optimum weight loss. Dr. Hensrud tells Mayo Clinic that it is crucial to reduce calorie intake as well as increase caloric outtake; he also states that "physical activity is better for preventing weight gain than promoting weight loss," which makes your diet all the more important.