Updated
Calories Burned by Activity
82+ activities with MET values and calorie estimates
Every activity on this list carries a MET value, the metabolic equivalent of task, which is the number that makes different activities comparable. One MET is the energy your body spends lying still, roughly one calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. Walking briskly is about 4 METs, cycling at a moderate pace 8, running at 10 km per hour 10. Multiply the MET value by your weight in kilograms and by the hours spent, and you have the calories burned: a 70 kg person cycling for forty minutes at 8 METs spends about 373. Body weight scales the result almost proportionally, which is why the same session costs a 90 kg person around a third more than a 65 kg one, and why any figure quoted without a weight is only an order of magnitude.
Cardio
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinting | 23.0 | 1610 |
| Jump Rope | 12.3 | 861 |
| Cycling (Vigorous) | 12.0 | 840 |
| Kickboxing | 10.3 | 721 |
| Running (6 mph) | 9.8 | 686 |
| Stair Climbing | 9.0 | 630 |
| Cross-Country Skiing | 9.0 | 630 |
| Spinning / Indoor Cycling | 8.5 | 595 |
| Cycling (Moderate) | 8.0 | 560 |
| Swimming Laps | 8.0 | 560 |
| Jumping Jacks | 8.0 | 560 |
| Rollerblading | 7.5 | 525 |
| Aerobics Class | 7.3 | 511 |
| Jogging (5 mph) | 7.0 | 490 |
| Rowing Machine | 7.0 | 490 |
| Ice Skating | 7.0 | 490 |
| Zumba | 6.5 | 455 |
| Swimming (Leisure) | 6.0 | 420 |
| Hiking | 6.0 | 420 |
| Dancing (General) | 5.5 | 385 |
| Elliptical Trainer | 5.0 | 350 |
| Brisk Walking (3.5 mph) | 4.3 | 301 |
Daily Activities
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Shoveling Snow | 6.0 | 420 |
| Moving Furniture | 6.0 | 420 |
| Mowing Lawn (Push Mower) | 5.5 | 385 |
| Playing with Kids | 4.0 | 280 |
| Gardening | 3.8 | 266 |
| Car Washing | 3.5 | 245 |
| Housework (General) | 3.3 | 231 |
| Painting (House) | 3.3 | 231 |
| Grocery Shopping | 2.3 | 161 |
| Cooking | 2.0 | 140 |
Flexibility & Mind-Body
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga (Vinyasa) | 4.0 | 280 |
| Yoga (Hot/Bikram) | 4.0 | 280 |
| Barre Class | 3.5 | 245 |
| Pilates | 3.0 | 210 |
| Tai Chi | 3.0 | 210 |
| Yoga (Hatha) | 2.5 | 175 |
| Walking Meditation | 2.5 | 175 |
| Stretching | 2.3 | 161 |
Outdoor
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Trail Running | 10.0 | 700 |
| Mountain Biking | 8.5 | 595 |
| Rock Climbing | 8.0 | 560 |
| Frisbee / Ultimate | 8.0 | 560 |
| Skiing (Downhill) | 6.0 | 420 |
| Snowboarding | 6.0 | 420 |
| Skateboarding | 5.0 | 350 |
| Horseback Riding | 4.0 | 280 |
| Archery | 3.5 | 245 |
Sports
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Martial Arts | 10.3 | 721 |
| Rugby | 8.3 | 581 |
| Football | 8.0 | 560 |
| Ice Hockey | 8.0 | 560 |
| Lacrosse | 8.0 | 560 |
| Boxing (Sparring) | 7.8 | 546 |
| Tennis | 7.3 | 511 |
| Soccer | 7.0 | 490 |
| Basketball | 6.5 | 455 |
| Wrestling | 6.0 | 420 |
| Badminton | 5.5 | 385 |
| Baseball / Softball | 5.0 | 350 |
| Golf (Walking) | 4.3 | 301 |
| Volleyball | 4.0 | 280 |
| Table Tennis | 4.0 | 280 |
Strength
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| CrossFit | 9.0 | 630 |
| Circuit Training | 8.0 | 560 |
| Weight Lifting (Vigorous) | 6.0 | 420 |
| Kettlebell Training | 6.0 | 420 |
| Powerlifting | 6.0 | 420 |
| Olympic Lifting | 6.0 | 420 |
| TRX / Suspension Training | 4.5 | 315 |
| Bodyweight Exercises | 3.8 | 266 |
| Weight Lifting (Moderate) | 3.5 | 245 |
| Resistance Bands | 3.5 | 245 |
Water
| Activity | MET | kcal/hr (70kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Water Polo | 10.0 | 700 |
| Scuba Diving | 7.0 | 490 |
| Stand-Up Paddleboarding | 6.0 | 420 |
| Water Aerobics | 5.3 | 371 |
| Kayaking | 5.0 | 350 |
| Snorkeling | 5.0 | 350 |
| Canoeing | 3.5 | 245 |
| Surfing | 3.0 | 210 |
Official sources
The formulas, food data and health thresholds used on this page come from the following public sources, checked for 2026:
Frequently asked questions
Each activity carries a MET value, a standardised multiple of resting metabolism published in the Compendium of Physical Activities. Calories per hour are MET multiplied by bodyweight in kilograms, so a MET of 8 burns roughly eight times your resting rate. Our figures are quoted for a 70 kilogram adult and scale linearly: heavier people burn proportionally more.
Watches estimate from heart rate, motion and your profile, and they are tuned for steady cardio. They tend to overstate strength training and anything with a lot of standing still, and to understate carrying loads or exercising in heat. MET tables and watches are two estimates of the same unknown; expect a spread of ten to twenty per cent between them.
For precision, yes. A MET of 1 is simply being alive, so an hour of a MET 6 activity costs five extra METs above what you would have burned on the sofa. Over an hour that difference is often a hundred calories or more. If you are eating back exercise calories, subtracting resting metabolism keeps the arithmetic honest.
Running, swimming hard, cycling fast and cross-country skiing sit at the top, all above a MET of 10. But the ranking that matters is the one you will repeat: an activity you enjoy three times a week beats a higher-MET activity you abandon in a fortnight. Consistency is worth more than intensity over a year.
It is possible but slow. An hour of brisk walking burns roughly three hundred calories, about the same as a large muffin, and appetite usually rises to meet part of that. Diet moves weight faster; exercise protects muscle, improves health markers and makes maintenance easier. The pair together beats either alone by a wide margin.
The WHO baseline is 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, plus two strength sessions. That is a health floor rather than a fitness goal: it is the point below which risk rises noticeably. If weight loss is the aim, most people find 250 to 300 minutes a week makes a visible difference.
Enormously. Walking at a gentle pace sits near a MET of 3, brisk walking near 5, and uphill hiking with a pack near 8. Choosing the right intensity line for what you actually did matters more than any refinement in the formula, which is why each activity page lists several intensities rather than a single average.