Calories Burned Per Hour by Activity — Comparison Chart

Compare calories burned per hour across 15+ activities from sleeping to sprinting. Full comparison tables by weight using science-based MET calculations.

Quick answer

For a 155 lb (70 kg) adult, calorie burn per hour ranges from about 67 calories (sleeping) to about 1036 calories (running — elite (10 mph)). Every figure is calculated as MET × body weight in kilograms × 1 hour, so a heavier person burns proportionally more at the same activity. These are estimates from population-average MET values, not measurements — actual burn varies with intensity, fitness, body composition, terrain and technique.

Example calculation

A 155 lb (70 kg) adult — running — moderate (6 mph) — for one hour:

9.3 MET × 70 kg × 1 h = 651 calories

Calories burned per hour by activity and body weight

Calories burned per hour by activity and body weight, calculated as MET × kg × 1 hour.
Activity	MET	130 lb (59 kg)	155 lb (70 kg)	180 lb (82 kg)	205 lb (93 kg)
Sleeping	0.95	56 cal	67 cal	78 cal	88 cal
Sitting (desk work)	1.3	77 cal	91 cal	107 cal	121 cal
Standing still	1.8	106 cal	126 cal	148 cal	167 cal
Walking — slow (2 mph)	2	118 cal	140 cal	164 cal	186 cal
Cleaning — light	2.3	136 cal	161 cal	189 cal	214 cal
Yoga — Hatha	2.5	148 cal	175 cal	205 cal	233 cal
Cleaning — moderate (vacuuming)	3.3	195 cal	231 cal	271 cal	307 cal
Walking — moderate (3 mph)	3.5	207 cal	245 cal	287 cal	326 cal
Cycling — leisure (under 10 mph)	4	236 cal	280 cal	328 cal	372 cal
Stair climbing — slow	4	236 cal	280 cal	328 cal	372 cal
Walking — brisk (3.5 mph)	4.3	254 cal	301 cal	353 cal	400 cal
Walking — fast (4 mph)	5	295 cal	350 cal	410 cal	465 cal
Stair climbing — moderate	5.5	325 cal	385 cal	451 cal	512 cal
Cycling — moderate (10–12 mph)	6.8	401 cal	476 cal	558 cal	632 cal
Swimming — moderate laps	7	413 cal	490 cal	574 cal	651 cal
Walking — power walking (4.5+ mph)	7	413 cal	490 cal	574 cal	651 cal
Stair climbing — fast	8	472 cal	560 cal	656 cal	744 cal
Running — jogging (5 mph)	8.5	502 cal	595 cal	697 cal	791 cal
Running — moderate (6 mph)	9.3	549 cal	651 cal	763 cal	865 cal
Cycling — vigorous (14–16 mph)	10	590 cal	700 cal	820 cal	930 cal
Running — fast (7 mph)	11	649 cal	770 cal	902 cal	1023 cal
Cycling — racing (16–19 mph)	12	708 cal	840 cal	984 cal	1116 cal
Running — very fast (8 mph)	12	708 cal	840 cal	984 cal	1116 cal
Swimming — butterfly	13.8	814 cal	966 cal	1132 cal	1283 cal
Running — elite (10 mph)	14.8	873 cal	1036 cal	1214 cal	1376 cal

Method and formula

Calories = MET × body weight in kilograms × duration in hours. MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) expresses the energy cost of an activity as a multiple of resting metabolism, where 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. Pounds are converted with lb ÷ 2.20462 = kg. Totals are rounded to the nearest whole calorie and per-minute figures to one decimal; no rounding is applied before the final step.

MET values are taken from the 2011/2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.

What changes the result

Body weight: Directly proportional — doubling body weight doubles the estimate at the same MET and duration.
Duration: Directly proportional — calories scale linearly with time at a constant intensity.
Intensity: Sets the MET value. Moving one intensity step up typically raises burn 20–40%.
Terrain and incline: Not in the base MET value; uphill or resistance work increases the true cost.
Fitness and efficiency: Trained people use less energy for the same output, so estimates skew high for them.
Age, sex and body composition: Change resting metabolism and therefore the baseline the MET multiplies.

Limitations

The highest-burn activities are rarely sustainable for a full hour, so hourly figures for them are extrapolations rather than realistic sessions.
Comparing activities per hour ignores recovery cost and how long you can actually keep going — total session calories often favour the moderate option.
Every figure here is an estimate, not a measurement — treat it as a planning number rather than a result.
MET values are population averages from the Compendium of Physical Activities; individual results commonly differ by 10–20%.
Actual intensity and pace matter more than the label: two people at the same nominal intensity can differ substantially in real effort.
Body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness change the result — more lean mass raises the baseline, while trained people move more efficiently and often burn less than the table shows.
Terrain, incline, surface and movement technique are not captured by a flat-ground MET value.
These are gross calories — they include the resting energy you would have burned anyway during that time.
MET tables are standardised on a 70 kg adult, so estimates are least accurate at very low or very high body weights.
Heart-rate monitors, wearables and laboratory indirect calorimetry can all give different numbers; measured testing is more accurate for an individual than any MET-based estimate.

Last updated: August 6, 2026

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