Calories burned by activity calculator
MET compares the energy cost of an activity with resting. Weight, time and the published MET value estimate kilocalories.
Formula: kcal = MET x weight in kg x hours.
The Adults 60+ option uses the Older Adult Compendium and shows MET60+, a separate reference for older adults.
78 activities
| Activity | Category | MET | estimated kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning, sweeping carpet or floors, general | Home activities | 3.3 | 116 |
| Cleaning, sweeping, slow, light effort | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Cleaning, sweeping, fast, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.8 | 133 |
| Cleaning heavy or major (e.g., wash car, clean garage), moderate effort | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Cleaning, mopping, standing, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Cleaning windows, washing windows, general | Home activities | 3.3 | 116 |
| Mopping, standing, light effort | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Polishing floors, standing, walking slowly, using electric polishing machine | Home activities | 4.5 | 158 |
| Multiple household tasks all at once, light effort | Home activities | 2.8 | 98 |
| Multiple household tasks all at once, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.3 | 116 |
| Multiple household tasks all at once, vigorous effort | Home activities | 4.3 | 151 |
| Cleaning, house or cabin, general, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.3 | 116 |
| Dusting or polishing furniture, general | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Kitchen activity, general, (e.g., cooking, washing dishes, cleaning up) moderate effort | Home activities | 3.3 | 116 |
| Cleaning, general (straightening up, changing linen, carrying out trash), light effort | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Wash dishes, standing or in general (not broken into stand/walk components) | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Wash dishes, clearing dishes from table, walking, light effort | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Vacuuming, general, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Butchering animals, small | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Butchering animals, large, vigorous effort | Home activities | 6.0 | 210 |
| Cutting and smoking fish, drying fish or meat | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Tanning hides, general | Home activities | 4.0 | 140 |
| Cooking or food preparation, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Cooking or food preparation - standing or sitting or in general (not broken into stand/walk components), manual appliances, light effort | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Cooking or food preparation, walking | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Serving food, setting/cleaning table, implied walking or standing | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Feeding household animals | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| carrying groceries, on level ground, walking | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Putting away groceries (e.g. carrying groceries, carrying packages) | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Carrying groceries upstairs | Home activities | 5.3 | 186 |
| Cooking Indian bread or other food on an outside stove | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Food shopping with or without a grocery cart; carrying a 10 lb bag; standing or walking | Home activities | 3.3 | 116 |
| Non-food shopping, with or without cart, standing or walking | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Ironing | Home activities | 1.8 | 63 |
| Knitting, sewing, light effort, wrapping presents, sitting | Home activities | 1.3 | 46 |
| Sewing with a machine | Home activities | 2.8 | 98 |
| Laundry, fold or hang clothes, put clothes in washer or dryer, packing suitcase, washing clothes by hand, implied standing, light effort | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Laundry, fold or hang clothes, sitting | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Laundry, moderate effort | Home activities | 4.0 | 140 |
| Laundry, putting away clothes, gathering clothes to pack, putting away laundry, implied walking | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Making bed, changing linens | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Maple syruping/sugar bushing (including carrying buckets, carrying wood) | Home activities | 5.0 | 175 |
| Moving furniture, household items, carrying boxes | Home activities | 5.8 | 203 |
| Moving, lifting light loads | Home activities | 5.0 | 175 |
| Organizing a room | Home activities | 4.8 | 168 |
| Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees, scrubbing bathroom, bathtub, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees, scrubbing bathroom, bathtub, light effort | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees, scrubbing bathroom, bathtub, vigorous effort | Home activities | 6.5 | 228 |
| Sweeping garage, sidewalk, or outside house | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Standing, packing/unpacking boxes, occasional lifting lightweight household items, loading or unloading items into a car, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.8 | 133 |
| Implied walking, putting away household items, moderate effort | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Watering plants | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Building a fire inside | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Moving household items upstairs, carrying boxes or furniture | Home activities | 9.0 | 315 |
| Standing, light effort tasks (pump gas, change light bulb, etc.) | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Walking, moderate effort tasks, non-cleaning (readying to leave, shut/lock doors, close windows, etc. | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Sitting, playing with child(ren), light effort, only active periods | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Standing, playing with child(ren), light effort, only active periods | Home activities | 2.8 | 98 |
| Walking/running, playing with child(ren), moderate effort, only active periods | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Walking/running, playing with child(ren), vigorous effort, only active periods | Home activities | 5.8 | 203 |
| Walking and carrying small child, child weighing 15 lbs or more | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Walking and carrying small child, child weighing less than 15 lbs | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Standing, holding child | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Child care, infant, general | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Child care: sitting or kneeling, dressing, bathing, grooming, feeding, occasional lifting of child-light effort, general | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Child care: standing, dressing, bathing, grooming, feeding, occasional lifting of child- light effort | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Reclining with baby | Home activities | 1.5 | 53 |
| Breastfeeding, sitting or reclining | Home activities | 2.0 | 70 |
| Sit, playing with animals, light, only active period | Home activities | 2.5 | 88 |
| Stand, playing with animals, light effort, only active periods | Home activities | 2.8 | 98 |
| Walk or run, playing with animals, general, light effort, only active periods | Home activities | 2.8 | 98 |
| Walk/run, playing with animals, moderate effort, only active periods | Home activities | 4.0 | 140 |
| Walk/run, playing with animals, vigorous effort, only active periods | Home activities | 5.0 | 175 |
| Standing, bathing dog | Home activities | 3.5 | 123 |
| Animal care, household animals, general | Home activities | 2.3 | 81 |
| Elder care, disabled adult, bathing, dressing, moving into and out of bed, only active periods | Home activities | 3.0 | 105 |
| Elder care, disabled adult, feeding, combing hair, light effort, only active periods | Home activities | 1.8 | 63 |
| Handwashing | Home activities | 1.3 | 46 |
Source
MET values are taken from the Compendium of Physical Activities. MET values are not changed, and activities with different MET levels are not combined. Compendium of Physical Activities.
Language translations. Spanish and French descriptions may use official 2011 translations when the activity code matches; otherwise the 2024 English description is shown.
This is a general estimate. Real energy expenditure depends on the person, intensity, technique and conditions.