How many calories are burned by cleaning, walking the dog, and other daily activities
Energy expenditure for household chores is calculated using a single formula and a standard reference: the Compendium of Physical Activities, where each activity is assigned a MET value. Below is the formula, a table of common household chores, and one case where the reference and direct measurement differed by twofold.
How it is calculated
MET stands for metabolic equivalent: how many times more energy-intensive an activity is compared to sitting quietly. Values for hundreds of activities are collected in the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities for adults — this is the third update to the reference guide, which has been maintained since 1993.
The formula for converting to calories:
kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200
For a person weighing 70 kg, this is MET × 1.2 kcal per minute. Half an hour of an activity rated at 3 MET is approximately 110 kcal.
Table of household chores
MET values are from the compendium; calories are calculated for a weight of 70 kg and half an hour of activity.
| Activity | MET | 30 minutes, kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Ironing | 1.8 | 66 |
| Washing dishes while standing | 2.0 | 73 |
| Laundry: hanging, folding, loading the machine | 2.3 | 85 |
| Vacuuming, moderate effort | 3.0 | 110 |
| Making the bed, changing linens | 3.0 | 110 |
| Walking the dog | 3.0 | 110 |
| Sweeping the floor, general cleaning | 3.3 | 121 |
| Grocery shopping with a cart | 3.3 | 121 |
| Cooking, moderate effort | 3.5 | 129 |
| Playing with children while moving | 3.5 | 129 |
| Carrying bags up stairs | 5.3 | 195 |
| Shoveling snow, moderate effort | 5.3 | 195 |
| Rearranging furniture, moving boxes | 5.8 | 213 |
| Carrying items up stairs | 9.0 | 331 |
The most underestimated line is the last pair: carrying heavy items up stairs requires more energy than jogging. The most overestimated is ironing: an hour and a half provides less than one banana.
A case where the reference guide differed from measurements
In the compendium, sexual activity of moderate intensity is estimated at 3.0 MET, and passive activity at 1.8.
Direct measurement yielded a different result. In a study of 21 young couples (average age 22.6 years), expenditure was measured with a wearable sensor: for men, it averaged 101 kcal per episode (4.2 kcal per minute), and for women, 69.1 kcal (3.1 kcal per minute). The average intensity turned out to be 6.0 MET for men and 5.6 for women — twice as high as the reference value.
The conclusion is not about which number is "correct." It is that the compendium values are averaged estimates, and for a specific person, they can differ significantly. How to interpret such discrepancies is covered in our article on reading research.
Three adjustments without which the numbers are misleading
- Resting expenditure is already included. Of the 110 kcal for half an hour of cleaning, approximately 37 is what the body would have spent just by sitting. About 70 remains as "extra."
- Only active time counts. An hour in the kitchen is not an hour of cooking: pauses, waiting, and sitting do not count.
- The formula overestimates for people with higher weight. It relies on average resting expenditure per kilogram, but in a larger body, this is lower per kilogram.
The same adjustment applies to any expenditure estimates, including fitness trackers — there is an article about their margin of error regarding fitness trackers.
Why household chores are more important than they seem
One cleaning session will not replace a workout. But the sum of household activity over a week is usually greater than the sum of workouts: three hours of chores a day is significantly more time than three gym sessions.
This is why switching to a sedentary job or moving to a building with an elevator is noticeable in weight after a year — with the same diet. For more on this, see our articles on sedentary lifestyle and number of steps, and for workout expenditure, see our separate analysis.
And most importantly, when comparing these numbers to food: 200 kcal of snow shoveling is "worked off" by one sandwich. Nutrition and expenditure are scales of different magnitudes, and it is easier to manage the former.
Frequently asked questions
- How many calories does cleaning an apartment burn?
- Sweeping and general cleaning are estimated at 3.3 MET — about 121 kcal per half hour for a weight of 70 kg. Of these, approximately 37 kcal would have been spent by the body even at rest.
- How to calculate calorie expenditure for your own weight?
- Using the formula: MET × 3.5 × weight in kilograms ÷ 200 gives calories per minute. MET values for hundreds of activities are compiled in the Compendium of Physical Activities.
- How many calories does sex burn?
- In a study of 21 couples, energy expenditure averaged 101 kcal for men and 69.1 kcal for women per session at an intensity of 6.0 and 5.6 METs. The reference compendium provides half that amount for moderate intensity — 3.0 METs.
- Which household chore is the most energy-intensive?
- Carrying items and boxes up stairs is 9.0 METs, about 331 kcal per half hour for a 70 kg person. Shoveling snow is 5.3 METs, and rearranging furniture is 5.8.
- Can household chores replace a workout?
- As a replacement for strength training, no, but in terms of weekly totals, household activity usually exceeds workouts simply due to the amount of time spent. This is precisely why the shift to a sedentary lifestyle is noticeable in weight changes even when diet remains the same.
Read next
- How many calories are burned during a workout: running, cycling, swimming, gym — An hour of running at a moderate pace for a 70 kg person is about 550–700 kcal, cycling at a leisurely pace is 350–450, swimming is 400–600, and strength training is 200–350.
- Why a sedentary lifestyle is harmful — Sedentary work affects health not because a person doesn't exercise enough, but because they barely move during the other fifteen hours of the day.
- Fitness trackers and calorie expenditure: why they measure heart rate but estimate calories — On a tracker screen, three numbers look equally reliable: heart rate, steps, and "calories burned.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.