Calories Burned by Chores Calculator - Calculate Calories from Household Activities

Calories Burned by Chores Calculator

Calculate how many calories you burn doing household chores and activities. Chores can contribute significantly to your daily calorie burn and overall activity level. This calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent) values to estimate calories burned based on your weight, the activity, and duration.

How Calories Are Calculated

Formula: Calories = MET × Weight(kg) × Time(hours)

MET values represent activity intensity. Higher MET = more calories burned.

Calories Burned by Activity

Light Activities (2-3 MET)

• Laundry/Folding: ~2 MET - 70 calories per 30 min (70kg person)
• Dishwashing: ~2 MET - 70 calories per 30 min
• Cooking: ~2.5 MET - 88 calories per 30 min
• Light Cleaning: ~3 MET - 105 calories per 30 min

Moderate Activities (3.5-4.5 MET)

• Vacuuming: ~3.5 MET - 123 calories per 30 min
• Mopping: ~3.5 MET - 123 calories per 30 min
• Gardening: ~4 MET - 140 calories per 30 min
• Raking: ~4 MET - 140 calories per 30 min

Heavy Activities (5+ MET)

• Mowing Lawn: ~5.5 MET - 193 calories per 30 min
• Shoveling: ~6 MET - 210 calories per 30 min
• Moving Furniture: ~6 MET - 210 calories per 30 min

Why Track Chore Calories?

Daily Activity

Chores contribute to your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Every bit of movement counts!

Weight Management

Understanding calorie burn helps with weight loss or maintenance. Chores can burn 100-300+ calories per session.

Motivation

Seeing calories burned can motivate you to be more active and tackle those chores!

Factors Affecting Calories Burned

• Weight: Heavier people burn more calories (more mass to move)
• Intensity: How hard you work affects calories
• Duration: Longer = more calories
• Fitness Level: Fit people may burn slightly fewer calories (more efficient)
• Individual Metabolism: Varies person to person

Chores as Exercise

Can Chores Replace Exercise?

Chores are great for daily activity but shouldn't fully replace structured exercise. However, they can:

• Increase daily calorie burn
• Improve general fitness
• Build functional strength
• Contribute to activity goals

Making Chores More Intense

To burn more calories:

• Work faster and more vigorously
• Take fewer breaks
• Add movements (squats while organizing, lunges while vacuuming)
• Use heavier tools or equipment

Weekly Chore Calorie Burn

Example weekly routine (70kg person):

• Vacuuming: 30 min × 3 = 369 calories
• Mopping: 30 min × 2 = 246 calories
• Gardening: 60 min × 1 = 280 calories
• Laundry: 20 min × 3 = 140 calories
• Cooking: 45 min × 7 = 693 calories
• Total: ~1,728 calories per week

That's equivalent to ~3-4 hours of moderate exercise!

Tips for Maximizing Chore Calories

1. Do chores regularly: Spread throughout the week
2. Increase intensity: Work faster, use more effort
3. Combine activities: Do multiple chores in one session
4. Add movement: Incorporate squats, lunges, stretches
5. Track your time: Know how long you're active

Chores vs. Exercise

Chores

• Functional movement
• Lower intensity typically
• Accomplishes tasks
• Daily activity

Exercise

• Structured activity
• Higher intensity options
• Specific fitness goals
• Planned sessions

Best approach: Combine both for optimal health and fitness!