Calories burned working calculator

How the estimate is calculated

Energy use is estimated with METs (metabolic equivalents), where one MET is roughly 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. The formula is kcal = MET × weight in kg × hours. This calculator uses representative values from the Compendium of Physical Activities: about 1.5 MET for seated desk work, 2.0 for standing work, 2.5 for light active work, 3.5 for active jobs on your feet and 5.5 for heavy manual labour. The "extra" figure compares your work with sitting quietly at about 1.3 MET.

Worked example: a 70 kg person doing desk work (1.5 MET) for 8 hours burns 1.5 × 70 × 8 = 840 kcal. Pure sitting would use 1.3 × 70 × 8 = 728 kcal, so the work itself adds about 112 kcal over a fully sedentary day. Across a 5-day week that is 4,200 kcal of total work energy, and the extra over sitting adds up to roughly 3.8 kg of body-fat equivalent over a 52-week year, using the common estimate of 7,700 kcal per kilogram of fat.

What the number does and does not tell you

This is an estimate of general energy expenditure for wellbeing, not a precise measurement and not medical or dietary advice. MET values are population averages for broad job categories, so a brisk warehouse shift and a slow one share the same number even though the real burn differs. Body composition, fitness and the exact tasks all move the figure, and the yearly totals assume every week is a full working week, which few are once holidays and sick days are counted.

The figures are most useful for comparison: they show why a day on your feet uses far more than a day at a desk, and why small shifts — standing for part of the day, taking the stairs, walking at lunch — add up over a year. They are not a weight-loss plan on their own, since appetite and later activity often adjust to offset part of the gain. If you are starting more physically demanding work, or you have a heart, joint or other health condition, check with a doctor before making a big change to how active your day is.