Calories Burned: Gardening
Gardening is a moderate-intensity activity with a MET value of 3.5. A 155-lb (70 kg) person burns about 123 calories in 30 minutes and 246 in an hour. Adjust the weight and duration below for your exact number.
How to use this calculator
Gardening is pre-selected. Set your body weight and how long you exercised, and the calorie estimate updates instantly. You can also switch to any of 40+ other activities using the category buttons.
Understanding your gardening calorie burn
The estimate uses the MET formula: calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours. Gardening's MET of 3.5 means it burns 3.5× more energy than sitting at rest. It's classified as moderate intensity — actual burn varies with your effort, fitness level, and conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Calories burned: gardening by weight and duration
Calorie burn scales directly with body weight — the same session costs a heavier person more energy because they are moving more mass. All figures use gardening's MET value of 3.5.
| Duration | 125 lbs | 155 lbs | 185 lbs | 215 lbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 50 cal | 62 cal | 73 cal | 85 cal |
| 30 min | 99 cal | 123 cal | 147 cal | 171 cal |
| 45 min | 149 cal | 185 cal | 220 cal | 256 cal |
| 60 min | 198 cal | 246 cal | 294 cal | 341 cal |
Common calorie targets
How long a 155-lb person needs to do gardening to hit common burn targets:
- ·Burn 100 calories: about 24 minutes
- ·Burn 250 calories: about 61 minutes
- ·Burn 500 calories: about 122 minutes
How gardening compares to other daily life activities
Same duration, same 155-lb person — only the intensity (MET) changes:
| Activity | MET | 30 min at 155 lbs |
|---|---|---|
| Gardening | 3.5 | 123 cal |
| Cleaning house | 3.3 | 116 cal |
| Cooking | 2 | 70 cal |
| Mowing the lawn | 4.5 | 158 cal |
| Shoveling snow | 6 | 211 cal |
Related calculators
Calories burned in other daily life activities
Same calculator, different intensity — each page shows that activity's numbers by weight and duration.