Calories Burned: Tennis
Tennis is a vigorous-intensity activity with a MET value of 7.3. A 155-lb (70 kg) person burns about 257 calories in 30 minutes and 513 in an hour. Adjust the weight and duration below for your exact number.
How to use this calculator
Tennis 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 tennis calorie burn
The estimate uses the MET formula: calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours. Tennis's MET of 7.3 means it burns 7.3× more energy than sitting at rest. It's classified as vigorous intensity — actual burn varies with your effort, fitness level, and conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Calories burned: tennis 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 tennis's MET value of 7.3.
| Duration | 125 lbs | 155 lbs | 185 lbs | 215 lbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 103 cal | 128 cal | 153 cal | 178 cal |
| 30 min | 207 cal | 257 cal | 306 cal | 356 cal |
| 45 min | 310 cal | 385 cal | 459 cal | 534 cal |
| 60 min | 414 cal | 513 cal | 613 cal | 712 cal |
Common calorie targets
How long a 155-lb person needs to do tennis to hit common burn targets:
- ·Burn 100 calories: about 12 minutes
- ·Burn 250 calories: about 29 minutes
- ·Burn 500 calories: about 58 minutes
How tennis compares to other sports activities
Same duration, same 155-lb person — only the intensity (MET) changes:
| Activity | MET | 30 min at 155 lbs |
|---|---|---|
| Tennis | 7.3 | 257 cal |
| Basketball | 6.5 | 228 cal |
| Soccer | 7 | 246 cal |
| Golf (walking) | 4.3 | 151 cal |
| Volleyball | 4 | 141 cal |
| Martial arts | 10.3 | 362 cal |
| Boxing (sparring) | 9 | 316 cal |
Related calculators
Calories burned in other sports activities
Same calculator, different intensity — each page shows that activity's numbers by weight and duration.