Calculate calories burned roller skating or rollerblading from your body weight, skating time and pace, using published MET values for each speed.
Roller Skating Calories Burned Formula
For general adult roller skating, the 2024 Adult Compendium lists 7 MET. Using the conventional 1 MET≈1 kcal/kg/hour definition, estimated total energy is:
C = 7 × Wkg × Tₘᵢₙ / 60
Inline skating (rollerblading) options use the Compendium’s speed-based values: 7.5 MET at about 9 mph, 9.8 at 11 mph and 12.3 at 13 mph. Custom intensity accepts your own MET assumption:
C = MET × Wkg × Tₘᵢₙ / 60
Variable Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Calories (C) | Estimated total energy in kcal, including resting energy |
| Body Weight (Wkg) | Body weight converted to kilograms (1 lb =0.45359237 kg) |
| Time (Tmin) | Your active roller skating time in minutes |
| Intensity (MET) | Published general value 7, or your custom MET assumption |
Intensity Assumptions
| Pace | MET | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Lower illustrative scenario | 5.5 | Illustrative custom MET; not a published roller-skating pace category |
| General Skating | 7 | Published general roller skating, activity 15590 |
| Higher illustrative scenario | 10 | Illustrative custom MET; not a published roller-skating pace category |
Example
For a 150 lb person skating 30 minutes at a general pace:
C = 7 × (150 × 0.45359237) × 30 / 60 ≈ 238.14
That session burns about 238 kcal of total energy, including resting energy; individual expenditure varies.
Illustrative Total Energy for a 150 lb Person
| Pace | 30 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Lower illustrative scenario | 187 kcal | 374 kcal |
| General Skating | 238 kcal | 476 kcal |
| Higher illustrative scenario | 340 kcal | 680 kcal |
Quick Reference: General Skating
| Body Weight | 20 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb | 127 kcal | 191 kcal | 381 kcal |
| 150 lb | 159 kcal | 238 kcal | 476 kcal |
| 180 lb | 191 kcal | 286 kcal | 572 kcal |
| 200 lb | 212 kcal | 318 kcal | 635 kcal |
What Counts as Skating Time
- Use the minutes you are actively rolling and pushing.
- Count warm-up laps if you stay in motion.
- Leave out long seated or standing breaks.
- Add separate skating blocks together for a full session total.
Why Roller Skating Burns Calories
- Each stride works the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
- Balance on skates keeps your core engaged throughout the session.
- Continuous laps raise heart rate quickly and keep it elevated.
- Faster skating increases push force and total work per minute.
