Estimate calories burned doing yard work, mowing the lawn, gardening, raking, or digging from your body weight and time, using typical MET values.
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Yard Work Calories Formula
Choose a yard task or enter a supported custom MET value. The calculator estimates adult gross energy, including resting energy, or solves the same equation for active time.
Variables:
- YWC = calories burned (kcal)
- T = yard work time (minutes)
- BW = body weight (lbs)
- F = MET × 3.5 × 0.45359237 ÷ 200, in kcal per pound per minute
Common Yard Work Factors
| Yard task | Factor (kcal/lb/min) | 30 min at 150 lb | 60 min at 150 lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light yard work | 0.018257 (2.3 MET) | 82 kcal | 164 kcal |
| General yard work | 0.031751 (4 MET) | 143 kcal | 286 kcal |
| Gardening | 0.030164 (3.8 MET) | 136 kcal | 271 kcal |
| Raking leaves | 0.031751 (4 MET) | 143 kcal | 286 kcal |
| Mowing lawn | 0.043658 (5.5 MET) | 196 kcal | 393 kcal |
| Heavy yard work | 0.047627 (6 MET) | 214 kcal | 429 kcal |
| Shoveling | 0.043658 (5.5 MET) | 196 kcal | 393 kcal |
Illustrative adult estimates at the selected intensities: gardening uses 3.8 MET; other rows use the corresponding calculator presets. Factors are rounded for display; calorie totals use unrounded factors. Individual energy use varies.
How to Calculate Yard Work Calories
- Choose a calculation mode and enter your body weight in pounds or kilograms.
- Enter active time in minutes or hours, or enter gross energy to solve for time.
- Choose the yard work type, or select Custom MET value and enter its intensity.
- Multiply time by body weight and the activity factor.
- Select Calculate to view the estimated gross energy or implied active duration. This is a population estimate for adults ages 19–59, not an individual measurement or exercise prescription.
Example
For a 180-lb adult doing moderate general yard work at 4 MET for 45 active minutes, the model estimates about 257.19 gross kcal. The factor is 0.0317514659 kcal/lb/min; multiply 45 minutes by 180 lb by that factor.
FAQs
Does mowing burn more calories than gardening?
In these presets, moderate walking mowing uses 5.5 MET and moderate general gardening uses 3.8 MET. For the same weight and active time, the mowing estimate is higher; actual intensity varies.
How does body weight change the result?
Higher body weight increases calories burned for the same yard task and session length.
Which yard work tasks burn the most calories?
Vigorous digging has the highest listed preset at 7.3 MET, followed by vigorous general yard work at 6 MET. A custom intensity may differ.
When should I choose a specific activity?
Choose the closest listed activity and intensity when estimating energy for a specific task. Use the time mode only to solve the equation, not to prescribe an exercise duration.
