Sedentary Calorie Burn Calculator

Estimate how many calories you burn while sitting quietly by applying the sedentary metabolic equivalent (MET) of 1.3 to your body weight and total seated hours.

Enter weight in kilograms. To convert from pounds, divide by 2.20462 first.
Sum the total sedentary hours (desk work, TV, commuting). Exclude time spent standing or walking.

Energy expenditure varies with age, muscle mass, medications, and health status. Use this as a planning guide and consult a registered dietitian or healthcare professional for personalized advice.

Examples

  • 72 kg seated for 7.5 h ⇒ 702 kcal burned
  • 88 kg seated for 4 h ⇒ 458 kcal burned
  • 60 kg seated for 10 h ⇒ 780 kcal burned
  • 95 kg seated for 2.5 h ⇒ 309 kcal burned

FAQ

What does the MET value of 1.3 represent?

MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. A MET of 1.3 reflects the energy cost of sitting quietly or performing light desk tasks relative to resting metabolism.

How should I handle breaks or short walks?

Estimate the net sitting time by subtracting breaks spent standing or walking. For more active intervals, use a higher MET calculator.

Can I use this for standing desks or fidgeting?

Standing stationary often uses MET 1.5–2.0, while light fidgeting may be higher. Use an activity-specific MET for those situations.

Why does this differ from my fitness tracker?

Wearables blend resting, sedentary, and active calories. This tool isolates just the sedentary portion so you can add it to other activity estimates without double counting.

Additional Information

  • Formula: Calories burned = Weight (kg) × Hours sitting × MET 1.3 (quiet sitting/light desk work).
  • Nutrition labels report energy in kilocalories (kcal); the calculator outputs the same unit.
  • For pounds, use Calories = Weight(lb) × Hours × 0.59 after converting the MET factor.

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