Hiking calories burned
Quick answer
Hiking burns about 151 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 301 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 151 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 301 kcal
- MET used
- 5.3
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Easy suits a slow hike. Moderate matches walking through fields and hillsides at a normal pace, and Hard a cross-country hike. Steep or rough ground is not measured, so treat the numbers as a guide.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for hiking. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy3.8 MET | 70 kcal | 84 kcal | 98 kcal | 112 kcal | 126 kcal | 140 kcal |
| Moderate5.3 MET | 108 kcal | 129 kcal | 151 kcal | 172 kcal | 194 kcal | 215 kcal |
| Hard6 MET | 125 kcal | 150 kcal | 175 kcal | 200 kcal | 225 kcal | 250 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy3.8 MET | 140 kcal | 168 kcal | 196 kcal | 224 kcal | 252 kcal | 280 kcal |
| Moderate5.3 MET | 215 kcal | 258 kcal | 301 kcal | 344 kcal | 387 kcal | 430 kcal |
| Hard6 MET | 250 kcal | 300 kcal | 350 kcal | 400 kcal | 450 kcal | 500 kcal |
- Easy:
- Relaxed, light effort.
- Moderate:
- Steady, noticeable effort. New logs in the app start here.
- Hard:
- Demanding and hard to keep up.
How this is calculated
Calories burned = (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × time in hours
MET compares the energy an activity uses with sitting at rest. Nibbs takes away 1 MET, the energy your body uses at rest (about 1 kcal per kg per hour), so it counts only the extra calories from the activity. The app rounds the result to the nearest whole kcal.
Worked example (Moderate, 70 kg, 30 minutes): (5.3 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 150.5, rounded to 151 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3.8 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 5.3 | 17082 |
| Hard | 6 | Effort model |
Compendium row for hiking: code 17082, 5.3 MET.Compendium wording: “Hiking or walking at a normal pace through fields and hillsides, no load”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 17081, 17082, 17080. They are not separate measurements of hiking. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does hiking burn in an hour?
About 301 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 215 kcal and a 100 kg person about 430 kcal.
Does hiking burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 98 kcal at easy effort, 151 kcal at moderate effort and 175 kcal at hard effort. Choose the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
Why are these numbers lower than some other calculators?
Nibbs counts only the calories you burn above your resting rate. It takes away 1 MET, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, because your body burns that much even when you sit still. Calculators that count total calories include this resting energy, so their numbers are higher.
How do I log hiking in Nibbs?
Add Hiking from the exercise library, enter how long you did it and pick Easy, Moderate or Hard. Nibbs uses the weight in your profile to estimate the calories. You can replace the estimate with your own number.
Log hiking in Nibbs and get a calorie estimate automatically
Nibbs has a library of more than 1,200 exercises. Add a workout and Nibbs uses your weight to estimate the calories, next to the meals you log.
Calories burned in related activities
Values are kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, at the app's default effort level or the pace shown on each page.