Stair climbing calories burned
Quick answer
Climbing stairs burns about 203 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 406 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 203 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 406 kcal
- MET used
- 6.8
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Easy matches climbing stairs slowly, Moderate a general pace and Hard a fast pace. The app uses the same rates for stair climber machines.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for stair climbing. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy4.5 MET | 88 kcal | 105 kcal | 123 kcal | 140 kcal | 158 kcal | 175 kcal |
| Moderate6.8 MET | 145 kcal | 174 kcal | 203 kcal | 232 kcal | 261 kcal | 290 kcal |
| Hard9.3 MET | 208 kcal | 249 kcal | 291 kcal | 332 kcal | 374 kcal | 415 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy4.5 MET | 175 kcal | 210 kcal | 245 kcal | 280 kcal | 315 kcal | 350 kcal |
| Moderate6.8 MET | 290 kcal | 348 kcal | 406 kcal | 464 kcal | 522 kcal | 580 kcal |
| Hard9.3 MET | 415 kcal | 498 kcal | 581 kcal | 664 kcal | 747 kcal | 830 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): (6.8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 203 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 4.5 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 6.8 | 17131 |
| Hard | 9.3 | Effort model |
Compendium row for stair climbing: code 17131, 6.8 MET.Compendium wording: “Stair climbing, general”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 17133, 17131, 17134. They are not separate measurements of stair climbing. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does climbing stairs burn in an hour?
About 406 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 290 kcal and a 100 kg person about 580 kcal.
Does climbing stairs burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 123 kcal at easy effort, 203 kcal at moderate effort and 291 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 stair climbing in Nibbs?
Add Stair Walking 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 stair climbing 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.