Calories Burned Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…)
Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work, light assembly repair, watch repair, reading, desk work)) is rated 1.5 MET. A 70 kg person burns about kcal in 30 minutes and kcal in an hour. Enter your own numbers below.
You burn
kcal
Calories burned sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) by weight and time
| Weight | 10 min | 15 min | 20 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 13 | 20 | 26 | 39 | 59 | 79 | 118 |
| 55 kg | 14 | 22 | 29 | 43 | 65 | 87 | 130 |
| 60 kg | 16 | 24 | 32 | 47 | 71 | 95 | 142 |
| 65 kg | 17 | 26 | 34 | 51 | 77 | 102 | 154 |
| 70 kg | 18 | 28 | 37 | 55 | 83 | 110 | 165 |
| 75 kg | 20 | 30 | 39 | 59 | 89 | 118 | 177 |
| 80 kg | 21 | 32 | 42 | 63 | 95 | 126 | 189 |
| 85 kg | 22 | 33 | 45 | 67 | 100 | 134 | 201 |
| 90 kg | 24 | 35 | 47 | 71 | 106 | 142 | 213 |
| 95 kg | 25 | 37 | 50 | 75 | 112 | 150 | 224 |
| 100 kg | 26 | 39 | 53 | 79 | 118 | 158 | 236 |
| 110 kg | 29 | 43 | 58 | 87 | 130 | 173 | 260 |
| 120 kg | 32 | 47 | 63 | 95 | 142 | 189 | 284 |
To burn 250 kcal
at your weight
To burn 500 kcal
at your weight
To burn 1000 kcal
at your weight
How much is that in food?
30 minutes of sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) at 70 kg (55 kcal) is roughly 0.6 bananas, 0.2 chocolate bars or 0.4 cans of regular cola. Exercise is a poor way to out-run a diet, but a reliable way to keep the weight off once it is gone.
Where sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) fits in a plan
At 1.5 MET this is light activity: 150 minutes a week meets the WHO minimum. Pair it with two or three strength sessions a week to keep muscle while losing fat; the plan generator builds those around your equipment.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does 30 minutes of Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) burn?
About 55 kcal for a 70 kg person, 71 kcal at 90 kg. Use the table for your weight.
How many calories does an hour of Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) burn?
Around 110 kcal at 70 kg. Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) is rated 1.5 MET (light intensity).
How long do I need to do Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) to burn 500 calories?
About 273 minutes at 70 kg, or 212 minutes at 90 kg.
How is this calculated?
kcal = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes. MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities; Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) is 1.5 MET (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work, light assembly repair, watch repair, reading, desk work)).
Is Sitting tasks (light effort (e.g., office work, chemistry lab work,…) good for weight loss?
Any activity you do consistently helps. Pair it with a modest calorie deficit and strength training to keep muscle; see our deficit calculator for a realistic timeline.