What this calculator does
The Stair Climbing Calories Burned Calculator estimates how many kilocalories you burn while going up and down stairs. It uses the universal METs (metabolic equivalent of task) energy-expenditure formula from exercise physiology. The default METs value of 4.0 reflects general stair use and matches widely used Compendium of Physical Activities figures; it is also consistent with Japan's Physical Activity Reference for Health Promotion. Because the formula itself is universal, this tool works for users anywhere.
How to use it
Enter your body weight (choose kilograms or pounds), the time you spent climbing in minutes, and a METs value. Use the default 4.0 for general stair climbing, increase toward 8–15 for vigorous, fast climbing, or lower it (around 3–4) for descending only. The calculator converts pounds to kilograms and minutes to hours automatically, then returns your estimated calories burned.
The formula explained
The core equation is:
$$\text{Calories (kcal)} = \text{METs} \times \text{body weight (kg)} \times \text{exercise time (hours)} \times 1.05$$
One MET equals roughly 1.05 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour at rest, so multiplying METs by weight, time in hours, and 1.05 gives total gross energy expenditure. Time in minutes is converted to hours by dividing by 60.
Worked example
For a 60 kg person climbing stairs for 5 minutes at 4.0 METs: hours = \(5 / 60 = 0.08333\). $$\text{Calories} = 4.0 \times 60 \times 0.08333 \times 1.05 = 21.0 \text{ kcal}$$
FAQ
Does this include my resting metabolism? Yes. This is gross energy expenditure, which includes the calories your body would burn at rest during that time, not net calories above resting.
What METs value should I use? Use 4.0 for general stair use, 8–15 for vigorous fast climbing, and roughly 3–4 for descending only.
Why divide by 60? The formula expects exercise time in hours, so minutes are divided by 60 first.
