Calorie chart
🏊 Calories burned swimming
A 70 kg (154 lb) person burns about 257 kcal in 30 minutes swimming at a moderate pace, and about 514 kcal in an hour.
Swimming works the whole body and is worth MET 7 in EarnEat, right below running. Since the water carries your weight, it is a way to train hard without impact.
Chart: calories burned swimming by weight and duration
Values in kcal at a moderate pace. For a light pace, subtract 20%; for hard, add 20%.
| Weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 92 | 184 | 276 | 368 |
| 60 kg | 110 | 220 | 331 | 441 |
| 70 kg | 129 | 257 | 386 | 514 |
| 80 kg | 147 | 294 | 441 | 588 |
| 90 kg | 165 | 331 | 496 | 662 |
| 100 kg | 184 | 368 | 551 | 735 |
Light, moderate or hard
Intensity changes the math. For 70 kg and 30 minutes swimming:
Light
206 kcal
easy laps with breaks at the wall
Moderate
257 kcal
continuous laps, freestyle or breaststroke at a steady pace
Hard
309 kcal
hard sets, fast freestyle or butterfly
What 30 minutes swimming buys
With 257 kcal in the balance, the EarnEat shop already unlocks items like these. For an all-you-can-eat pizza night (1,550 kcal), the priciest goal, it would take about 3 h 1 min swimming, adding up the week's workouts.
Compared with other activities
Calories in 30 minutes, moderate pace, for 70 kg:
Try it
What is your workout worth?
The same math as the app. Adjust weight, duration and intensity to see how many calories the workout earns and what it buys.
Estimate using the MET formula, based on weight, duration and intensity. It does not replace advice from a dietitian or doctor.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does an hour swimming burn?
About 514 kcal for a 70 kg (154 lb) person at a moderate pace. At 60 kg (132 lb) it is about 441 kcal, and at 90 kg (198 lb), about 662 kcal: moving a heavier body takes more energy.
Does swimming burn more or less than other activities?
In 30 minutes at a moderate pace, for 70 kg: running, 294 kcal; swimming, 257 kcal; cycling, 220 kcal; elliptical, 184 kcal; walking, 129 kcal.
How is this calculated?
With the MET formula: kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes, adjusted for intensity (light × 0.8; hard × 1.2). Swimming is worth MET 7. It is an estimate, not a measurement, and it is the same math the EarnEat app runs after every workout.
Today's workout is already worth a dessert.
EarnEat does this math after every workout and keeps the balance for you to spend on the food you love. Free, no sign-up, 100% offline.