How many calories does chair exercise burn?

Short answer: for a 70 kg (154 lb) person, 10 minutes of light to moderate seated cardio burns roughly 30 to 50 kcal. The exact number depends on your weight, the moves and how much of the time you spend resting, so treat any figure as an estimate.

The estimate formula

Exercise calories are usually estimated with MET values (metabolic equivalents: how much harder an activity is than sitting still):

kcal per minute ≈ MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200

Seated cardio moves sit around MET 2.5 for gentle arm and leg work up to about 4 or more for fast, whole-body moves. Quiet rest between moves is closer to MET 1.5.

Worked examples (10 minutes of moving, no rest)

• 60 kg, MET 3: 3 × 3.5 × 60 ÷ 200 = 3.15 kcal/min → about 32 kcal
• 70 kg, MET 3: 3 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 ≈ 3.7 kcal/min → about 37 kcal
• 90 kg, MET 3: 3 × 3.5 × 90 ÷ 200 ≈ 4.7 kcal/min → about 47 kcal
• 70 kg, MET 4 (faster pace): ≈ 4.9 kcal/min → about 49 kcal

Why it is only an estimate

• MET values are averages from studies, not your own body.
• Effort varies: bigger, faster arm swings burn more than small ones.
• Age, fitness and body composition all change the real number.

Getting more out of each session

• Keep a steady beat and use your arms as well as your legs.
• Shorten rests a little as you get fitter.
• Add short sessions on more days instead of one long, hard one.

Do it in Chairpep

Chairpep uses this same MET formula with the weight you enter (it assumes 70 kg if you skip it) and shows the calories adding up live during each session, always marked as an estimate. A daily calorie ring with a goal you set, weekly bars and a weight trend line show how your week is going, and Quick Burn adds a 3 or 5 minute top-up when the ring is almost full.

Chairpep is a general fitness app, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine, and stop if anything hurts.

How many calories do you burn in 10 minutes of chair exercise?

Roughly 30 to 50 kcal for a 70 kg person doing light to moderate seated cardio, using MET values of about 2.5 to 4. Heavier people burn a bit more for the same moves, lighter people a bit less.

Is chair cardio enough to lose weight?

It can be one part of a plan along with food and sleep, but the calorie numbers are modest and no exercise guarantees weight loss. Doing it most days matters more than any single session.

Why do different apps show different calorie numbers?

They use different MET values, body weights and ways of counting rest time. Any calorie number from an app or watch is an estimate, not a measurement.