How Many Calories Does Mowing the Lawn Burn?

Mowing the lawn is a common household chore that many people undertake on a regular basis. It’s also a great way to get some exercise and burn calories. The exact number of calories that you burn while mowing the lawn will depend on a variety of factors, including your weight, the intensity of the activity, and the duration of the activity.

First, let’s talk about the basics of calorie burning. Calories are a unit of energy, and our bodies burn calories in order to fuel our daily activities. The number of calories we burn depends on a number of factors, including our weight, age, gender, and activity level. For example, a 150-pound person who walks at a moderate pace for 30 minutes will burn about 150 calories.

When it comes to mowing the lawn, the calorie-burning potential can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. For example, if you’re using a manual push mower, you’ll burn more calories than if you’re using a riding mower. Additionally, the type of mower you’re using can also affect the number of calories you burn. A manual push mower will burn more calories than a riding mower because you have to use your own energy to push the mower across the lawn.

One way to estimate the number of calories burned while mowing the lawn is to use the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) value for the activity. According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, mowing the lawn with a push mower has a MET value of 4.0, which is considered to be a moderate-intensity activity. This means that for a person who weighs 150 pounds, mowing the lawn for 30 minutes would burn approximately 120 calories.

However, it’s important to note that the MET value for mowing the lawn with a push mower is based on an average of the energy expenditure of a variety of individuals and may not be representative of your individual calorie burn. Other factors such as the slope of your lawn, the type of mower you’re using, and even the weather can all affect the number of calories you burn while mowing the lawn.

One study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that mowing the lawn with a push mower on a flat surface burned an average of 11.3 calories per minute for men and 9.5 calories per minute for women. This is a higher calorie burn than the MET value suggests, but it’s important to note that the study only included a small number of participants and may not be representative of the general population.

Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition found that mowing the lawn with a push mower on a hilly surface burned an average of 14.2 calories per minute for men and 11.3 calories per minute for women. This is even higher than the previous study, and suggests that mowing the lawn on a hilly surface can be an effective way to burn calories.

It’s also worth noting that, if you are using a ride-on lawn mower or a powered lawn mower the calorie burn will be less than if you were using a push mower. This is because, the push mower requires more energy to push the mower across the lawn.

When it comes to the actual number of calories burned, it can vary greatly depending on the individual and their activity level, but on average for a 150-pound person mowing the lawn with a push mower for 30 minutes can burn up to 150 calories. For a person of the same weight using a riding lawn mower, the calories burned will be less about 100 calories in 30 minutes.

In conclusion, mowing the lawn can be an effective way to burn calories. The exact number of calories that you burn while mowing the lawn will depend on a variety of factors, including your weight, the intensity of the activity, and the duration of the activity. However, mowing the lawn with a push mower on a hilly surface can burn an average of 14.2 calories per minute for men and 11.3 calories per minute for women, so it’s definitely worth considering as an alternative form of exercise.