Light intensityMET 3.5Home & Daily Life

Calories burned: Carrying boxes

Q: How many calories does carrying boxes burn in 30 minutes?

For a 70 kg (154 lb) person, carrying boxes burns about 123 kcal in 30 minutes at its standard intensity (MET 3.5). Heavier people burn more, lighter people less — the chart below shows common weights.

Q: How many calories does carrying boxes burn in an hour?

About 245 kcal for a 70 kg person at MET 3.5. Double the time roughly doubles the burn, assuming steady effort throughout.

Loaded carries during a move — practical strength work.

≈ 123 kcal in 30 min at 70 kg

Reviewed by the Exercise Calorie Calculator editorial team · October 21, 2026 · Method & sources

Calculate carrying boxes

1 · Activity

2 · Your weight

3 · Duration

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Choose an activity, enter your weight and duration, then hitCalculate — your calories-burned estimate appears here.

Chart

Carrying boxes calorie chart

Estimated kcal for carrying boxes (MET 3.5) by session length and body weight. Values are rounded estimates.

Duration	50 kg	60 kg	70 kg	85 kg	100 kg
10 min	29	35	41	50	58
15 min	44	53	61	74	88
20 min	58	70	82	99	117
30 min	88	105	123	149	175
45 min	131	158	184	223	263
1 h	175	210	245	298	350
1.5 h	263	315	368	446	525

Imperial check: 154 lb ≈ 70 kg · 187 lb ≈ 85 kg · 220 lb ≈ 100 kg.

About this estimate

Carrying boxes carries a MET of 3.5(light intensity) in the Compendium of Physical Activities — the research standard for energy-cost data (source database, see also our full methodology). The calculator uses:

calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours

So for a 70 kg person, one hour of carrying boxes costs about245 kcal. Effort matters: going harder, adding hills, carrying load or rushing intervals all push the real number up; breaks and easy pacing pull it down.

How to burn more

Add intervals — 1 minute hard, 2 minutes easy — to raise average intensity.
Extend the session gradually; an extra 10 minutes adds ~41 kcal at 70 kg.
Combine with a second activity — see the compare tray in the calculator above.
Keep non-exercise movement high on rest days (walking, stairs, chores).

Estimate only — not medical advice. Real-world burn depends on fitness, body composition, age, weather and terrain.

Carrying boxes calorie FAQ

How many calories does carrying boxes burn in 30 minutes?

For a 70 kg (154 lb) person, carrying boxes burns about 123 kcal in 30 minutes at its standard intensity (MET 3.5). Heavier people burn more, lighter people less — the chart below shows common weights.

How many calories does carrying boxes burn in an hour?

About 245 kcal for a 70 kg person at MET 3.5. Double the time roughly doubles the burn, assuming steady effort throughout.

What is the MET of carrying boxes?

The MET (metabolic equivalent of task) of carrying boxes is 3.5 — light intensity. The formula is: calories = MET × weight(kg) × hours. Example at 70 kg: 3.5 × 70 × 1 h = 245 kcal.

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