Stairmaster Calorie Calculator
Enter your weight, your pace and how long you climbed. You get the calories burned on a Stairmaster or any stair climber, plus the formula behind the number.
- MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities
- Works for stair climber machines and real stairs
- Shows the extra calories above sitting still
How the Stairmaster Calorie Calculator Works
The calculator multiplies three numbers: your body weight in kilograms, the MET value for your pace, and the time you climbed in hours. A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) compares an activity to sitting quietly. The 2024 Compendium sets 1 MET at 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram per minute, or about 1 calorie per kilogram per hour, so an activity at 9.3 METs burns about 9.3 times as many calories per minute as sitting.
Calories burned = MET × weight in kg × hours
The default setting uses the Compendium entry for a stair treadmill ergometer, general, at 9.3 METs (code 02065). That is the Compendium’s one general entry for stair climbing machines, so the other options use its stair climbing entries for slow, moderate, two-steps-at-a-time and fast climbing. Pick the one closest to how hard you work. You can read more about each formula and its limits on our Methods and Sources page.
Worked Example
A 180-pound person climbs on a stair climber for 30 minutes. The general stair climber value is 9.3 METs.
- Convert the weight: 180 lb × 0.4536 = 81.6 kg
- Convert the time: 30 minutes ÷ 60 = 0.5 hours
- Multiply: 9.3 × 81.6 × 0.5 = about 380 calories
About 340 of those calories are extra, above what the same person would burn sitting for 30 minutes. That works out to about 760 calories an hour, or about 127 every 10 minutes.
Calories Burned on a Stairmaster in 30 Minutes
This table shows total calories burned in 30 minutes of stair climbing, by body weight and effort. Double the number for an hour, or take two thirds of it for 20 minutes.
| Body weight | Slow 4.5 METs | Moderate 6.8 METs | Two steps at a time 7.5 METs | Stair climber machine 9.3 METs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | 120 | 185 | 205 | 255 |
| 140 lb (64 kg) | 145 | 215 | 240 | 295 |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 165 | 245 | 270 | 335 |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 185 | 280 | 305 | 380 |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 205 | 310 | 340 | 420 |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 225 | 340 | 375 | 465 |
| 250 lb (113 kg) | 255 | 385 | 425 | 525 |
What Changes the Number
Body weight has the biggest effect, because lifting a heavier body up each step takes more energy, and the formula scales directly with weight. Pace comes next: the Compendium puts slow stair climbing at 4.5 METs and fast climbing one step at a time at 9.3 METs, so the same 30 minutes can roughly double depending on effort.
The Compendium authors note that their values are a starting point and do not reflect precise individual energy use, since resting metabolism differs with age, sex, height and body weight or composition. The values were built for adults aged 19 to 59 without conditions that affect metabolism. Treat the result as a good estimate, not a measurement. For other workouts, use the calories burned calculator.
Stairmaster Calories FAQ
Answers to the questions people ask most about stair climbers and calories.
How many calories does 30 minutes on a Stairmaster burn?
At the general stair climber value of 9.3 METs, a 150-pound person burns about 315 calories in 30 minutes and a 200-pound person about 420. A slower pace burns less, so check the table above for your weight and effort.
How many calories does a Stairmaster burn in an hour?
A 180-pound person burns about 760 calories in an hour on a stair climber at 9.3 METs. For a shorter 20-minute session, the same pace burns about 210 calories at 150 pounds and about 280 at 200 pounds.
Does a stair climber burn more calories than walking?
Yes, minute for minute. The Compendium lists a stair climber at 9.3 METs and brisk walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph at 4.8 METs, so the machine burns almost twice as much. For a 180-pound person, 30 minutes is about 380 calories on the stair climber and about 195 walking briskly.
Can I use this calculator for climbing real stairs?
Yes. The slow, moderate, two-steps and fast options come from the Compendium’s stair climbing entries, which describe climbing stairs rather than a machine. Walking down stairs is listed separately at 3.5 METs, about 145 calories in 30 minutes for a 180-pound person, so a session of up and down stairs burns less than climbing alone.
Does this count calories I would have burned anyway?
The main number is total calories burned during the workout, including what your body would burn at rest. The result also shows the extra calories above sitting still, which is the better number to use if you are adding exercise to a daily calorie budget.
Related Calculators
Compare your stair workout with other activities, or see how it fits your daily total.
Sources
These are the sources behind the numbers on this page.
- Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024;13(1):6 to 12. Read the study
- Stair treadmill ergometer, general, code 02065. Adult Compendium: Conditioning Exercise
- Stair climbing codes 17131, 17133, 17134 and 17136, descending stairs 17070, and brisk walking 17200. Adult Compendium: Walking
Results are estimates for healthy adults and are not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.