How Many Calories Does a Stairmaster Burn?
Calories burned on a stair climber by body weight, pace and workout length, worked out from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.
A Stairmaster or other stair climber burns about 380 calories in 30 minutes for a 180-pound person, based on the 2024 Adult Compendium value of 9.3 METs for a stair treadmill ergometer. A 150-pound person burns about 315 calories in the same 30 minutes, and a 200-pound person burns about 420.
Those totals include the energy your body would use anyway at rest. To get a number for your own weight, pace and workout length, use our Stairmaster calorie calculator.
Stairmaster Calories by Body Weight
This table uses the general stair climber value of 9.3 METs. Find your weight, then read across for the length of your workout.
| Body weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | 125 | 255 | 380 | 505 |
| 140 lb (64 kg) | 150 | 295 | 445 | 590 |
| 150 lb (68 kg) | 160 | 315 | 475 | 635 |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 170 | 335 | 505 | 675 |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 190 | 380 | 570 | 760 |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 210 | 420 | 635 | 845 |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 230 | 465 | 695 | 930 |
| 250 lb (113 kg) | 265 | 525 | 790 | 1,055 |
Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5 calories. A heavier person burns more on the same machine at the same pace, because the estimate scales directly with body weight.
Calories by Pace and Effort
The Compendium has one general entry for stair climbing machines and several entries for climbing real stairs at different paces. This table shows 30 minutes at each level for three body weights.
| Pace or effort (code, METs) | 150 lb | 180 lb | 200 lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow pace (17133, 4.5 METs) | 155 | 185 | 205 |
| General stair climbing (17131, 6.8 METs) | 230 | 280 | 310 |
| Two steps at a time (17136, 7.5 METs) | 255 | 305 | 340 |
| Fast pace, one step at a time (17134, 9.3 METs) | 315 | 380 | 420 |
| Stair climber machine, general (02065, 9.3 METs) | 315 | 380 | 420 |
Slow climbing burns less than half as much as the general stair climber value, so the pace you hold matters almost as much as the time you spend.
How the Number Is Calculated
Calories burned come from three numbers: the activity’s MET value, your weight in kilograms and the time in hours. A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) compares an activity with sitting quietly. The 2024 Compendium sets 1 MET at 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram per minute, which is about 1 calorie per kilogram per hour.
Calories burned = MET × weight in kg × hours
Here is the 180-pound example worked through step by step.
- 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 still for 30 minutes. That extra figure, (9.3 − 1) × 81.6 × 0.5, is the better one to add to a daily calorie budget. Our Methods and Sources page explains each formula and its limits.
What Changes the Number
Body weight has the largest effect. Lifting a heavier body up each step takes more work, and the estimate rises in step with weight: a 250-pound person burns about twice as much as a 120-pound person in the same session.
Pace comes next. The Compendium rates slow stair climbing at 4.5 METs and fast climbing, one step at a time, at 9.3 METs, so the same half hour can roughly double depending on effort. Time is the simplest lever: calories scale directly with minutes, so 45 minutes burns half again as much as 30.
Individual differences matter too. The Compendium authors note that their values do not reflect precise individual energy use, because resting metabolism differs with age, sex, height and body weight or composition. The adult values were built for people aged 19 to 59, so treat the result as a sound estimate rather than a measurement.
Stairmaster vs Other Workouts
Minute for minute, a stair climber burns more than walking and step aerobics, according to the Compendium values below. This table compares 30 minutes for a 180-pound person.
| Activity (Compendium code) | METs | Calories in 30 min | Above sitting still |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stair climber machine, general (02065) | 9.3 | 380 | 340 |
| Step aerobics, 10 to 12 inch step (02003) | 9.0 | 365 | 325 |
| Bench step class, general (02004) | 7.8 | 320 | 280 |
| Step aerobics, 6 to 8 inch step (02002) | 7.3 | 300 | 255 |
| Walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph, brisk (17200) | 4.8 | 195 | 155 |
| Walking, 2.8 to 3.4 mph, moderate (17190) | 3.8 | 155 | 115 |
Brisk walking on level ground burns about half as much as the stair climber in the same time. For walking at your own speed, try the walking calorie calculator.
Stairmaster Calories FAQ
Short answers to the questions people ask most about stair climbers and calories.
How many calories does 30 minutes on a Stairmaster burn?
About 315 calories for a 150-pound person, 380 for a 180-pound person and 420 for a 200-pound person, using the general stair climber value of 9.3 METs. A slower pace burns less.
How many calories does a Stairmaster burn in an hour?
About 635 calories at 150 pounds, 760 at 180 pounds and 845 at 200 pounds, at the general stair climber value of 9.3 METs.
How many calories does 20 minutes on a Stairmaster burn?
About 210 calories for a 150-pound person and about 280 for a 200-pound person at 9.3 METs. Heavier people burn more in the same time.
How long do I need on a Stairmaster to burn 300 calories?
About 24 minutes for a 180-pound person and about 28 minutes for a 150-pound person at 9.3 METs. A lighter body or a slower pace needs more time.
Does walking down stairs burn calories too?
Yes, but less. The Compendium lists descending stairs at 3.5 METs, about 145 calories in 30 minutes for a 180-pound person, compared with 380 on a stair climber.
Does the estimate include calories I would burn anyway?
Yes. The totals include the energy your body uses at rest. Subtract 1 MET to get the extra calories: for a 180-pound person, 30 minutes on a stair climber adds about 340 calories above sitting still.
Find Your Own Number
Enter your weight, pace and minutes in the Stairmaster calorie calculator to get your own estimate. For other workouts, use the calories burned calculator. To see how far your daily steps take you, try the steps to miles calculator.
Sources
These are the sources behind the numbers in this guide.
- 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 (02065), step aerobics (02002, 02003) and bench step class (02004). Adult Compendium: Conditioning Exercise
- Stair climbing (17131, 17133, 17134, 17136), descending stairs (17070) and walking (17190, 17200). Adult Compendium: Walking
Results are estimates for healthy adults and are not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.