Ice skaters use a lot of energy while skating. They move their arms, legs, and bodies around quickly. So, ice skating is a good way to cool off and stay healthy. You can also count on it to lose weight. But, exactly how many calories does ice skating burn?
The short answer is around 600 calories for a 180-pound person in 1 hour. But there is more you shouldn’t miss out on. Keep reading for all the details.
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How Many Calories Does Ice Skating Burn?
1. Average Calories Burned
A 180-pound ice skater can burn at least 600 calories in 1 hour. In other words, the average ice skating calories burned in 30 minutes is roughly 300, and 1200 in 2 hours.
2. Formula to Calculate Calories Burned
If weight loss is your goal while ice skating, it is important to keep an eye on your hourly average. We recommend keeping a journal to track the numbers.
Before hitting the ice, you might want to estimate the number of calories burned skating, so you can have an idea of what to expect. It is also a great source of motivation!
To calculate the number of calories burned, you’ll need to use the following formula:
Calories burned per hour = ((MET × Body Weight (kg) × 3.5 )/200) x 60
The average MET value for ice skating is 7. However, if you’re doing extensive ice skating, this figure can go up as high as 9.
Supposed you’re 180 pounds (or 81.6 kilograms) and ice skate casually for an hour, then:
Calories burned per hour = ((7 × 81.6 × 3.5 )/200) x 60 = 599.76
If you do not want to compute this by hand each time you use your ice skates, you can insert the formula into Google Sheets and use it as your very own calories burned calculator.
Factors That Affect the Number of Calories Burned Ice Skating
Even though ice skating can help you lose weight by burning calories, it is not as clear cut as skating for 1 hour and losing from 640 to 850 calories. There are factors that can influence how much a skater burns skidding the ice.
Factor #1: The Intensity
How intensely you skate greatly impacts the number of calories you shed on the ice. Slowly and casually gliding from one point to another will not burn as much as quickly and aggressively zig-zagging across a surface or speeding lap after lap.
Going uphill or downhill is also more intense. Case in point: If you want to get rid of a lot of calories, ramp up the intensity!
Factor #2: The Time
Another factor that affects calorie burning in ice skating is how much time you spend doing it.
The longer you skate, the more calories you can bid goodbye to. If you want quick results, don’t hold back on long sessions. For these, however, we recommend scheduling breaks in between. Skating shouldn’t be so tedious that it’s no longer fun.
Factor #3: The Skater’s Level
Beginner ice skating burns less because new skaters spend most of their time learning to balance and the basics, like turning, changing directions, and stopping slowly.
There is less intensity going into skating to boost the burning of calories. Once skaters pass the learning curve and no longer need to ease into action, they can skate more quickly and vigorously, burning more calories as a result.
Factor #4: The Type of Ice Skating
There are many subtypes of ice skating, and they each have their own degree of intensity. As a result, the type of ice skating you are doing impacts the number of calories you will burn.
Here is a table summarizing this for a person weighing 180 pounds. Here, the MET values for competitive ice skating and ice dancing are 13,3 and 14, respectively.
| Type Of Ice Skating | Estimate Of Calories Burned |
| Regular, Non-Competitive Ice Skating | 600 |
| Competitive Ice Skating | 1139 |
| Ice Dancing | 1200 |
You might also be interested in comparing ice skating and other low-impact activities. Check out our post on calories burned ice skating vs running.
Why Does Ice Skating Burn So Many Calories?
There are several reasons why ice skating helps burn calories. Here are three key ones:
- Many muscles are used
- The skater is in a cold environment
- It is cardio and aerobic
Conclusion
Now, you know the complete answer to, “How many calories does ice skating burn?” You can also rely on the formula we provided to come to a more precise estimation of how many calories you will consume while doing the activity.
However, note that this can be affected by several factors, such as the intensity and duration of your skating session. Hopefully, with this blog post, you can skip scouring through long Reddit threads!
Harrison is a skating enthusiast who picked up the sport during her student exchange years in Canada. She has been a skating coach for children and teens for 3 years and now holds classes as a freelancer. Harrison entwines her experience leading skating classes in the content published on Cora to help readers fall in love with skating, just like she did.
