Raking Calories Calculator
Calculate your calorie burn while raking leaves and doing yard work using research-backed MET values
🔥 Your Raking Results
💡 Raking & Yard Work Tips
- Warm up with light stretching before starting to prevent muscle strain
- Switch sides regularly to balance the workout and prevent one-sided fatigue
- Bend your knees when lifting bags of leaves, not your back
- Take short breaks every 20-30 minutes to stay hydrated
- Use a rake appropriate for your height to maintain proper posture
How Many Calories Does Raking Burn?
Raking burns between 250 to 400 calories per hour, depending on your body weight and work intensity. A 70 kg (154 lbs) person raking leaves at a moderate pace burns approximately 294 calories per hour. This makes raking an excellent way to get exercise while maintaining your yard.
According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, raking has a MET value of 4.0, meaning you burn 4 times more calories than at rest. Over a typical fall cleanup session, you could burn as many calories as a 30-minute jog!
The Raking Calorie Burn Formula
This calculator uses the scientifically validated MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method from the Compendium of Physical Activities:
Person: 70 kg | Activity: Raking Leaves (4.0 MET) | Duration: 60 minutes
Calculation: 4.0 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 × 60 = 294 calories
The MET value represents how many times more energy you expend compared to sitting quietly. A MET of 4.0 means raking requires 4 times the energy of rest. For more ways to stay active, check out fitness benefits at Fit Life Regime.
Raking & Yard Work MET Values
The table below shows calorie burn estimates for different yard activities based on a 70 kg (154 lbs) person for one hour:
| Yard Activity | MET | Calories/Hour (70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Raking Lawn or Leaves (moderate) | 4.0 | 294 |
| Sacking Grass/Leaves | 4.0 | 294 |
| Raking Roof with Snow Rake | 4.0 | 294 |
| Weeding Garden (moderate) | 4.5 | 331 |
| Mowing Lawn (push mower) | 5.0 | 368 |
| Digging/Spading (moderate) | 5.0 | 368 |
| Shoveling Snow (moderate) | 5.3 | 390 |
| Chopping Wood (moderate) | 4.5 | 331 |
As shown, raking is comparable in calorie burn to many other common yard activities. Combined activities like raking and bagging can increase your total workout significantly.
Key Factors Affecting Calorie Burn
- Body Weight: Heavier individuals burn more calories performing the same task
- Work Intensity: Faster, continuous raking burns more than slow, intermittent work
- Leaf Density: Wet or heavy leaves require more effort than dry, light leaves
- Terrain: Uneven ground or slopes increase energy expenditure
- Rake Type: Heavier rakes and longer handles can affect effort required
- Temperature: Working in cooler weather may slightly increase calorie burn
Raking vs Other Activities
How does raking compare to other common exercises and activities? Here’s a comparison for a 70 kg person for 60 minutes:
| Activity | MET | Calories/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Raking Leaves | 4.0 | 294 |
| Walking (3.5 mph) | 3.5 | 257 |
| Light Cycling | 4.0 | 294 |
| Golf (walking with clubs) | 4.3 | 316 |
| Yoga (Hatha) | 2.5 | 184 |
| Light Gardening | 3.8 | 280 |
Raking burns more calories than walking and light yoga, making your yard work a genuine fitness activity. For strength exercises to complement your yard work, explore home workouts without equipment at Fit Life Regime.
Muscles Worked During Raking
Raking is a surprisingly complete workout that engages multiple muscle groups:
- Upper Back & Shoulders: Pulling motion engages lats, rhomboids, and deltoids
- Arms: Biceps and forearms work to grip and pull the rake
- Core: Twisting motion activates obliques and abdominals
- Legs: Squatting to pick up leaves works quads and glutes
- Lower Back: Stabilizes your torso throughout the movement
- Grip Strength: Continuous gripping strengthens forearm muscles
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Raking is an excellent moderate-intensity workout. It burns 250-400 calories per hour depending on your weight and effort level. The activity works multiple muscle groups including your back, shoulders, arms, core, and legs. It’s comparable to walking at a brisk pace and counts toward your weekly physical activity goals.
For a 70 kg (154 lbs) person, 30 minutes of moderate-paced raking burns approximately 147 calories. Lighter individuals burn less (around 120 calories for 55 kg), while heavier individuals burn more (around 190 calories for 90 kg). Your actual calorie burn depends on your weight and work intensity.
Absolutely. The American College of Sports Medicine classifies raking as moderate-intensity physical activity. With a MET value of 4.0, it meets the criteria for beneficial exercise. An hour of raking can contribute significantly to the recommended 150 minutes of weekly moderate activity for adults.
Use a rake that’s the right length for your height, keeping the handle at about chest level. Engage your core muscles throughout the activity. Bend your knees when picking up leaves rather than bending at the waist. Switch your lead hand every 10-15 minutes to balance the workload. Take regular breaks and stretch between sessions.
Push mowing burns slightly more calories (about 368 cal/hour vs 294 cal/hour for raking) because it involves continuous walking. However, raking engages more upper body muscles, particularly the back, shoulders, and arms. Both are valuable activities – combining them provides a well-rounded yard work workout!
Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.
Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.