Estimate calories and kilojoules burned ice skating, based on your body weight, session duration, and which of three pace tiers best matches your time on the ice — a slow, stop-start beginner pace, continuous general-pace skating, or a sustained faster recreational pace. A real rink session often mixes all three, so pick whichever tier best matches how most of your time was actually spent.
Ice skating calorie burn is estimated with calories = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours), using three tiers from the Winter Activities table of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: leisure/beginner skating (MET 5.5), general/moderate skating (MET 7.0), and fast/vigorous skating (MET 9.0). A 70 kg skater over a 60-minute session (1.0 hour) burns around 385 kcal (about 1,611 kJ) at a leisurely beginner pace, around 490 kcal (about 2,050 kJ) at a general continuous pace, and around 630 kcal (about 2,636 kJ) at a fast recreational pace. Two of these three MET values are Compendium-flagged estimates rather than literature-confirmed figures — see the disclosure below for exactly which ones.
| Pace Tier | MET | Calories | Kilojoules |
|---|
The calculation combines a MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value for your skating pace, your body weight, and how long the session lasted. This calculator uses three MET values taken directly from the Winter Activities table of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: skating, ice, 9 mph or less (code 19020, MET 5.5), skating, ice, general (code 19030, MET 7.0), and skating, ice, rapidly, more than 9 mph but not competitive (code 19040, MET 9.0).
| Pace Tier | MET | Calories (70 kg, 60 min) | Kilojoules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leisure / beginner skating | 5.5 | 385 kcal | 1,611 kJ |
| General / moderate skating | 7.0 | 490 kcal | 2,050 kJ |
| Fast / vigorous skating | 9.0 | 630 kcal | 2,636 kJ |
It's worth being upfront about what each of these three pace tiers actually looks like on the ice, because the calories-burned gap between them is large. Leisure/beginner skating (MET 5.5) describes a session with frequent stopping, a lot of time spent finding balance, and a low average speed — plenty of gliding a few metres, wobbling, grabbing the rail or a friend's arm, and starting again. General/moderate skating (MET 7.0) describes continuous skating at a comfortable, sustained pace around the rink without extended stops, which is the pace most confident recreational skaters settle into after the first lap or two. Fast/vigorous skating (MET 9.0) describes sustained skating faster than about 9 mph without falls or rest breaks — real continuous effort, but still recreational rink skating rather than competitive speed skating.
Because the gap between tiers is mostly about how much of your session was spent stopped or holding on versus actually gliding, the honest way to pick a tier is to think about your average pace across the whole session, not your fastest moment. A first-time skater who spends half the session holding the rail is genuinely in the leisure tier even if they manage a few confident laps near the end. A regular skater who skates laps continuously without much stopping fits the general tier well, and only sustained faster skating without breaks belongs in the fast tier.
Despite Australia's generally warm climate, ice skating is a well-established indoor recreational activity across the country. Major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide have indoor ice skating rinks that operate year-round, regardless of the weather outside, and additional seasonal rinks appear in some locations at various times of year. Australia's alpine regions also host their own outdoor or covered ice rinks during the snow season, giving skaters in those areas an additional seasonal option alongside the permanent indoor rinks in the capital cities. Whichever rink you visit, appropriately fitted skates and basic rink safety awareness — such as skating in the direction of rink traffic and being mindful of other skaters, especially beginners — go a long way toward a safe session.
This table holds pace constant at general skating (MET 7.0) for a full 60-minute session, so you can see how much body weight alone changes the total.
| Body Weight | MET | Calories (60 min) | Kilojoules |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 7.0 | 385 kcal | 1,611 kJ |
| 65 kg | 7.0 | 455 kcal | 1,904 kJ |
| 75 kg | 7.0 | 525 kcal | 2,197 kJ |
| 85 kg | 7.0 | 595 kcal | 2,489 kJ |
| 95 kg | 7.0 | 665 kcal | 2,782 kJ |
Here body weight is fixed at 70 kg while both session length and pace tier change, so you can compare how much a longer session and a faster pace each add to the total.
| Duration | Leisure (MET 5.5) | General (MET 7.0) | Fast (MET 9.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 193 kcal / 805 kJ | 245 kcal / 1,025 kJ | 315 kcal / 1,318 kJ |
| 45 minutes | 289 kcal / 1,208 kJ | 368 kcal / 1,538 kJ | 473 kcal / 1,977 kJ |
| 60 minutes | 385 kcal / 1,611 kJ | 490 kcal / 2,050 kJ | 630 kcal / 2,636 kJ |
Australian nutrition panels list energy in kilojoules, not calories, so it's worth converting your session into the same unit your food packaging uses. Multiply your calorie figure by 4.184 to get kilojoules. A 70 kg skater's 60-minute general-pace session burns about 490 kcal, roughly 2,050 kJ, while the same duration at a fast recreational pace comes in considerably higher at about 630 kcal, roughly 2,636 kJ — a useful pair of figures to weigh up against the energy value printed on a post-skate snack or hot drink.
How many calories does ice skating burn?
It depends on which pace best describes your skating. A 70 kg skater over a 60-minute session burns around 385 kcal (about 1,611 kJ) at a leisurely beginner pace (MET 5.5), around 490 kcal (about 2,050 kJ) skating at a general, continuous moderate pace (MET 7.0), and around 630 kcal (about 2,636 kJ) at a fast, sustained recreational pace (MET 9.0). Enter your own weight and session length in the calculator above for a personalised figure.
Which ice skating MET values on this page are estimated rather than literature-confirmed?
The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities flags leisure/beginner skating (MET 5.5, code 19020) and fast/vigorous skating (MET 9.0, code 19040) as estimated figures rather than values confirmed by dedicated published research on ice skating. The general/moderate skating value (MET 7.0, code 19030) does not carry that same flag, meaning it's backed by dedicated literature. We're disclosing this distinction precisely rather than treating all three MET values as equally certain — the general skating figure is the most evidence-backed number on this page, while the leisure and fast figures are reasonable planning estimates.
Why do beginners burn fewer calories than they expect?
Beginner sessions usually involve a lot of standing still, holding the rail, and stopping to regain balance, none of which burns much energy compared with continuous skating. The leisure/beginner tier (MET 5.5) reflects this stop-start reality — frequent pauses and a low average speed — rather than sustained effort. As balance and confidence improve and skating becomes more continuous, moving up to the general tier (MET 7.0) gives a more accurate estimate.
How does ice skating compare to roller skating for calories burned?
The two activities use different MET ranges in the Compendium of Physical Activities, and rink surface, technique, and pace all affect the comparison, so a direct one-to-one match isn't reliable. If you also roller skate, use our roller skating calorie calculator alongside this one and compare the pace tier that best matches how you actually skate in each setting, rather than assuming the two activities burn identical amounts at similar speeds.
Is ice skating good cardio?
Continuous ice skating at a general or fast pace raises heart rate and works the legs, core, and balance systems, making it a reasonable form of cardiovascular exercise, particularly at the general (MET 7.0) and fast (MET 9.0) tiers. A beginner session with lots of standing and holding the rail provides far less cardiovascular benefit, which is exactly why this calculator separates pace into three tiers rather than giving one blanket number for "ice skating."
Does body weight affect how many calories ice skating burns?
Yes. Because calories equal MET multiplied by body weight in kilograms multiplied by duration in hours, body weight is a direct multiplier in the formula. For a 60-minute general-pace skating session, an 85 kg skater burns roughly 595 kcal compared with about 385 kcal for a 55 kg skater covering the identical session at the identical pace.
Is the fast/vigorous tier the same as competitive speed skating?
No. The fast/vigorous tier (MET 9.0) covers sustained recreational skating faster than 9 mph without falls or rest breaks — it is explicitly not competitive speed skating in the Compendium of Physical Activities. Competitive speed skating involves a different, more specialised technique and pacing than recreational rink skating, and this calculator does not attempt to estimate that separately.
How do I convert calories burned ice skating into kilojoules?
Multiply the calorie figure by 4.184, the standard conversion between kilocalories and kilojoules used on Australian food labels. A 70 kg skater's 60-minute general-pace session burns about 490 kcal, which converts to roughly 2,050 kJ — useful if you want to compare your session against the energy value printed on a post-skate snack or drink label.
What are the limitations of this calorie estimate?
This calculator multiplies a MET value by your body weight and session duration, which gives a reasonable planning estimate rather than a personalised measurement. It can't account for rink conditions, skate quality, your technique or fitness level, how much of your session was genuinely spent at each pace, or two of the three MET values being Compendium estimates rather than literature-confirmed figures. Treat the result as a sensible planning figure for time spent skating, not an exact physiological measurement.