Calories Burned Shooting baskets at 85 kg — 510 kcal per Hour
Shooting baskets at 85 kg (176-198 lb) burns about 510 kcal per hour. That figure comes from the activity's MET value of 6.0 in the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, multiplied by body weight: 6.0 × 85 kg × 1 hour = 510 kcal. This page works the numbers out in full — for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes, across all four weight bands, and against four comparable activities at the same weight — so you can plan sessions with real figures instead of guessing.
Shooting baskets means practising shots — free throws, jump shots, lay-ups — usually alone or with one partner, moving between spots on the court and rebounding your own misses. It is the quiet, repetitive side of basketball: no defence, no fast breaks, just the rhythm of catch, shoot and chase. The Compendium gives it 6.0 METs, a moderate figure that reflects the constant low-level movement rather than any single explosive effort.
At 85 kg that works out to 510 kcal per hour — more than a brisk walk, less than a full game, and a fair return for a solo session that needs no team and no opponent. It is also one of the most accessible basketball activities: you need a ball, a hoop and half an hour, and you can do it at any age.
Calculate your own numbers
Use the Calorie calculator to work out your own burn for shooting baskets at your exact weight and session length. Enter your weight, pick the activity and set the duration, and the tool applies the same MET formula shown below. You can also try the calorie calculator to see how this session fits into your total daily energy use.
Related pages in this section:
Calories Burned Shooting baskets at 55 kg — 330 kcal per Hour
Calories Burned Shooting baskets at 65 kg — 390 kcal per Hour
The formula, shown and cited
The standard way to estimate the energy cost of an activity is the MET formula from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011; 43(8): 1575–1581):
Calories (kcal) = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours)
One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly at rest — about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 6.0 METs therefore uses 6.0 times as much energy as resting. The Compendium's MET values come from published studies that measured oxygen use during each activity, so they are measured averages, not guesses. The value used here is the one recorded for this activity in the FitCalc activity data, taken from the Compendium.
Worked through for this page:
- MET for shooting baskets: 6.0
- Body weight: 85 kg (the midpoint of the 80-90 kg band, 176-198 lb)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calculation: 6.0 × 85 × 1 = 510 kcal
For a 30-minute session the same calculation is 6.0 × 85 × 0.5 = 255 kcal. Nothing else is hidden in the maths — if your weight or duration changes, only those two numbers change.
Your numbers at 85 kg
| Duration | Calculation | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 6.0 × 85 × 0.25 | 128 kcal |
| 30 minutes | 6.0 × 85 × 0.5 | 255 kcal |
| 45 minutes | 6.0 × 85 × 0.75 | 382 kcal |
| 60 minutes | 6.0 × 85 × 1 | 510 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 6.0 × 85 × 1.5 | 765 kcal |
That is about 8.5 kcal per minute of shooting baskets at this weight. A short session still counts: even 15 minutes burns 128 kcal, and three 15-minute sessions across a day add up to the same 382 kcal as one 45-minute session.
How the burn changes with body weight
The MET value stays the same — it describes the activity, not the person — but the calorie total scales with weight, because a heavier body costs more energy to move:
| Body weight | Calories per hour | Calories per 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 330 kcal | 165 kcal |
| 65 kg | 390 kcal | 195 kcal |
| 75 kg | 450 kcal | 225 kcal |
| 85 kg | 510 kcal | 255 kcal |
Two people doing the same activity for the same time can therefore burn quite different amounts, and that is expected — it is physics, not a mistake in the formula. If your weight sits between two rows, your figure sits between the two values.
How shooting baskets compares
Here is shooting baskets against four other activities at the same 85 kg, all using the same MET formula:
| Activity | MET | Calories per hour at 85 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting baskets | 6.0 | 510 kcal |
| Playing soccer casually | 7.0 | 595 kcal |
| Cycling at a light effort (10-11.9 mph) | 6.8 | 578 kcal |
| Playing golf while walking the course | 4.8 | 408 kcal |
| Swimming freestyle at a moderate effort | 5.8 | 493 kcal |
Use this table to choose, not to judge. A higher number means a harder session, not a better one: the activity you enjoy and repeat three times a week beats the activity that burns more per hour but that you quit after a fortnight. Mixing intensities across the week — one harder session, two easier ones — is usually more sustainable than doing the hardest activity every time.
Fitting shooting baskets into your week
| Sessions per week | 30 minutes each | 60 minutes each |
|---|---|---|
| 2 sessions | 510 kcal | 1020 kcal |
| 3 sessions | 765 kcal | 1530 kcal |
| 5 sessions | 1275 kcal | 2550 kcal |
A shooting session is usually 30 to 60 minutes of solo practice: shooting from spots around the court, rebounding your own misses and repeating. At 6.0 METs, shooting baskets counts as moderate activity, so it contributes directly towards the widely used target of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for adults. To burn 500 kcal from shooting baskets alone takes about 59 minutes at 85 kg, and 1,000 kcal takes about 118 minutes — spread across the week, that is far more realistic than trying to do it in one session. Build up gradually — add 10% to your weekly total at most, and keep at least one rest day.
How to use the result
What changes the burn for shooting baskets in practice:
- Whether you rebound your own shots: chasing your own misses adds most of the movement, while a partner rebounding for you cuts the burn sharply.
- How far you shoot from: three-point practice means longer rebounds and more running than free-throw practice.
- Whether you add movement drills: shooting off the dribble or off a cut costs more than standing still and shooting.
- Session pace: a focused shooter takes a shot every 15–20 seconds, while a social session with long chats between shots burns far less.
Practical tips for this activity:
- Practise from five spots around the court rather than one, so you move constantly and the session stays aerobic.
- Use the same routine every session — for example, ten shots from each spot — so you can track improvement as well as calories.
- Warm up the shoulders and wrists before shooting, especially if you are returning after a break; the shooting motion is repetitive.
- Pair shooting with a short game afterwards if you want a bigger burn: shooting alone at 85 kg gives 510 kcal per hour, while a full game gives 680 kcal.
Use the numbers on this page to set realistic expectations rather than to chase a daily total. If you are tracking food as well, add the session's calories to your total daily energy expenditure for that day, and remember that the figure is an estimate with roughly 10–20% uncertainty. Do not eat back every calorie the calculator shows: activity trackers and MET estimates both tend to overstate slightly, and a small margin keeps a weight-loss plan on track. If you are aiming to lose weight, keep the deficit modest — 300–500 kcal a day is a common, sustainable range — and keep your total intake above the safety floors of 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 kcal a day for men unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise.
A note at 85 kg
At 85 kg you sit in the heaviest weight band on this site, and your hour costs the most of any band — 510 kcal, against 330 kcal at 55 kg for the same activity and the same duration. That is the largest absolute return on the site, and it is a real advantage if you are using activity to support weight loss. It comes with the clearest trade-off of any band, though: the load on knees, ankles, hips and the lower back is also the highest, and it rises fastest in activities with impact, jumping or rapid direction changes. Start with shorter sessions — 30 minutes rather than 60 — and add time in ten-minute steps over several weeks, keep at least one rest day between hard sessions, and choose lower-impact versions of the activity while your fitness builds. Good footwear is not optional at this weight. The burn is the highest on the page, but the sustainable routine is the one that keeps you moving next month, not the one that burns the most this week.
What the number does NOT tell you
The MET formula is honest about what it measures and silent about the rest. It does not account for your fitness level: a fit person burns fewer calories doing the same activity than an unfit person, because their body is more efficient. It does not account for body composition — two people at 85 kg with different amounts of muscle and fat will burn slightly different amounts. It does not include the afterburn (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) that follows hard sessions, it does not measure strength, flexibility or balance gained, and it says nothing about how the activity affects your appetite, sleep or mood. Shooting baskets is a moderate activity, and its 6.0 METs assumes you keep moving — rebounding, relocating and shooting without long pauses. A relaxed session with friends and frequent breaks will burn less, and the figure says nothing about the repetitive strain on the shoulders and wrists, which is the main cost of heavy shooting practice. It also does not measure skill: the calorie figure is the same whether you make one shot in ten or nine in ten, and improvement is the real reason to practise. Use the calorie figure as a planning estimate, and judge the activity by how you feel doing it and whether you keep doing it.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn doing shooting baskets for 30 minutes at 85 kg?
About 255 kcal. The maths is 6.0 METs × 85 kg × 0.5 hours = 255 kcal. That is an estimate from the Compendium average — your real burn depends on your fitness, your pace and the conditions. If you weigh more or less than 85 kg, use the weight table above to read your own figure.
Is shooting baskets good for weight loss?
It can help, but only as part of an overall calorie deficit. At 85 kg, an hour of shooting baskets burns about 510 kcal, which is a useful contribution — roughly the energy in a modest meal — but weight loss still comes from the total balance of food and activity across the week, not from one session. Aim for a gradual loss of 0.5–1% of body weight per week, and never drop below 1,200 kcal a day (women) or 1,500 kcal a day (men) without medical supervision.
How does shooting baskets compare with playing soccer casually?
At 85 kg, shooting baskets burns about 510 kcal per hour against 595 kcal for playing soccer casually. If the number is higher, shooting baskets is the more intense activity; if it is lower, playing soccer casually burns more. The best choice is usually the one you will actually do several times a week — consistency matters more than a small difference in the hourly rate.
Does the calorie burn change if I weigh more or less than 85 kg?
Yes, directly. Calories = MET × weight in kg × hours, so the burn scales with body weight. At 85 kg the same hour of shooting baskets burns about 510 kcal; at 85 kg it burns about 510 kcal. The MET value itself does not change with weight — it describes the intensity of the activity.
Is shooting baskets alone a good workout?
It is a decent moderate workout: at 85 kg, an hour of shooting burns about 510 kcal, which is comparable to light cycling or a brisk walk, and it builds shooting skill at the same time. It is not a substitute for a full game or for strength training, though — the intensity is moderate, and the upper body gets little load beyond the shooting motion itself. Treat it as skill practice with a calorie bonus, not as your only exercise.
Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men — consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.