While driving is a sedentary activity, the body consistently burns calories to maintain basic functions and support the mental and physical demands of operating a vehicle. This energy expenditure, though modest, is never zero because metabolism continues to run in the background. The final calorie count depends on individual biology and the specific conditions of the drive.
The Baseline Calorie Expenditure of Driving
The energy used while driving is fundamentally tied to your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the minimum number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest. Scientists use the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) value to calculate the specific energy used for an activity. One MET represents the energy expended while sitting quietly, approximately one calorie burned per kilogram of body weight per hour.
For standard, steady-state driving, such as cruising on a highway, the activity is generally assigned a MET value between 2.0 and 2.5. Using the formula that converts METs and body weight into calories burned, a person weighing 150 pounds (68 kilograms) typically burns approximately 143 to 179 calories per hour while driving. This figure accounts for posture maintenance, visual processing, and the minor muscular actions required to control the steering wheel and pedals.
The range in the baseline value is largely due to differences in body mass, as heavier individuals require more energy to support their physiological systems. This baseline represents the most relaxed form of driving, which is comparable to other light activities where the body is not physically moving much.
Variables That Change Calorie Burn Rate
The actual calories burned can increase notably above the baseline depending on the physical and psychological demands of the drive. Driving a manual transmission requires frequent clutch operation and gear shifting, which engages larger leg and arm muscles more often than an automatic vehicle, resulting in slightly higher energy use. Similarly, navigating stop-and-go traffic demands constant minor muscular exertion for braking, accelerating, and steering adjustments, which elevates the MET value above a steady cruise-control setting.
Psychological stress also increases metabolic demand. Intense focus, anxiety, or emotional states like road rage trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, releasing stress hormones that raise heart rate and blood pressure. This elevated heart rate, while not generating a massive increase in calories, does increase the body’s overall expenditure, with aggressive driving raising the heart rate by a measurable 2.5% to 3% compared to quiet driving.
External factors, such as extreme temperatures inside the vehicle, also contribute to metabolic spikes. If the car’s heating or air conditioning is not used, the body must expend more energy to maintain its core temperature. Shivering in the cold is a muscular response that can increase the Basal Metabolic Rate by as much as five or six times, while non-shivering thermogenesis can increase resting energy expenditure by about 15%.
Driving Calorie Burn Compared to Other Activities
To put the calorie burn of driving into perspective, it is only marginally higher than activities categorized as pure rest. Sitting quietly or watching television is generally measured at a MET value of 1.0 to 1.3. Desk work, such as typing or writing while seated, is also near the bottom of the scale at approximately 1.3 METs. Driving, with its 2.0 to 2.5 MET range, is a distinct step up from these purely sedentary tasks.
The energy used while driving is roughly equivalent to very light physical movement. For a 150-pound person, the 143 to 179 calories burned per hour driving aligns closely with the lower end of the spectrum for slow walking. Strolling at a leisurely pace, for example, registers a MET value of 2.0 to 2.5, resulting in a calorie burn of about 145 to 215 calories per hour for the same individual.
Driving requires minimal physical effort, placing it just slightly above the body’s resting metabolic requirements. The activity level is significantly lower than moderate exercises, which typically start at 3.0 METs, such as walking the dog or cycling slowly. The metabolic contribution comes more from maintaining alertness and fine motor control than from gross physical movement.