The average person weighing 150 pounds burns 250 calories per hour doing Skydiving, Base jumping, Bungee jumping, the total calories burn depends on the your weight, intensity and type of activity.
Skydiving can be one of the most exciting and exhilarating extreme sports that you can do. If you have never thought of jumping out of an airplane before, it can seem like a scary and challenging feat. Read on to find out how many calories you can burn while skydiving.
Performing challenging and thrilling acts can release performance-enhancing hormones throughout your body. All kinds of chemicals like dopamine, adrenaline and serotonin come up to the forefront during skydiving and can have lasting effects on your body [2].
You might be surprised to find out that you can also burn calories while skydiving, which makes the allure of skydiving even higher!
Skydiving releases plenty of adrenaline, and it’s that aspect of the sport that will help to burn many calories. Skydiving is also a very popular activity with adults, as you typically need to be at least 18 years old to go skydiving.
The number of calories you will burn from skydiving depends on your height, weight, and the time you’ve spent skydiving. There are plenty of different variables that come into play while skydiving, such as the various movements that you perform in the air. The more stunts and movements that you do mean the more calories that you will burn.
How To Use The Calculator
Our skydiving calculator is easy to use and will help you determine how many calories you can burn while experiencing the activity of skydiving, base jumping, or bungee jumping.
To calculate the number of calories you will burn, simply input your weight and the time you spent or plan to spend skydiving. Then select the type of activity and hit CALCULATE.
Using the calculator step-by-step:
- Choose your unit of measurement (pounds or kilograms)
- Enter your weight in the corresponding unit of measurement
- Find the specific activity of skydiving that you are taking part in. You can choose from options such as skydiving, base jumping, or bungee jumping.
- Enter the amount of time you’re skydiving for
- Hit CALCULATE
How the Calculator Works
Our skydiving calculator uses metabolic equivalent of task (MET) values to find the number of calories that skydiving will burn. This value is determined by a convention of 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram of each minute while skydiving [1].
The calculator has pre-set levels that match your intensity while skydiving. Using this calculator will give you a realistic idea of how many calories you will burn, no matter what activity you are involved in.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task)
This calculator is used to determine your body’s energy output. A MET value is the number that determines the energy it takes to perform various activities, such as skydiving.
Activities with a MET value of 1 burn as many calories as your RMR, while exercises with a MET of 7 will burn seven times as many calories as you would at rest.
Formula
Our skydiving calculator’s formula to determine the number of calories burned per minute is (MET x bodyweight in Kg x 3.5) ÷ 200.
Examples
An individual weighing 150 pounds will burn approximately 250 calories from skydiving. This activity has a MET of 3.5, which means that it burns 3.5 times as many calories as your resting metabolic rate.
This is what the formula for calculating the calories burned while skydiving will look like for a 150-pound individual:
- Calories burned (per minute) = (body weight in kg x MET x 5) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = (68.03 x 5 x 3.5) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = 16 calories x 60
- Calories burned (per hour) = 250 calories per hour
What is Skydiving?
Skydiving is an extreme sport that consists of jumping out of an aircraft about 15,000 feet above ground level. Once you jump out of the aircraft, you get to freefall through the sky for 30-35 seconds before the parachute is deployed. Then, once the parachute has been deployed, you get to just coast down for the rest of the way and enjoy the view.
The freefall experience has you dropping at speeds of up to 130 miles per hour. The fall rate is determined by factors such as opening altitude, exit altitude and the jumpsuit that the diver is wearing.
History of Skydiving
Skydiving originated in 1797 when French aeronaut Andre-Jacques Garnerin used to make descents from a hot-air balloon. The skydiving that is popular today is typically performed from a propeller-driven airplane.
During such events as the World Free Fall Convention, which takes place in Illinois, divers can parachute from crafts such as helicopters, Boeing 727s, and hot-air balloons.
Benefits of Skydiving
When you think of skydiving, you probably never considered that there would be health benefits involved in jumping out of an airplane, especially since most people just hope they get back down on the ground alive and in one piece. Below are some fantastic benefits that you get from skydiving.
Developing Strength
When it comes to skydiving, it’s really important to build up strength. It’s not just you jumping out of an airplane; you are carrying the weight of your gear as well. When you are carrying around heavy gear, it is not only toning your muscles, but it’s also burning calories.
You also will be building up upper body strength because once your parachute is deployed, controlling the parachute requires arm strength. Conversely, you require great lower body strength when it comes to landing.
Stress Relief
Skydiving is such an exhilarating experience that when you are done your jump and land safely, you experience a sense of accomplishment which can help to relieve stress and tension.
In addition, as you are in the process of skydiving and freefalling to the ground, you are likely only focused on the skydiving activity which can reduce any stress you felt before
Mental Health Benefits
When it comes to the fight or flight mechanism in our bodies, adrenaline plays a massive part in that. So when you get that rush of adrenaline coursing through your body, you suddenly feel very energized
When skydiving, you have to be focused and have control over your mind and thoughts. The adrenaline that comes out during skydiving helps you to be more aware of your surroundings, so you tend to be more focused.
Burns Calories
A huge benefit to skydiving is the fact that you can burn calories while jumping out of an airplane. The massive adrenaline rush you get when you skydive can burn tons of calories. It’s the adrenaline rush that has you burning roughly 250 calories per hour.
Boost Your Confidence
Skydiving has been known to change people’s lives. Anyone that has accomplished the act of skydiving can only be proud of their accomplishment. The fact that you accomplished something that you always wanted to do helps to build confidence over time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What happens to your body while skydiving?
When you jump out of an airplane, your body experiences a rush of adrenaline during and after the jump. When you jump, you experience increased heart rate, dilated pupils, increased blood flow, relaxed airways and shallow breathing [3].
What benefits do you experience from skydiving?
There are so many benefits to skydiving such as the ability to burn calories and reduce stress. You will also find that it can improve your mood long-term, improve your situational awareness and improve your sleep [2].
What happens to the brain while skydiving?
When you skydive, the brain releases the neurotransmitter dopamine. This chemical that is released is tied to your feelings of happiness and pleasure [2]. It’s like the brain’s reward system. When dopamine is released from the brain, it can produce feelings of euphoria.
The Bottom Line
Skydiving is an exciting adventure that has become more popular by the day. It’s an activity that gives you a confidence boost and a feeling of accomplishment afterwards. For hardcore skydivers, jumping out of an airplane multiple times a week is fairly common, so the fact that there is the benefit of burning calories as well makes it so much better.
Skydiving is also an activity with strength benefits that will help you be stronger and more muscular if you are skydiving regularly.
Be sure to check out all of the other calculators that we have to offer to get an idea of how many calories you can burn while doing any activity or exercise.
References:
- Jetté, M., Sidney, K., & Blümchen, G. (1990). Metabolic equivalents (METS) in exercise testing, exercise prescription, and evaluation of functional capacity. Clinical cardiology, 13(8), 555–565. https://doi.org/10.1002/clc.4960130809
- Experience, cortisol reactivity, and the coordination of emotional responses to skydiving Vanessa J. Meyer,1,2 Yoojin Lee,1 Christian Böttger,3,4 Uwe Leonbacher,3,4 Amber L. Allison,4 and Elizabeth A. Shirtcliff
- What Happens to Your Body During Skydiving https://uspa.org/Make-A-Skydive/Your-First-Jump/Choose-A-Method
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