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Calories burned calculator
This calculator estimates how many calories an activity burns from three inputs: what you did, how much you weigh, and how long you kept it up.
This uses the standard MET method: calories burned equal the activity's MET value times 3.5, times your weight in kilograms, divided by 200, times the minutes spent.
It uses the method exercise scientists use, built on the MET, short for metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is the energy your body uses sitting quietly at rest, set at about 3.5 millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight each minute. Every activity is rated as a multiple of that resting rate in the Compendium of Physical Activities, a research catalogue first published in 1993 and updated by Ainsworth and colleagues, most recently in 2011. Slow walking is about 3.5 METs, jogging around 7, running at 10 kilometres an hour about 9.8, and a vigorous cycle higher still. The energy you spend is then the activity's MET value times 3.5, times your weight in kilograms, divided by 200, times the minutes you spent. Two things drive the result more than anything else: intensity and weight. Intensity is the MET number, so doubling from a 5-MET brisk walk to a 10-MET run almost doubles the burn for the same time. Weight matters because moving a heavier body costs more energy, which is why two people doing the identical workout for the identical time burn different amounts, the heavier person more. Time is the third lever and the most obvious: twice as long, twice the calories, all else equal. The figure this gives is a population average, not a personal measurement. Real energy use varies with fitness, age, sex, how efficiently you move, the terrain, the weather and how hard you actually push within an activity band, none of which a MET value captures. A fit runner and a beginner at the same speed can differ by a fair margin. Treat the number as a good ballpark for planning, not a precise debit you can eat back exactly. People use it to size a workout against a food, to compare activities (is 30 minutes of swimming worth more than 30 of cycling), to set a weekly movement target, or to sanity-check the wildly varying numbers a gym machine or fitness watch reports, which often run high. A note on what the figure means: it is the total energy the activity uses, which already includes the small amount you would have burned at rest over that time, so do not expect it to read as pure extra on top of your daily total. For weight management the activity burn is only one side; what you eat is the larger lever for most people, and exercise brings many benefits beyond the calorie count, from heart health to mood and sleep.
How it works
- Pick the activity from the list; each carries a MET value from the research compendium.
- Enter your body weight, in the units your market uses.
- Enter how many minutes you spent on the activity.
- The calculator multiplies MET by 3.5, by your weight in kilograms, divides by 200, and multiplies by the minutes.
- It shows the total alongside the burn per minute and per hour.
calories = MET x 3.5 x weight (kg) / 200 x minutes
The formula converts an activity's intensity into energy. The MET value times 3.5 gives oxygen use in millilitres per kilogram per minute; multiplying by weight in kilograms and dividing by 200 converts that oxygen use into calories per minute (the 200 folds in the energy released per litre of oxygen). Multiplying by the minutes spent gives the total. Heavier weight and higher MET both raise the per-minute burn, while time scales the total directly.
- MET
- the activity's intensity as a multiple of resting energy use
- weight
- body weight in kilograms (converted for you)
- minutes
- how long the activity lasted
- 3.5 and 200
- constants linking oxygen use to calories
Rough burn per 30 minutes for a 70 kg adult
| Walking (3.5 MET) | about 129 kcal | a steady stroll |
| Cycling, moderate (7.5 MET) | about 276 kcal | a brisk leisure ride |
| Running, 10 km/h (9.8 MET) | about 360 kcal | a continuous run |
| Running fast, 12 km/h (11.8 MET) | about 434 kcal | a hard tempo effort |
Worked example
A 70 kilogram person running for 30 minutes at a 9.8-MET pace (about 10 kilometres an hour): the sum is 9.8 times 3.5 times 70, divided by 200, times 30, which is about 360 calories. That works out near 12 calories a minute, or roughly 720 calories an hour at that intensity. A lighter or slower runner would burn less, a heavier or faster one more.
Key facts
- One MET is your resting energy use; an activity's MET says how many times harder it is than sitting still.
- For the same activity and time, a heavier person burns more, because moving more mass costs more energy.
- Doubling the duration doubles the calories burned, all else being equal.
- The figure is a population average and can differ from your true burn by a noticeable margin.
Tips
- Enter your real current weight, since it directly scales the result.
- Use the per-minute figure to compare activities quickly without redoing the sum.
- Treat watch and gym-machine calorie counts as rough, and cross-check them against this method.
- For weight goals, pair the activity figure with what you eat rather than relying on exercise alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is a MET?+
A MET, or metabolic equivalent of task, measures how hard an activity is compared with resting. One MET is the energy you use sitting still, about 3.5 millilitres of oxygen per kilogram a minute. An activity rated at 8 METs uses roughly eight times that resting rate. The values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a research catalogue of measured activities.
Why does my weight change the result?+
Moving a heavier body takes more energy, so weight is built into the formula. Two people doing the same activity for the same time burn different amounts, with the heavier person burning more. That is also why the burn per minute on this tool rises if you increase the weight you enter.
How accurate is the estimate?+
It is a solid average, not a personal measurement. The MET method comes from studies of many people, but your own burn depends on fitness, age, sex, movement efficiency, terrain and effort. Expect the real figure to sit within a sensible range around this one, and treat very precise readings from any calculator or watch with caution.
Why are the calories from my gym machine or watch different?+
Machines and wearables use their own formulas and often lack your true weight, fitness or effort, so their numbers vary and frequently read high, especially on cardio machines that assume you grip the handles. This MET method is transparent and widely used in research, which makes it a good cross-check, though it too is an estimate.
Does this number include my resting calories?+
Yes. The figure is the total energy the activity uses over that time, which includes the small amount you would have burned at rest anyway. So it is not pure extra on top of your day. For a rough "extra" burn, subtract roughly one MET's worth, though for most planning the total is the figure people want.
Can I rely on exercise alone to lose weight?+
Exercise helps, but for most people diet is the larger lever, because it is easier to eat a few hundred calories than to burn them. The bigger reasons to move are heart and metabolic health, strength, mood and sleep. Use the burn figure to inform choices, not as a licence to eat an exact amount back.
Things to watch
- This is an estimate from averages, not a measurement of your own energy use.
- The total already includes the calories you would have burned at rest over that time.
- Do not use the figure as an exact allowance of food to eat back after exercise.
Sources
- 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values ยท Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Last updated: 2026
This is an estimate for general guidance, not financial, tax, legal or medical advice. Figures can change and individual circumstances vary. Always confirm with the official sources listed before making decisions.
Built and maintained by Vikas Dulgunde. Editorial standards.