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Calories burned calculator — by activity & time.
This calories burned calculator estimates the calories an activity burns using MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities: calories = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes. Pick an activity, enter your weight and how long you moved — the result updates instantly, no signup.
This is an estimate. MET values are population averages, so your real burn can vary by roughly 10 to 15 percent with fitness, efficiency, heart rate, and terrain. Use it to compare activities and plan sessions, not as a precise measurement.
The MET math, explained.
No black box. One equation from the Compendium of Physical Activities, driven by your weight and time.
kcal = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × min Multiply the activity's MET value by 3.5, by your body weight in kilograms, divide by 200, then multiply by the minutes you moved. That gives calories burned for the session.
1 MET ≈ 1 kcal / kg / hour One MET is your resting rate — about 3.5 ml O₂ / kg / min, or roughly 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour. An 8-MET activity burns eight times the energy of sitting still.
± 10–15% real range MET values are population averages. They ignore your fitness, movement efficiency, and heart rate, so it is a real estimate — not a measurement. Great for comparison; don't obsess over the exact number.
Worked example: an 80 kg runner going 6 mph (MET 9.8) for 30 minutes burns 9.8 × 3.5 × 80 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 411 kcal. Halve the time and you halve the burn; double the weight and you roughly double it. MET values here come from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011; 2024 update).
Your weight & time, across activities.
Same body weight and duration you entered above, so the number has something to compare against.
| Activity | MET | Calories burned |
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Who it's for. Anyone tracking session burn — runners and lifters logging a workout, cardio planners budgeting calories across a week, and anyone deciding whether a longer walk or a harder session moves the needle more. It answers "was that worth it?" in a number you can compare.
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See the full picture — steps, your daily burn, and the calorie target behind it all.
Calories burned questions.
How are calories burned calculated?
This calculator uses the MET method from the Compendium of Physical Activities: calories = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes. Each activity has a MET value (metabolic equivalent) that says how many times harder it is than sitting still. Multiply that by your weight and how long you moved, and you get an estimate of the calories that activity burned.
What is a MET value?
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is your resting metabolic rate — roughly 3.5 millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute, which works out to about 1 kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 8 METs burns eight times the energy of sitting still. The Compendium of Physical Activities assigns a MET value to hundreds of activities.
How many calories does running burn?
Running at 6 mph (a 10-minute mile) is about 9.8 METs. For an 80 kg runner that is 9.8 × 3.5 × 80 ÷ 200 = about 13.7 calories a minute, so roughly 411 calories in 30 minutes or 822 in an hour. A lighter or slower runner burns less; a heavier or faster one burns more. Change the weight, activity, and time above to see your own number.
How accurate are calories burned calculators?
Treat the result as a solid estimate, not a measurement. MET values are population averages, so a real figure for you can vary by roughly 10 to 15 percent. The formula ignores individual differences in fitness, movement efficiency, heart rate, temperature, and terrain. It is great for comparing activities and planning sessions, but do not treat the exact number as gospel.
Do I need to eat back exercise calories?
It depends how you set your daily target. If your calorie or TDEE calculator already used an activity level that includes your training, that burn is baked in and eating it back double-counts it. If you based your target on a sedentary level and log workouts separately, eating some of them back is reasonable. Pick one method and stay consistent.
Does weight affect calories burned?
Yes — weight is central to the MET formula. Moving a heavier body costs more energy, so a 100 kg person burns clearly more than a 60 kg person doing the identical activity for the same time. That is why this tool asks for your weight rather than giving one generic number for everyone.
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