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Calories Burned Calculator

Estimate calories burned during exercise based on activity, weight and duration.

Units

Result

Calories Burned
218 cal
4003002001000Calories Burned: 127Calories Burned: 109Calories Burned: 218Calories Burned: 272Calories Burned: 290Calories Burned: 308Calories Burned: 356WalkingYogaJoggingCyclingSwimmingHIITRunning

About the Calories Burned Calculator

Different activities burn calories at very different rates, and duration and body weight both matter for the total. Our Calories Burned Calculator estimates energy expenditure for common activities using the standard MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method.

How It Works

The calculator uses each activity's established MET value (a measure of how many times more energy an activity requires compared to resting), multiplies it by your body weight and duration, to estimate total calories burned during that session.

Calories = MET × weight(kg) × (minutes ÷ 60)

Formula & Methodology

One MET represents the energy cost of sitting quietly (roughly 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour), and every activity's MET value expresses how many times more energy it requires relative to that resting baseline - jogging at MET 6, for example, burns roughly six times the resting rate. Because the formula multiplies by body weight directly, it correctly reflects that moving a heavier body requires more total energy for the same activity, even though the relative intensity (the MET value) stays the same.

Step-by-Step: Calculating It By Hand

  1. 1Find the MET value for the specific activity performed.
  2. 2Convert body weight to kilograms if needed.
  3. 3Multiply MET by weight in kilograms.
  4. 4Multiply by duration in minutes divided by 60 (to convert to hours) for total calories burned.

Examples

Jogging

A 160 lb (72.6 kg) person jogging (MET 6) for 30 minutes burns approximately 218 calories.

Higher-intensity activity

The same person doing 30 minutes of HIIT (MET 8.5) instead burns approximately 309 calories - meaningfully more for the same duration.

Advantages

  • Uses the standard, research-based MET method for activity-specific estimates
  • Accounts for body weight, which significantly affects calorie burn for the same activity
  • Covers a range of common activities from walking to HIIT
  • Fast way to estimate the calorie cost of a specific workout

Common Mistakes

  • Treating MET-based estimates as precisely accurate - real calorie burn varies with fitness level, effort, terrain, and individual metabolism
  • Overestimating calories burned and then over-eating to 'compensate,' which can undermine a calorie deficit goal
  • Not accounting for the afterburn effect (EPOC) from high-intensity exercise, which continues burning calories after the session ends
  • Comparing calorie burn across very different activities without considering the different fitness benefits each provides

Edge Cases to Watch For

  • MET values are population averages for a 'typical' effort at that activity - actual calorie burn varies with individual fitness level, technique, and true intensity within that activity category.
  • This doesn't account for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), the elevated calorie burn that continues for a period after intense exercise ends.
  • MET tables list many specific activity variations (e.g., different jogging paces) with different values - selecting the closest match matters for accuracy.
  • Wearable devices using heart rate data can sometimes provide more individually responsive estimates than a fixed MET table, though both approaches remain approximations.

Common Use Cases

  • Estimating calories burned during a specific workout session
  • Comparing calorie cost across different activity types
  • Balancing exercise calorie burn against dietary calorie intake
  • General fitness and weight management planning
Written & fact-checked by the Calculateus TeamLast updated August 5, 2026How we verify our formulas

Frequently asked questions

What's a MET value?

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) measures how much energy an activity uses relative to sitting still. A MET of 6 means you burn roughly 6x more energy than at rest - it's the standard way exercise science compares activity intensity.

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Conclusion

MET-based estimates are a reasonable approximation, not an exact reading - wearable devices with heart rate tracking tend to be somewhat more personalized, though still imperfect. Use this as a general guide rather than a precise calorie-for-calorie accounting tool.

References