Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate calories burned for an activity from its MET value, your weight and time.
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This calculator estimates how many calories an exercise session burns from three inputs: the activity, your weight in kilograms and the duration in minutes. It shows the total kcal for the session, the equivalent hourly burn and the MET value it used, which makes it handy for comparing a yoga class with a jog or planning how long to walk.
The MET formula behind the number
kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes
A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) compares an activity with sitting still. One MET is defined as using 3.5 ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute, and each litre of oxygen your body uses releases roughly 5 kcal. Multiplying MET × 3.5 × weight ÷ 1000 × 5 gives calories per minute, which simplifies to the ÷ 200 version above.
MET values in the activity list
| Activity | MET used |
|---|---|
| Walking (brisk) | 3.5 |
| Yoga | 3 |
| Weight training | 5 |
| Swimming, Hiking | 6 |
| Jogging | 7 |
| Dancing | 7.3 |
| Cycling, HIIT | 8 |
| Running | 9.8 |
Each is a single typical value, similar to those in the Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference researchers use for MET values. The Compendium lists many intensities per activity; running alone ranges from about 6 METs for a slow jog to over 20 at sprint speeds. The 3.5 figure for walking fits a pace of roughly 5 km/h on flat ground, so a fast or uphill walk burns more than shown.
Worked examples
- Running, 70 kg, 45 minutes: 9.8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 × 45 = 540 kcal, or 720 kcal per hour.
- The same run at 90 kg: 695 kcal, because moving a heavier body takes more energy.
- Yoga, 70 kg, 60 minutes: 220 kcal.
- Planning backwards: a 70 kg person walking at 3.5 METs burns about 257 kcal an hour, so burning 300 kcal takes roughly 70 minutes.
Why your fitness watch shows something else
- Gross versus net. The formula counts the resting calories you would have burned anyway (1 MET). Subtracting them, the 45-minute run above is closer to 485 extra kcal.
- Effort varies. "Weight training" at 5 METs averages hard sets with rest between them; a circuit with little rest burns more, a relaxed session less.
- Watches estimate differently. They use heart rate and motion sensors, while MET values assume average efficiency. Fitter people often burn slightly less at the same pace.
Using the result sensibly
Comparisons are where this tool is strongest: an hour of cycling versus an hour of yoga, or how much a longer session adds. Be careful about "eating back" exercise calories. If you set your daily target with the calorie calculator using an Active or Moderate level, your workouts are already included. For pacing and speed on runs, the running pace calculator is the companion tool. Treat every figure here as an approximation rather than a measured value.