The formula
How it works
Estimate the calories you burn during an activity from your weight and how long you do it. Pick an exercise, enter your body weight and the duration, and the calculator uses its metabolic intensity (MET) to work out the energy used.
FAQ
What is a MET?
A MET, or metabolic equivalent, measures how hard an activity is compared with sitting still, which is 1 MET. Running at about 9.8 METs burns roughly ten times the energy of resting. Each activity here has a standard MET value from published research.
How accurate is this?
It is a solid estimate, not a precise reading. Real burn depends on your fitness, effort, terrain and body composition, none of which a MET value captures exactly. Use it to compare activities and track trends rather than as an exact calorie count.
Does age or sex affect the result?
This calculator does not adjust for age or sex because MET values are a standardized measure of effort, not a personal metabolic rate. Two people of the same weight doing the same activity get the same MET-based estimate, even though their true burn may differ slightly.
Why do heavier people burn more calories doing the same activity?
The MET formula scales directly with body weight, since moving more mass takes more energy. A 90 kg person and a 60 kg person running at the same pace burn different totals even though the MET value and duration are identical.
Does intensity or duration matter more for total burn?
Both feed the formula the same way — doubling either one doubles the total calories burned. In practice, raising intensity (a higher MET activity) burns more per minute, while extending duration adds up burn steadily over a longer session.
Is this the same as calories burned shown on a fitness tracker?
It is similar but not identical. Wearables often use heart rate and personal data to refine the estimate, while this calculator uses a fixed MET value per activity, so the two numbers can differ by a meaningful margin.
How does this help with weight loss?
Weight loss comes from a sustained calorie deficit, so pairing this estimate with your calorie intake shows roughly where you stand for the day. It works well alongside a BMR or TDEE calculator to set a realistic daily target.
About the calories burned calculator
This calculator estimates how much energy an activity uses, based on your body weight, how long you exercise and the intensity of the activity. Intensity is captured by a MET value — a metabolic equivalent that compares the effort with resting. Heavier people and longer, harder sessions burn more, and the calculator combines all three factors into a single calorie estimate.
How to use it
Choose an activity from the list, enter your body weight in kilograms or pounds, and set how many minutes you did it. The result is the estimated calories burned. For example, a 70 kg person running for 30 minutes at 9.8 METs burns roughly 360 calories. Try different activities or durations to see how they compare for the same person.
The formula
The estimate uses the standard MET equation, . The MET value sets the intensity, 3.5 ml/kg/min is resting oxygen use, and dividing by 200 converts oxygen consumption into calories. Multiplying by body weight and minutes scales it to the person and the length of the session, so doubling either doubles the burn.
Where it is used
People use it to plan workouts, balance exercise against what they eat, and compare activities when time is limited. Combined with a BMR or TDEE figure, it helps set a calorie target for losing, maintaining or gaining weight. Coaches and fitness apps use the same MET-based method, so it gives a consistent way to gauge the effort behind a session.