Calories Burned Calculator

Calculate calories burned during any activity using MET values and your body weight.

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Weight (kg)

Duration (minutes)

Activity

Total Calories Burned

– kcal

Enter weight, duration, and activity

Calories / Minute

–

kcal per minute

Equivalent Miles Walked

–

~100 kcal per mile

Fat Burned

–

grams (÷ 7.7 kcal/g)

MET Value

–

Metabolic Equivalent

Activity	MET	Cal Burned*	Intensity
Calculate to see comparison

* Calories for entered duration and weight

Estimate how many calories a specific activity burns, based on its MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value, your body weight, and how long you did it.

How It Works

How Calories Burned Calculator Works

Every activity is assigned a MET value representing how many times more energy it burns compared to sitting quietly (1 MET). Calories burned = MET × weight(kg) × duration(hours) — so a MET value of 8 means an activity burns roughly 8 times your resting energy expenditure for each hour performed.

Because the formula scales directly with body weight, a heavier person burns more calories performing the identical activity for the identical duration than a lighter person — this is a well-established feature of MET-based calculations, not a flaw, since more mass requires more energy to move.

The comparison table recalculates all listed activities (from gentle yoga at MET 2.5 up to running at MET 11.8) at your specific weight and duration, making it easy to see how swapping one activity for another would change your calorie burn for the same block of time.

Worked Example

See It In Action

A person weighing 75 kg running at 6 mph (MET 9.8) for 45 minutes burns approximately 551 calories — about 12.3 calories per minute, roughly equivalent to 5.5 miles of walking, and representing about 71.6 grams of fat if that energy came entirely from fat stores.

Real-World Use Cases

Who Uses Calories Burned Calculator and Why

Estimating how many calories a specific workout or activity burned based on duration and body weight.
Comparing calorie burn across different activities (like running vs. yoga) for the same time block.
Getting a rough sense of how an activity's calorie burn compares to an equivalent distance walked.

Common Mistakes

Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming the same MET value applies regardless of intensity — many activities (like running) have different MET values at different speeds, so picking the wrong intensity level for what you actually did skews the estimate.
Treating a single workout's calorie burn as license for a large extra meal — the number is an estimate of energy expended, not a precise calorie balance to "earn back" immediately.
Forgetting that a heavier person burning more calories for the identical activity and duration is a normal feature of the MET formula, not a sign of a broken calculator.

Pro Tips

Tips for Best Results

Use the comparison table to see how swapping one activity for another at the same duration changes your calorie burn — useful for finding a more time-efficient option.
Pair this with a TDEE or calorie calculator for the full picture of your energy balance rather than relying on exercise calories in isolation.

Troubleshooting

Fixing Common Problems

My fitness tracker gave a very different calorie burn for the same workout. — Wearable devices often use heart rate-based algorithms that can diverge meaningfully from standard MET-value calculations, especially at high intensities — both are estimates, and some disagreement between the two methods is normal.

Glossary

Terms Explained

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task): A measure of how many times more energy an activity burns compared to sitting quietly at rest (1 MET).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the same activity burn more calories for a heavier person?

The MET formula scales directly with body weight because moving more mass requires more energy — this is a standard, well-established feature of exercise physiology, not an approximation error.

How accurate are MET values?

MET values are population averages derived from research studies and represent typical effort at the stated pace or intensity — your individual fitness level, technique, and terrain can shift your actual calorie burn up or down from the estimate.

What does the "equivalent miles walked" figure mean?

It is a rough reference point using roughly 100 calories burned per mile walked for an average adult — useful for putting an unfamiliar activity's calorie burn into a more intuitive, familiar context.

Can I use this to plan weight loss?

It can inform your overall calorie balance, but exercise alone is rarely an efficient weight-loss strategy compared to combining it with dietary changes — pair this tool with a calorie or TDEE calculator for a complete picture of your energy balance.