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This calories burned calculator estimates the energy your exercise uses with the MET (metabolic equivalent of task) formula trusted by exercise scientists. Enter your activity, body weight and session length, and it returns the estimated calorie burn in kilocalories plus the burn rate per hour. The result is an estimate based on population averages, not medical advice: your fitness, technique, terrain and intensity all shift the true figure.
One MET is the energy your body uses while sitting still. Every activity is rated as a multiple of that resting rate, so running at 9.8 METs burns about ten times the energy of sitting on the sofa. The calculator uses the standard form: calories burned = MET × weight in kg × duration in hours. As a worked example, a 70 kg person running for 30 minutes burns 9.8 × 70 × 0.5 = 343 kcal, a burn rate of 9.8 × 70 = 686 kcal per hour. The same maths in pounds: a 154 lb person is 154 / 2.20462 = 69.9 kg, so 60 minutes of cycling gives 7.5 × 69.9 × 1 = 524 kcal. Because MET figures are gross values, they include the calories you would have burned at rest anyway; the net extra cost of the exercise is roughly 10 to 15% lower.
Choose your activity from the list, enter your body weight and pick kg or lb, then type how many minutes you exercised. Press calculate to see the total calorie burn for the session and the hourly rate. Compare activities by running the same weight and duration through each one: that shows which exercise burns most for your body. For mixed sessions, split them into parts (for example 15 minutes walking plus 15 minutes running) and calculate each part separately, then add the totals.
These are the moderate-effort MET values this calculator applies, drawn from the Compendium of Physical Activities. Each option shows the pace it assumes, because the same activity at a different intensity gets a different MET. Estimated calorie burn for a 70 kg person over 30 minutes: walking (moderate pace, about 5 to 6 km/h), MET 4.3, about 151 kcal; running (about 9 to 10 km/h), MET 9.8, about 343 kcal; cycling (moderate effort, about 19 to 22 km/h), MET 7.5, about 263 kcal; swimming (moderate effort), MET 5.8, about 203 kcal. Values shift with speed: easy walking can be near 3.3 METs and sprint running can exceed 12, so treat the select labels as fixed representative paces.
Pick higher-MET activities when time is short: running burns more than twice as much per hour as moderate walking. Add short intense bursts, because intervals raise the hourly rate and add a small afterburn effect (EPOC) that keeps calorie burn slightly elevated after you stop. Build muscle with resistance training: every extra kilogram of muscle raises your resting calorie burn a little, every day. Increase duration gradually rather than jumping to long sessions, and stay consistent: five moderate 30-minute sessions a week beat one exhausting workout followed by days off. Remember that diet does most of the work for weight loss, while exercise protects muscle and keeps your metabolism higher.
MET values are population averages measured in research labs, and individual calorie burn typically varies by 20 to 30%. Fit people are more efficient and burn less at the same pace, while heavier beginners often burn more. Hills, wind, heat, terrain and technique all move the real figure, which is why wrist-based fitness trackers routinely disagree with formulas (studies find trackers overestimate by 15 to 40%). Use this calculator for planning and comparison, not for precise calorie accounting. This tool provides estimates, not medical advice: speak to a qualified health professional before starting a new exercise programme, especially if you have a medical condition.
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. It rates how hard an activity is compared with sitting still, which is 1 MET. Walking at a moderate pace is about 4.3 METs, meaning it burns 4.3 times the calories of resting. The Compendium of Physical Activities assigns MET values to hundreds of activities, and the formula calories = MET × weight(kg) × hours turns them into a calorie estimate.
MET-based estimates are population averages with a typical error of 20 to 30% for any one person. Fitness level, body composition, age, terrain and weather all shift the real figure. They are accurate enough for planning workouts and comparing activities, but not for exact calorie accounting. Treat fitness-tracker readings the same way, since studies show wearables overestimate by 15 to 40% on average.
Of the activities in this calculator, running burns the most per hour: a 70 kg person burns about 686 kcal per hour at 9.8 METs. Cycling at moderate effort is next at about 525 kcal per hour, then swimming at about 406 and walking at about 301. Higher-intensity running, jump rope and HIIT climb higher still. For weight loss, though, the best exercise is the one you will do consistently.
Per minute, yes: running burns roughly two to three times more calories than moderate walking. But covering the same distance on foot costs a similar total, because the slower pace takes longer. Running wins on time efficiency and adds a small afterburn effect; walking wins on joint stress, recovery and sustainability. Use the per-hour rate in this calculator to compare them for your own weight.
A deficit of about 7,700 kcal equals roughly 1 kg of fat, so losing 0.5 kg a week needs a daily deficit of about 550 kcal. Exercise alone rarely covers that: a 30-minute run burns only around 340 kcal for a 70 kg person, and the body partly compensates by moving less afterwards. The reliable mix is a moderate dietary deficit plus regular exercise, which also preserves muscle and metabolic rate during weight loss.
At the moderate effort of 5.8 METs used here, a 70 kg person burns 5.8 × 70 × 0.5 = 203 kcal in 30 minutes. A 90 kg person burns about 261 kcal and a 60 kg person about 174 kcal, because the formula scales directly with body weight. Vigorous freestyle raises the MET and the burn; easy breaststroke lowers it.
Three common reasons. First, trackers often report gross calories (including your resting burn) while users expect the exercise-only figure, which is 10 to 15% lower. Second, heart-rate-based estimates use population-average equations that misread efficient, well-trained users. Third, most GPS apps are calibrated generously. Use your watch as a consistent relative guide and this calculator as the formula baseline.