Calories Burned Calculator
How many calories you burn during exercise depends on the type of activity, your body weight, and how long you keep it up. This calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method: each activity is assigned a MET value that represents its intensity relative to being at rest, and the calories burned are estimated as MET × weight (kg) × hours. Heavier people and more intense activities burn more calories in the same amount of time.
Calories burned
MET values are averages: actual expenditure varies with intensity and the individual.
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How it works
The formula is: calories = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours). The MET is a coefficient that expresses how many times more energy an activity uses compared to sitting quietly (1 MET). Typical values: walking ≈ 3.5 MET, running ≈ 9.8 MET, cycling ≈ 7.5 MET, swimming ≈ 8 MET, weightlifting ≈ 6 MET, yoga ≈ 2.5 MET, jumping rope ≈ 12 MET, dancing ≈ 5 MET, soccer ≈ 7 MET, elliptical ≈ 5 MET. For example, running (9.8 MET) for 30 minutes at 70 kg burns 9.8 × 70 × 0.5 ≈ 343 kcal.
MET values of common activities and calories per 30 minutes
Every activity has a MET value that reflects its intensity compared with rest (1 MET). This table gathers the values the calculator uses and how many calories they represent over 30 minutes for a 70 kg person. If you weigh more you burn more, and if you weigh less, somewhat less, in direct proportion.
| Activity | MET | kcal / 30 min (70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga | 2.5 | 88 |
| Walking | 3.5 | 123 |
| Dancing | 5 | 175 |
| Elliptical | 5 | 175 |
| Weightlifting | 6 | 210 |
| Soccer | 7 | 245 |
| Cycling | 7.5 | 263 |
| Swimming | 8 | 280 |
| Running | 9.8 | 343 |
| Jump rope | 12 | 420 |
The MET × weight × hours formula with an example
To estimate the burn of any activity, multiply its MET value by your weight in kilos and by the time in hours: calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours. Minutes are converted to hours by dividing by 60. For example, an 80 kg person who cycles for 45 minutes at a moderate pace (7.5 MET) burns 7.5 × 80 × 0.75 = 450 kcal; that same person running (9.8 MET) for those 45 minutes would spend 9.8 × 80 × 0.75 = 588 kcal. This is why intensity and duration matter as much as body weight.
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Preguntas frecuentes
- What is a MET?
- A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a unit that measures the energy cost of an activity relative to sitting quietly, which equals 1 MET. An activity of 8 MET burns roughly eight times more calories per minute than being at rest. It is the standard way to compare the intensity of different exercises.
- How is calorie burn calculated?
- The estimate uses the formula calories = MET × weight in kilograms × duration in hours. For example, cycling at 7.5 MET for one hour at 80 kg burns about 7.5 × 80 × 1 = 600 kcal. Duration in minutes is simply divided by 60 to convert it to hours.
- Why does body weight matter?
- Moving a heavier body requires more energy, so a heavier person burns more calories doing the same activity for the same time. That is why weight is a direct multiplier in the formula: double the weight (roughly) doubles the calories burned for a given activity and duration.
- How accurate is this estimate?
- MET values are population averages, so the result is an approximation. Actual calorie burn depends on your fitness level, effort, technique, terrain, temperature and body composition. Treat the number as a useful ballpark rather than an exact measurement.
- Does building muscle help me burn more calories?
- Yes. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat, so a more muscular body burns slightly more calories at rest and during exercise. Strength training also raises energy expenditure for hours after the session, which is not captured by a single MET value.