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Enter your details and select an activity// calculate energy expenditure for any physical activity
Calculate calories burned during exercise and daily activities. Enter your weight, duration, and activity type to get instant energy expenditure results.
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Enter your details and select an activityType your body weight in kg or lbs. Heavier people burn more calories during exercise.
Enter how many minutes you performed the activity. For best results use actual workout time.
Choose a category then the specific activity. Click Calculate to see your results instantly.
This tool uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method — the scientific standard for measuring physical activity intensity. Each activity has a MET value that reflects how many times more energy it burns compared to sitting at rest. The formula is:Calories = MET × Weight(kg) × Duration(hours)
MET values are sourced from the Compendium of Physical Activities, used widely in sports science and research.
This calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) formula, which is the gold standard used in exercise science research. Results are estimates — individual factors like fitness level, age, and metabolism can affect actual calorie burn by ±15–20%.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a measure of exercise intensity. A MET of 1 represents energy use at rest (sitting quietly). Walking briskly is about 3.5 METs, running at 8 km/h is about 8 METs, and vigorous cycling is 10+ METs.
Yes — significantly. A heavier person burns more calories doing the same activity for the same duration, because more energy is required to move a larger body mass. This is built into the MET formula: Calories = MET × kg × hours.
Fitness trackers use additional biometric data like heart rate, age, and sex to refine estimates. MET-based calculations without this data are slightly less personalized. However, for most activities, the difference is within ±15%.
No. This calculator estimates active calorie expenditure — the additional calories burned due to the activity itself — not your baseline metabolic rate (BMR). For total daily burn, you'd add this to your BMR.
General health guidelines suggest 150–300 minutes of moderate activity per week. A 30-minute moderate workout burns roughly 150–400 kcal depending on intensity and weight. For weight loss, a 500 kcal daily deficit is a common target.
Yes. Since 1 kg of body fat ≈ 7,700 kcal, you can estimate how much exercise is needed to create a given calorie deficit. Combine this tool with a food calorie tracker for best results.
Both are excellent. Running at moderate pace (8 km/h, MET ≈ 8.0) typically burns slightly more per minute than moderate swimming (MET ≈ 5.8), but swimming is lower impact. High-intensity versions of either can reach similar burn rates.
Understanding how many calories you burn during exercise is a cornerstone of effective fitness and weight management. Whether you're training for a marathon, trying to lose weight, or simply curious about the energy cost of your daily walks, a calories burned calculator gives you data-driven insight into your physical activity.
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Our calculator uses the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) method, which is the scientific standard used by exercise physiologists, sports scientists, and researchers worldwide. The MET system assigns a numerical value to each physical activity based on its intensity relative to sitting at rest.
The formula is straightforward: Calories burned = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours). For example, if you weigh 70 kg and go for a 30-minute run at a pace with a MET value of 8.0:
MET values are drawn from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a comprehensive reference database published by researchers at the Arizona State University and widely used in public health and sports science.
Not all exercise is created equal. Here's a general overview of common MET values across activity categories:
The higher the MET, the more calories you burn per minute per kilogram of body weight. This is why a 10-minute sprint burns far more than a 10-minute casual stroll, even though both count as "exercise."
Body weight is a fundamental variable in calorie burn calculations. A person weighing 90 kg burns approximately 29% more calories doing the same activity as someone weighing 70 kg. This is because moving a larger body mass requires more muscular effort and cardiovascular work.
This is why standardized calorie counts on gym equipment (like treadmills that show a fixed calorie number) can be misleading — they often assume an average weight of 68–70 kg. Our calculator personalizes the result to your actual weight for more accurate estimates.
Here's a quick reference for a 70 kg person exercising for 30 minutes:
High-intensity activities like jump rope and sprinting are among the most efficient calorie burners per unit of time, which is why HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) has become popular for fat loss programs.
One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 kcal (or 7,700 kcal per kilogram). To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit — either by eating less, exercising more, or both. Use this calculator to understand your exercise contribution to that deficit.
A common, sustainable approach is a 500 kcal daily deficit, which theoretically results in about 0.5 kg of fat loss per week. If your workout burns 300 kcal, you'd need the remaining 200 kcal from dietary adjustments. This tool helps you quantify the exercise side of that equation.
While MET-based calculations are scientifically grounded, they are estimates. Actual calorie burn can be influenced by:
For the most accurate tracking, use this tool alongside a heart-rate monitor or fitness wearable, which incorporates more individual biometric data.
If increasing calorie expenditure is your goal, consider these evidence-based strategies: