Calories Burned Calculator
Find out how many calories you burned during any exercise or daily activity. Choose from 40+ activities across 7 categories.
How to use this calculator
Select a category, then choose your specific activity. Set your duration using the slider and enter your body weight. Calories update instantly. The calculation uses MET values (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) from the Compendium of Physical Activities — the academic gold standard for calorie estimation.
Understanding calories burned
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values measure how much energy an activity requires compared to sitting still. MET 1 = rest. Running is 8-12 MET. Calorie burn scales with your weight — a heavier person burns more calories doing the same activity because they're moving more mass. These are estimates — individual fitness, intensity, and terrain affect actual burn.
Frequently asked questions
MET values for common activities
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values express energy cost relative to sitting still (MET 1). The calorie formula is: Calories = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours). A heavier person doing the same activity always burns more calories.
| Activity | MET value | 30 min at 70 kg (154 lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting / computer work | 1.5 | 52 cal |
| Walking (3 mph) | 3.5 | 122 cal |
| Cycling (leisure) | 4.0 | 140 cal |
| Swimming (moderate) | 6.0 | 210 cal |
| Running (5 mph / 12 min mile) | 8.3 | 290 cal |
| Running (7.5 mph / 8 min mile) | 12.5 | 437 cal |
| HIIT / circuit training | 8.0 | 280 cal |
| Jumping rope (moderate) | 10.0 | 350 cal |
| Rowing (vigorous) | 12.0 | 420 cal |
| Cycling (vigorous, 16–19 mph) | 12.0 | 420 cal |
How to burn more calories — what actually works
Total calorie burn over time matters far more than any single session. The most effective strategies increase NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) — the calories burned through daily movement outside of workouts.
- ·NEAT is typically 15–30% of TDEE — walk more, take stairs, stand at your desk to accumulate significant extra burn without structured exercise
- ·Longer sessions burn more than shorter ones — an extra 15 minutes of walking at 3 mph burns ~80 calories
- ·Higher intensity burns more per minute but isn't always sustainable — mix moderate and high intensity across the week
- ·Muscle mass increases resting metabolic rate — resistance training adds calories burned even at rest, 24/7
- ·EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) — high-intensity exercise burns extra calories for hours after the session ends
- ·Consistency beats intensity — 45 minutes of walking daily burns more total calories than one hard weekly session
Why wearables often overestimate calorie burn
Most fitness trackers and smartwatches overestimate calorie burn by 20–40%, according to research from Stanford and other institutions. They tend to be most accurate for walking and least accurate for strength training and HIIT. The Compendium of Physical Activities (which this calculator uses) provides population-average MET values — actual burn depends on your fitness level, body composition, and exercise efficiency.