Calories Burned Calculator: By Activity
Estimate the calories you burn for an activity and duration, based on your bodyweight and the activity's intensity.
Calories burned
- Per minute
- 14.0 kcal
- Per hour
- 840 kcal
- MET used
- 9.8
- Bodyweight
- 81.6 kg
| Walking, 3.5 mph | 184 kcal |
| Brisk walk, 4.5 mph | 214 kcal |
| Jogging, 5 mph | 300 kcal |
| Running, 8 mph | 506 kcal |
| Cycling, moderate | 343 kcal |
How calories burned are calculated
This calculator uses the MET method, the standard model in exercise physiology. A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a multiplier of your resting metabolic rate. The formula is:
kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes
Sitting still is 1 MET, walking briskly is around 5, running at 6 mph is about 9.8, and intervals can hit 11-12. Multiply by your bodyweight and how long you did it, and you get a reasonable estimate of total calories burned, including the calories you'd have burned at rest during the same minutes.
How to use the number
The most common mistake is double-counting. If your TDEE already includes exercise via the activity multiplier ("moderate, 3-5 workouts/week"), you've already paid for those calories, adding them again will overshoot.
- Sedentary TDEE + exercise calories on top = approximately correct, but eat back 50-70% to allow for overestimation.
- Active TDEE + exercise calories on top = double-counted, you'll regain.
- Tracking from scratch: use sedentary TDEE and log each workout as exercise calories.
Worked examples
Example 1. 180 lb person, 30 minutes running at 6 mph (9.8 MET). 9.8 × 3.5 × 81.6 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 420 kcal.
Example 2. 65 kg person, 45 minutes vigorous cycling (10 MET). 10 × 3.5 × 65 ÷ 200 × 45 ≈ 512 kcal.
Example 3. 200 lb person, 60 minutes of weight training (3.5 MET). 3.5 × 3.5 × 91 ÷ 200 × 60 ≈ 335 kcal.
What MET doesn't capture
- Individual efficiency. Trained runners burn less than untrained at the same pace.
- Terrain. Hills, sand, wind.
- Equipment. Weighted vest, heavy pack, steep incline.
- EPOC. Hard intervals burn extra calories after the session, MET doesn't include this.
- Rest periods. Lifting MET assumes typical rest, your 5-minute rests between heavy sets are lower than 3.5 MET.
Common mistakes
- Eating back every calorie a watch reports. Trackers overestimate by 20-50% on weighted/strength work.
- Counting the whole walk to the gym. Sure, but it's already in your daily NEAT.
- Comparing MET tables across sources. Numbers vary by 0.5-1.0 MET between references, none are perfectly right.
- Using MET for very short, very hard efforts. Sprints and max efforts are poorly modeled by a single number.
FAQ
How accurate are MET-based estimates?+
Within 10-20% for most people. METs are population averages and don't account for individual efficiency, terrain, equipment or fitness level. Treat the number as a ballpark, not a budget.
What is a MET?+
Metabolic Equivalent of Task. 1 MET equals the energy you burn sitting still, about 1 kcal per kg of bodyweight per hour. An activity at 8 METs burns roughly 8× as much as resting.
Why does weight matter so much?+
Moving more mass costs more energy. A 200 lb runner burns about 25% more calories at the same pace than a 160 lb runner. The MET stays the same, the calorie total scales with bodyweight.
Should I add these to my TDEE?+
If you already picked an active TDEE multiplier, no, you'd double-count. If you used 'sedentary', you can add exercise calories on top, but eat back only 50-70% to leave margin for overestimation.
Does this include BMR?+
Yes, gross calories include the energy you'd have burned at rest during the same time. Net calories burned (above resting) are roughly 90% of the displayed number for moderate-to-vigorous activities.
What if my activity isn't listed?+
Use the closest match by intensity. Brisk walk is around 5 METs, jogging 7, hard running 10-12, lifting 3-6 depending on intensity.
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Related guides
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- TDEE Explained: How Your Body Burns CaloriesWhat TDEE actually is, the four components that make it up, and why two calculators can give you different numbers.