About the Calories Burned Calculator
This calculator estimates energy expenditure for any activity from its MET value, your body weight, and the duration. It covers everything from walking and gardening to swimming and interval training, using the same standardised research values.
The formula
Calories = MET · 3.5 · weight (kg) / 200 · minutesMET is the metabolic equivalent of task, where 1 MET is resting expenditure. Common values: walking 3.5, cycling 7.5, swimming 8, running 9.8, jumping rope 12.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter your Body Weight (kg). The field starts at
70, which you can overwrite. - 2Enter your Duration (minutes). The field starts at
45, which you can overwrite. - 3Enter your MET Value (Walking=3.5, Running=9.8, Cycling=7.5, Swimming=8). The field starts at
9.8, which you can overwrite. - 4Read the result straight away — it recalculates as you type, so there is no button to press. Use Share to copy a link that reopens the page with your exact numbers filled in.
Worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Body Weight (kg) | 70 |
| Duration (minutes) | 45 |
| MET Value (Walking=3.5, Running=9.8, Cycling=7.5, Swimming=8) | 9.8 |
Result
Calories Burned: 540 kcal
Rate: 12.0 kcal/min
Per Hour: 720 kcal/hr
MET Value Used: 9.8
Those are the values the page loads with, so you can reproduce this result yourself and then change one field at a time to see what drives the outcome.
Understanding your result
Body weight scales expenditure directly, because moving more mass costs more energy. A 90 kg person burns roughly 30 percent more than a 70 kg person doing the same walk. This is also why calorie burn falls as you lose weight, and why an activity that once created a deficit eventually stops doing so.
MET values assume a typical pace and technique for the activity. Real expenditure varies with intensity, terrain, fitness, and efficiency — cycling into a headwind or running uphill can double the figure. Treat the result as a reasonable estimate rather than a measurement.
Things worth knowing
- Intensity matters more than duration for cardiovascular benefit, though both contribute to expenditure.
- Resistance training burns fewer calories per session than cardio but builds muscle, which raises resting expenditure.
- Incidental daily movement — walking, standing, stairs — often totals more than planned exercise.
- Cold-water swimming and cold-weather exercise raise expenditure slightly through thermoregulation.
- Recalculate as your weight changes, since the same activity burns less as you get lighter.
Frequently asked questions
Which activities burn the most calories?+
Those with the highest MET values: running, jumping rope, swimming hard, and vigorous cycling all sit between 10 and 15 METs. Walking is around 3.5, so an hour of running burns roughly three times as much.
Does body weight affect calories burned?+
Yes, directly and proportionally. Moving a heavier body costs more energy, so a 90 kg person burns about 30 percent more than a 70 kg person doing the same activity for the same time.
Do I burn calories after exercising?+
Yes, through excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, but the effect is modest — typically 5 to 15 percent of the session's expenditure, and larger after high-intensity work than steady cardio.
How accurate are these estimates?+
Within roughly 10 to 20 percent for most people. MET values are population averages, so fitness, technique, terrain, and pace all shift the real figure.