Calories Burned Calculator — by activity, weight and time (MET values)

How it works

The whole calculation rests on one idea: the MET, or metabolic equivalent. It expresses how demanding an activity is as a multiple of sitting at rest — a 2 MET activity uses twice the energy of rest, a 10 MET activity ten times. By the convention the Compendium of Physical Activities uses, one MET is roughly one calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour, so multiplying the MET by your weight and by the hours gives the calories burned.

Two things follow from that. Heavier people burn more for the same activity, because there's more of you to move — the weight is right there in the formula. And the burn is linear in time: an hour burns exactly twice what half an hour does, which the duration ladder on this page makes explicit.

The MET values are measured population averages, catalogued in the Compendium — running at a 12-minute-mile pace is 8.5, brisk walking 4.8, moderate cycling 8.0, Hatha yoga 2.3, skipping rope 11.5. Each value in this calculator is taken directly from the 2024 edition.

Worked example

A 70 kg person running at a 12-minute-mile pace (8.5 METs) for 30 minutes:

kcal = 8.5 × 70 × (30 ÷ 60) = 8.5 × 70 × 0.5 = 298 calories

That's 595 calories per hour at this pace. The duration ladder shows the same run at other lengths: 15 minutes burns 149, 45 minutes 446, an hour 595 — each just the per-minute rate times the time. Swap running for brisk walking (4.8 METs) and the same half-hour drops to about 168 calories; the weight and time stay the same, only the intensity changes.

Frequently asked questions

What is a MET?

A metabolic equivalent — the ratio of an activity's energy cost to resting energy cost. Sitting quietly is 1 MET; an activity of 5 METs uses five times as much energy per minute. It's a convenient way to rank activities by intensity independent of body size, and it converts to calories once you multiply back by weight and time.

Where do the MET values come from?

The Compendium of Physical Activities, a reference catalogue compiled from published measurements and maintained by researchers now hosted at Arizona State University. This calculator uses values from the 2024 adult edition, each taken verbatim with its Compendium activity code, so any number here can be checked at the source.

Why does my weight change the result so much?

Because moving a heavier body costs more energy — the MET formula multiplies by your weight directly, so a 90 kg person burns about 30% more than a 70 kg person doing the identical activity for the same time. This is also why the same run feels and counts differently for two people.

How accurate is a MET estimate?

It's a reasonable average, not a measurement of you. MET values are population means, and real expenditure varies with fitness, body composition, technique, terrain, wind, and how hard you actually work within an activity band. Treat the figure as a ballpark for planning — expect it to be within perhaps 15–20% of your true burn, sometimes further at the extremes.

Does this include the calories I'd burn at rest anyway?

Yes — the MET convention measures total energy during the activity, including the roughly 1 MET you'd expend just being alive over that time. If you want the *extra* calories beyond rest, subtract one MET's worth (your weight in kg times the hours). For most planning the gross figure shown here is what people mean by "calories burned".

Why is running 12-minute miles only 8.5 METs when I feel it's harder?

MET values reflect measured oxygen use, which doesn't always match perceived effort — heat, hills, fatigue and fitness all change how hard a given pace feels without changing its average MET much. If your run includes hills, pick a higher-intensity entry; the flat-pace value is a baseline.

What doesn't this account for?

Individual metabolism, the "afterburn" (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) that adds a small amount after hard sessions, muscle gained over time, and the specifics of terrain or equipment. It also isn't medical or weight-loss advice — for how burned calories fit an intake plan, see the calorie and TDEE calculators.