How this calories burned calculator works
The energy you use during an activity depends mainly on three things: how intense the activity is, how much you weigh, and how long you keep it up. Exercise scientists capture intensity with a number called the MET — the metabolic equivalent of task — which compares the activity to sitting quietly. Sitting still is about 1 MET; an activity rated at 8 MET uses roughly eight times as much energy per minute.
This tool uses the widely cited estimate calories ≈ MET × body weight (kg) × hours. You enter your weight, pick an activity from the list (each carries a typical MET value), and set a duration in minutes. The calculator converts pounds to kilograms when needed, turns minutes into hours, and multiplies everything together to give your estimated total — along with a per-hour rate and a playful comparison showing how long it would take to burn off a 250-calorie donut.
Reference note: MET values are population averages drawn from activity compendiums. Real-world energy use varies with fitness, technique, terrain and individual metabolism, so the result is an educated estimate, not a precise measurement.
Common activities at a glance
Approximate calories burned in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, by activity and MET value:
| Activity | MET | Calories / 30 min (70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | 3.5 | 123 |
| Brisk walking | 4.3 | 151 |
| Yoga | 3 | 105 |
| Weight training | 5 | 175 |
| Hiking | 6 | 210 |
| Jogging | 7 | 245 |
| Swimming | 8 | 280 |
| Cycling, vigorous | 10 | 350 |
| Running | 10 | 350 |
| Jump rope | 12 | 420 |
Frequently asked questions
- How many calories do I burn doing a given activity?
- It depends on the activity's intensity (its MET value), your body weight and how long you do it. Enter your weight, pick the activity and a duration above and the tool estimates calories burned as MET × weight in kg × hours.
- How is calories burned calculated?
- The common estimate is calories = MET × your body weight in kilograms × time in hours. For example, 10 MET running for a 70 kg person for half an hour is 10 × 70 × 0.5 ≈ 350 calories.
- What is a MET?
- A MET, or metabolic equivalent of task, expresses how much energy an activity uses compared with sitting still. One MET is roughly your resting metabolism; an 8 MET activity uses about eight times as much energy per minute as resting.
- How many calories does walking or running burn?
- Walking at a normal pace is about 3.5 MET and running is around 10 MET. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes of walking burns roughly 120 calories while 30 minutes of running burns about 350 calories. Faster pace and steeper terrain raise the figure.
- Do heavier people burn more calories?
- Yes. Because calories scale with body weight in the MET formula, a heavier person moving the same way burns more calories than a lighter person doing the same activity for the same time.
- Is this calculator accurate?
- It is an estimate. MET values are population averages, and real energy use varies with fitness, intensity, terrain, technique and individual metabolism, so treat the result as a ballpark rather than an exact measurement.