CALCULATOR 11
Calories Burned Calculator
Calories you burn in an activity, from its MET value, your weight and how long you did it.
Calories burned
Enter your weight.
For general information only; not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making health decisions.
How this is calculated
Calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours Above resting = (MET − 1) × weight (kg) × hours
MET
1 MET ≈ 1 kcal per kg per hour, the energy you use sitting still
MET values are averages for adults. Your real burn depends on fitness, technique, terrain and effort, so treat the result as an estimate within about 20%.
Fitness watches and gym machines often show the total. The amount above resting is what the activity added to your day.
Sources
- Ainsworth BE et al. (2011), 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43:1575–1581.
About the calories burned calculator
What a MET is
A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) compares an activity's energy cost with sitting quietly, which is 1 MET—about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. Brisk walking is around 4.3 METs, so it burns roughly four times as much as sitting. The Compendium of Physical Activities lists measured MET values for hundreds of activities, and this calculator uses its 2011 edition.
Read more about the Calories Burned calculator
Total vs above resting
You would have burned about 1 MET anyway, even sitting on the sofa. The total includes that; the amount above resting doesn't. If you're adding exercise on top of a TDEE that already assumes you're sedentary, the above-resting number is the fairer one to count.
Don't eat back every calorie
Your activity level in the TDEE calculator already counts your usual training. Only extra, unplanned sessions should change what you eat, and even then it's wise to eat back about half—activity estimates, from this calculator or a watch, tend to run high.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does running burn?
Running at about 10 km/h burns roughly 10 kcal per kg per hour. A 70 kg person running for 30 minutes at that pace burns about 340 kcal in total.
How many calories does walking burn?
Brisk walking at 5.6 km/h is about 4.3 METs. A 70 kg person walking for an hour burns around 300 kcal in total, or about 230 kcal more than resting.
Are calories burned estimates accurate?
They're averages. Fitness, technique, terrain and how hard you push all change the real number, so expect it to be within about 20%. Use the result to compare activities and plan, not as an exact count.
Does weight training burn many calories?
Less than most people expect: about 3.5 METs for typical sets of 8–15 reps, 6 METs for heavy, vigorous lifting. Its bigger value is building muscle, which helps over the long term.