Calories burned calculator
Pick an activity, enter your weight and how long the session lasted: the calculator applies the published MET value for that activity and gives you the estimated expenditure, gross and net.
About 30 seconds
The formula used
Calories burned = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × duration (minutes).
One MET is the energy cost of sitting still, roughly 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilo per minute. An 8 MET activity therefore costs eight times as much as doing nothing. The net figure takes that resting cost back out: it is what the session actually added.
A 70 kg person doing Walking, brisk (5.6 km/h) (MET 4.3) for 30 minutes burns about 158 kcal.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities, 2011 update (Ainsworth B. E. et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(8):1575-1581).
Calories burned in 30 minutes at 70 kg
| Activity | MET | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cardio | ||
| Walking, slow (3.2 km/h) | 2.8 | 103 |
| Walking, brisk (5.6 km/h) | 4.3 | 158 |
| Walking uphill (1 to 5% grade) | 5.3 | 195 |
| Hiking, cross-country | 6.0 | 221 |
| Running (8 km/h) | 8.3 | 305 |
| Running (9.7 km/h) | 9.8 | 360 |
| Running (12.9 km/h) | 11.8 | 434 |
| Running (16 km/h) | 14.5 | 533 |
| Cycling, easy pace (16 to 19 km/h) | 6.8 | 250 |
| Cycling, moderate pace (19 to 22 km/h) | 8.0 | 294 |
| Cycling, vigorous pace (22 to 25 km/h) | 10.0 | 368 |
| Cycling, fast pace (25 to 30 km/h) | 12.0 | 441 |
| Stationary bike (moderate effort) | 7.0 | 257 |
| Indoor cycling class | 8.5 | 312 |
| Elliptical trainer (moderate effort) | 5.0 | 184 |
| Rowing machine (100 W, moderate effort) | 7.0 | 257 |
| Stair climber machine | 9.0 | 331 |
| Swimming, freestyle at a moderate pace | 5.8 | 213 |
| Swimming, fast freestyle | 9.8 | 360 |
| Skipping rope (moderate pace) | 11.8 | 434 |
| Aerobics class | 7.3 | 268 |
| Strength and conditioning | ||
| Weight training, sets of 8 to 15 reps | 3.5 | 129 |
| Weight training, vigorous effort (heavy loads) | 6.0 | 221 |
| Squats (slow or explosive effort) | 5.0 | 184 |
| Bodyweight conditioning, light effort | 3.8 | 140 |
| Vigorous bodyweight work (push-ups, pull-ups, burpees) | 8.0 | 294 |
| Circuit training / HIIT | 8.0 | 294 |
| Pilates | 3.0 | 110 |
| Yoga (hatha) | 2.5 | 92 |
| Stretching | 2.3 | 85 |
| Sports | ||
| Football, casual | 7.0 | 257 |
| Football, competitive | 10.0 | 368 |
| Basketball, game | 8.0 | 294 |
| Tennis | 7.3 | 268 |
| Badminton, social | 5.5 | 202 |
| Table tennis | 4.0 | 147 |
| Volleyball, indoor | 6.0 | 221 |
| Golf | 4.8 | 176 |
| Boxing, sparring | 7.8 | 287 |
| Martial arts (judo, karate, taekwondo) | 10.3 | 379 |
| Rock climbing | 8.0 | 294 |
| Handball | 12.0 | 441 |
| Rugby, competitive | 8.3 | 305 |
| Horse riding | 5.5 | 202 |
| Downhill skiing (moderate effort) | 5.3 | 195 |
| Fast dancing (swing, salsa, disco) | 7.8 | 287 |
| Daily life | ||
| Walking the dog | 3.0 | 110 |
| Housework (general) | 3.3 | 121 |
| Cooking, standing | 2.0 | 74 |
| Gardening (general) | 3.8 | 140 |
| Mowing the lawn (walk-behind mower) | 5.5 | 202 |
| Shovelling snow by hand | 5.3 | 195 |
| Grocery shopping with a trolley | 2.3 | 85 |
| Climbing stairs (slow pace) | 4.0 | 147 |
| Desk work, sitting | 1.5 | 55 |
| Carrying boxes (moving house) | 7.0 | 257 |
What the estimate does not tell you
The Compendium gives one average value per activity, measured on healthy adults. Real intensity, technique, training status and body composition move expenditure by 20 to 30% around that average.
The gross figure includes your resting metabolism — the energy you would have spent sitting still. That is the convention of MET tables, and it is also why a smartwatch and a printed table never quite agree. The net figure is the one to use if you want what the session added.
Strength training is the worst-covered case: expenditure during the session is modest, and most of the benefit comes from the muscle you keep, which raises expenditure at rest. Do not judge a lifting session by its kcal.
Using it in practice
Do not automatically eat back the calories you burned: that is the first cause of a plateau, because the estimate almost always runs high.
Compare sessions against each other over time instead — the relative value is far more reliable than the absolute one.
For a weight-loss goal, treat this figure as an order of magnitude and steer with your daily intake and your weight trend. This tool is no substitute for medical advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions about estimating calories burned.
Multiply the activity's MET value by 3.5, by your weight in kilos, divide by 200 and multiply by the duration in minutes. For 70 kg and 30 minutes of brisk walking (4.3 METs), that is about 158 kcal.
A MET, or metabolic equivalent, expresses the energy cost of an activity relative to rest. One MET is about 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilo per minute; a 6 MET activity costs six times as much as sitting still.
About 158 kcal for a 70 kg person at 5.6 km/h (4.3 METs), and about 181 kcal at 80 kg. Speed matters as much as weight: at 3.2 km/h the same person burns roughly 103 kcal.
They are published averages, not individual measurements. They are good enough to compare activities and follow a trend, but they replace neither a laboratory test nor personal coaching.
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