Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate calories burned by activity and duration using MET values.
About Calories Burned Calculator
The MET method is the most widely used approach for estimating exercise energy expenditure in public health research and clinical settings. One MET equals 1 kcal per kilogram per hour, corresponding to quiet sitting. An activity at MET 8 burns 8 times the resting rate. Gross calories include resting metabolism; net calories subtract it, giving the energy directly attributable to exercise. Gross is the figure that appears on treadmill screens and fitness tracker logs.
Formula
Calories burned (MET method)
Calories = MET × Weight (kg) × Time (hours)
- MET
- Metabolic Equivalent of Task (from Compendium of Physical Activities)
- W
- Body weight in kilograms
- t
- Duration in hours
Worked example
With the default values below, Calories Burned Calculator returns Calories Burned (gross) of 375. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Weight Unitone of Kilograms (kg), Pounds (lb)
- Kilograms (kg)
- Body Weight (kg)accepts 20–300 kg
- 75 kg
- Body Weight (lb)accepts 44–660 lb
- 165 lb
- Activityone of Running, 8 km/h (5 mph), Running, 10 km/h (6.2 mph), Running, 12 km/h (7.5 mph), Running, 14 km/h (8.7 mph), Running, 16 km/h (10 mph), Marathon racing, Walking, 4 km/h (2.5 mph) – flat, Walking, 5 km/h (3 mph) – flat, Walking, 6 km/h (3.7 mph) – brisk, Hiking, general, Stair climbing – upstairs, Cycling, < 16 km/h (leisure), Cycling, 16–19 km/h (moderate), Cycling, 19–22 km/h (vigorous), Cycling, > 32 km/h (racing), Stationary cycling, light, Stationary cycling, vigorous, Swimming, freestyle, moderate, Swimming, freestyle, vigorous, Swimming, leisurely, Weight training, general, Weight training, vigorous, Circuit training, general, CrossFit, general, Basketball, game, Football (soccer), competitive, Tennis, singles, Volleyball, competitive, Aerobics class, general, Rowing machine, moderate, Rowing machine, vigorous, Jump rope, moderate, HIIT training, Gardening, House cleaning, Sitting (desk work), Standing, Dancing, general, Yoga, Pilates
- Running, 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
- Durationaccepts 1–600 minutes
- 30 minutes
Results
- Calories Burned (gross)Total including your resting metabolic rate.
- 375 kcal
- Net Calories (above rest)Calories attributable to exercise beyond what you'd burn at rest.
- 338 kcal
- Calories per Minute
- 12.5 kcal/min
- MET Value Used
- 10.0
- Activity
- Running, 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
Step by step
- 1MET value= 10 (Running, 10 km/h (6.2 mph))
- 2Duration in hours= 0.5 h
- 3Gross calories burned= 375 kcal
- 4Net calories (above rest)= 338 kcal
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- Calorie estimates are based on population-average MET values and individual body weight. Actual expenditure varies with fitness level, terrain, temperature, and other factors. This is not medical advice — consult a healthcare professional for clinical exercise prescriptions.
- This is an estimate for general information and not professional medical advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Calorie estimates are based on population-average MET values and individual body weight. Actual expenditure varies with fitness level, terrain, temperature, and other factors. This is not medical advice — consult a healthcare professional for clinical exercise prescriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is the MET method?
MET-based estimates carry ±15–25% error at the individual level because they don't account for fitness level, efficiency, heat, terrain or individual metabolic variation. A trained runner burns fewer calories per km than a beginner because of greater efficiency. Treat MET estimates as a planning order-of-magnitude, not a precise calorie count.
Should I track gross or net calories?
Use gross calories when logging exercise in a food tracking app that does NOT separately account for resting metabolism. Use net calories if your app already accounts for your TDEE separately — logging net avoids double-counting the resting component.
Why do fitness trackers often give different numbers?
Wearables use proprietary algorithms that incorporate heart rate, accelerometer data and user profile data. They're often more accurate than MET alone for aerobic activities because heart rate adjusts for individual fitness. MET is still the gold standard for population and epidemiological research.