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Exercise Duration For Calorie Goal Calculator

Work out exercise duration for calorie goal instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Exercise Duration For Calorie Goal Calculator

Inverting the MET equation gives the time needed to reach a calorie target: divide the goal by the burn rate. At 8 MET a 70 kg person burns 9.8 kcal a minute, so a 500 kcal target takes about 51 minutes. Raising intensity shortens the session proportionally, which is why interval work is time-efficient.

Formulas

Burn rate

kcal/min = MET x 3.5 x weight(kg) / 200

Time needed

minutes = calorie goal / burn rate

Worked example

With the default values below, Exercise Duration For Calorie Goal Calculator returns Time Required of 51.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Calories you want to burnminimum 1 kcal
500 kcal
MET value of the activityminimum 0.5 MET
8 MET
Body weightminimum 1 kg
70 kg

Results

Time Required
51.0 min
Burn Rate
9.80 kcal/min
Time As h:mm:ss
0:51:01
Equivalent Number Of 30-Minute Sessions
1.70

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Burn rate
  3. 3Time needed
  4. 4Time Required= 51.0 min
  5. 5Burn Rate= 9.80 kcal/min
  6. 6Time As h:mm:ss= 0:51:01
  7. 7Equivalent Number Of 30-Minute Sessions= 1.70

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 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 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • This is an estimate from population-average equations, not a medical or diagnostic assessment. Individual results vary with genetics, training history and technique. Seek advice from a qualified coach or clinician before making significant changes to training.
  • 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.

This is an estimate from population-average equations, not a medical or diagnostic assessment. Individual results vary with genetics, training history and technique. Seek advice from a qualified coach or clinician before making significant changes to training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to go longer or harder?

For calorie totals they are interchangeable, but higher intensity achieves the same burn in less time while lower intensity is easier to sustain and recover from.

Should I subtract resting calories?

If you are matching against a maintenance intake, yes - net cost is gross times (1 - 1/MET).

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