Calories Burned Calculator — By Activity & Duration
🔥 Calculate Calories Burned
What Does "Calories Burned" Mean?
Calories burned refers to the energy your body uses to perform any activity — from intense exercise down to breathing and digestion at rest (your Basal Metabolic Rate). This calculator focuses on the additional calories burned specifically through physical activity, on top of what your body burns just staying alive.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator uses the internationally recognised MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) system, where MET represents how many times more energy an activity uses compared to sitting quietly. The formula is:
| Formula |
|---|
| Calories Burned = MET × Weight (kg) × Duration (hours) |
MET Values for Common Activities
| Activity | MET Value |
|---|---|
| Sleeping | 0.9 |
| Sitting quietly | 1.3 |
| Walking (moderate) | 3.5 |
| Walking (fast) | 4.5 |
| Jogging | 7.0 |
| Running (8 km/h) | 8.0 |
| Cycling (moderate) | 6.8 |
| Swimming (leisure) | 6.0 |
| Yoga (Hatha) | 2.5 |
| Gym weight training | 5.0 |
| HIIT training | 8.0 |
Higher MET = more calories burned per minute. The calculator above includes a fuller list across 7 categories.
Example Calculation
For a 70 kg person running (MET 8.0) for 30 minutes (0.5 hours):
- Calories Burned = 8.0 × 70 × 0.5 = 280 calories
Why Track Calories Burned?
- Weight loss — tracking the "burn" side helps you understand your calorie deficit
- Weight maintenance — balancing calories burned and consumed keeps weight stable
- Fitness improvement — helps gauge how effective your workouts actually are
- Progress tracking — compare activity levels across days or weeks
💡 Calorie Balance
Calorie deficit → weight loss. Calorie surplus → weight gain. Calorie balance → weight maintenance. This calculator helps you understand the "burn" side of that equation — pair it with our Calorie Calculator for the full picture.
Factors That Affect Calories Burned
- Body weight — heavier individuals burn more calories for the same activity
- Intensity level — higher intensity burns more per minute
- Duration — longer sessions burn more in total
- Metabolism — individual metabolic rate affects overall burn
- Age & gender — muscle mass and hormonal differences play a role
Tips to Burn More Calories
- Increase workout intensity gradually rather than all at once
- Add strength training to build calorie-burning muscle mass
- Stay active throughout the day, not just during workouts
- Try interval training (HIIT) for an efficient calorie burn
- Maintain consistency — regular moderate activity beats occasional intense bursts
Limitations to Keep in Mind
- MET values are population averages, not personalised to your fitness level
- Doesn't account for individual differences in efficiency or technique
- Terrain, weather and equipment can meaningfully change real-world calorie burn
⚠️ Not medical advice
This calculator provides estimated values only and should not replace professional medical or fitness advice.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) measures how many times more energy an activity uses compared to sitting quietly at rest.
It provides a solid population-level estimate, but actual calorie burn varies with fitness level, technique, and individual metabolism.
Yes — since the formula multiplies MET by body weight, heavier individuals burn more calories doing the same activity for the same duration.
They're a fun, relatable way to visualise calorie burn — not a suggestion to "earn" or "compensate for" food with exercise.
Yes — pair this with your daily calorie intake (see our Calorie Calculator) to understand your overall calorie balance for weight loss.
Running has a much higher MET value than walking because it demands significantly more energy per minute at higher intensity.
No — this calculates the additional calories burned specifically from the selected activity, on top of your baseline resting burn.
Higher-intensity activities (like running or HIIT) burn more calories per minute than lower-intensity ones like walking, for the same duration.
Gentle Hatha yoga burns relatively few calories compared to cardio, but more vigorous styles like Power Yoga burn meaningfully more.
This depends on your overall goal — for weight loss, most people shouldn't fully "eat back" burned calories; for maintenance or muscle gain, it can make sense. A dietitian can advise on your specific situation.
