Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate how many calories you burn during exercise based on your body weight, the activity, and how long you do it.
Last updated: June 20, 2026 · Medically reviewed by TG we-Calculate Editorial TeamActivity
Weight unit
kg
min
Based on a MET of 9.8 (Compendium of Physical Activities).
Same weight & duration, by activity (kcal)
- 1
Duration in hours
30 ÷ 60 = 0.5 - 2
Calories burned
9.8 × 70 × 0.5 = 343MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours).
How are calories burned during exercise calculated?
Calories burned equal the activity's MET value multiplied by your body weight in kilograms and the duration in hours. One MET is about 1 kcal per kilogram per hour at rest, so running at roughly 9.8 METs for 30 minutes burns about 343 kcal for a 70 kg person.
Formula
How this is calculated
The calculator multiplies three things: the activity's MET value, your body weight in kilograms, and how long you exercise in hours. A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) describes intensity relative to rest, where 1 MET equals roughly 1 kcal burned per kilogram of body weight per hour — the energy you spend sitting quietly. Each activity in the list carries a fixed MET from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, for example 9.8 for running at 6 mph or 2.5 for yoga.
Your inputs are converted to consistent units before the math runs. Weight entered in pounds is multiplied by 0.45359237 to get kilograms, and the duration in minutes is divided by 60 to get hours. The total is then MET × kg × hours, and dividing back out gives the per-minute and per-hour figures.
The result is an estimate. MET values are population averages, so they ignore your individual fitness, the real intensity, terrain, technique and equipment. The model also does not subtract the calories you would have burned at rest during that time, so it slightly overstates the extra energy spent.
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 70 kg, running (9.8 MET), 30 min | ≈ 343 kcal |
| 60 kg, yoga (2.5 MET), 60 min | ≈ 150 kcal |
| 80 kg, cycling (7.5 MET), 45 min | ≈ 450 kcal |
About this calculator
This calculator estimates energy expenditure during physical activity using the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) system. One MET is roughly the energy you burn sitting at rest — about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 8 METs therefore burns about eight times as much energy as resting.
Multiplying the activity's MET value by your weight in kilograms and the duration in hours gives the total calories burned. Because the formula scales with body weight, heavier people burn more calories doing the same activity for the same time. MET values are population averages from the Compendium of Physical Activities; your actual burn depends on intensity, fitness, terrain and efficiency, so treat the result as an estimate.
Frequently asked questions
A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) measures activity intensity relative to rest. One MET is the energy used sitting quietly — about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour.
Heavier bodies require more energy to move, so for the same activity and duration a heavier person burns more calories. The formula scales directly with body weight in kilograms.
MET values are averages, so real-world burn varies with intensity, fitness, terrain and efficiency. Use the number as a guide rather than an exact measurement.
Also known as
Sources & references
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Calories Burned Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/calories-burned-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Calories Burned Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/calories-burned-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Calories Burned Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/calories-burned-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_calories_burned_calculator, title = {Calories Burned Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/calories-burned-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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