Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate calories burned for 29 activities using MET values.
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Total Calories Burned
166
5.5 cal/min
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How MET Values Work
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) measures exercise intensity relative to resting. 1 MET equals your resting metabolic rate (approximately 1 calorie per kilogram per hour). Running at 6 mph (9.8 MET) burns about 10 times more calories than sitting. These are averages — actual calorie burn varies by fitness level, body composition, and individual metabolism.
Calorie Burn Comparison
| Activity | Cal/hr (150 lb person) |
|---|---|
| Sleeping | ~50 |
| Walking (3.5 mph) | ~290 |
| Yoga | ~200 |
| Cycling (moderate) | ~545 |
| Swimming | ~475 |
| Running (6 mph) | ~670 |
| Jump Rope | ~840 |
| Running (8 mph) | ~940 |
Weight Loss Through Exercise
Burning 3,500 extra calories through exercise equals approximately 1 pound of fat. Running 5 miles burns roughly 500 calories, so 7 runs would theoretically burn 1 pound. Diet changes typically have more impact than exercise alone, but combining both is most effective. Track your daily needs with our calorie (TDEE) calculator.
When to use this
You just finished a 45-minute bike ride and want to know roughly how many calories it cost you. Or you are planning your week and trying to decide between a 30-minute run and an hour of yoga, and you want to compare the energy expenditure. This calculator uses MET values — Metabolic Equivalent of Task — to estimate calories burned for 29 different activities based on your body weight and exercise duration.
MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a research database maintained by Arizona State University that assigns an energy cost to hundreds of activities. A MET of 1.0 equals your resting metabolic rate. An activity with a MET of 8.0 burns roughly eight times more energy per minute than sitting still. The formula is simple: calories burned = MET x body weight in kg x duration in hours.
These estimates are useful for general planning — understanding that vigorous cycling burns roughly three times as many calories per minute as walking gives you practical information for structuring your week. But they are estimates, not measurements. Heart rate, fitness level, terrain, temperature, and individual physiology all influence actual calorie burn. Wearable devices with heart rate monitors get closer to reality, but even those carry a margin of error of 15–30%.
Good to know
Heavier people burn more calories doing the same activity. A 200-pound person running at the same pace as a 140-pound person will burn roughly 40% more calories. The body has to move more mass, which requires more energy. This is built into the MET formula — weight is a direct multiplier.
MET values assume a specific intensity. "Running" might mean a casual 10-minute-mile jog or a competitive 6-minute-mile effort. The MET values in this calculator represent typical moderate efforts for each activity. If you are going significantly harder or easier than average, your actual burn will differ.
Exercise calories are smaller than you think. A common trap is overestimating exercise burn and "eating back" the calories. A 30-minute jog for a 155-pound person burns roughly 300 calories — less than a large bagel with cream cheese. Exercise is essential for health, but weight management is primarily driven by what and how much you eat.
EPOC adds a small bonus. After intense exercise, your body continues burning calories at an elevated rate for hours — this is called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. High-intensity interval training and heavy resistance training produce the largest EPOC effect, adding roughly 6–15% to the total session burn.
Quick Reference
| Activity | MET Value | Cal/30 min (155 lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Walking (3.5 mph) | 4.3 | ~150 |
| Running (6 mph) | 9.8 | ~345 |
| Cycling (moderate) | 8.0 | ~280 |
| Swimming (moderate) | 7.0 | ~245 |
| Jump Rope | 12.3 | ~430 |
| Yoga | 3.0 | ~105 |
| Weight Training | 6.0 | ~210 |
| Rowing (moderate) | 7.0 | ~245 |
| Hiking | 6.0 | ~210 |
| Dancing | 5.5 | ~195 |