Find out how many calories you burn during exercise using standard MET values. Enter your weight, duration and activity — then compare against 14 other activities instantly.
Compare Across All Activities:
| Activity | MET | Calories |
|---|
Enter your weight, duration and activity to see calories burned
This free calories burned calculator estimates how much energy you use during exercise using MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values — the same method exercise physiologists, researchers, and fitness trackers rely on to standardize activity intensity. Instead of giving you just one number, it also builds a full comparison table across 15 common activities at your exact weight and duration, so you can see how a different workout choice would change your calorie burn for the same time investment. Whether you're searching for a calories burned calculator by weight, a MET calculator, or a straightforward exercise calorie calculator, this tool covers all three in one place.
The calculator measures estimated energy expenditure — calories burned — for a specific activity session, based on your body weight, how long you did the activity, and a standardized MET value assigned to that activity. It does not measure your total daily calorie burn (which also includes calories burned at rest and through everyday movement), only the calories attributable to the session you enter.
This tool is useful for anyone who exercises and wants a quick, standardized read on calorie burn — people tracking weight-management progress, runners and cyclists comparing training intensities, gym-goers deciding between cardio options, or anyone curious how activities like HIIT, swimming, or yoga stack up against each other. It's built for adults doing common recreational and fitness activities, not for clinical exercise testing or elite sports science.
Calorie burn varies enormously by activity type and intensity — running at 8 mph can burn more than four times what yoga burns in the same amount of time. Understanding this lets you make informed trade-offs: swap in a higher-MET activity on days you want a bigger calorie burn in less time, or choose a lower-intensity option on recovery days without guessing at the impact. It also helps you contextualize exercise calorie burn against your daily calorie target from a Calorie Calculator or TDEE Calculator.
How this calories burned calculator turns your weight, duration, and activity into an energy-expenditure estimate
If you enter your weight in pounds, the calculator first converts it to kilograms (weight in kg = lbs × 0.453592) before applying the formula above, so results are identical regardless of which unit you use.
1 MET is roughly the energy you burn sitting quietly, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour. An activity with a MET of 8 burns about 8 times that resting rate.
Because calories = MET × weight × time, a heavier person burns proportionally more calories doing the identical activity for the identical duration than a lighter person, since moving more body mass costs more energy.
A short, high-MET session (e.g. 20 minutes of HIIT) can burn a similar number of calories as a much longer, low-MET session (e.g. an hour of yoga) — use the comparison table to find the combination that fits your schedule.
From entering your details to comparing calorie burn across activities
Select Metric (kg) or Imperial (lbs) depending on which unit you know your body weight in.
Type your current body weight into the weight field for your chosen unit. The formula scales directly with weight, so an accurate figure matters.
Type how many minutes you did (or plan to do) the activity for — anywhere from a quick 5-minute burst to a multi-hour session.
Choose from 15 common activities, each carrying a standard MET value reflecting its typical intensity, from Yoga (MET 2.5) to Running at 8 mph (MET 11.8).
The calculator applies Calories = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours) and shows your total calories burned, calories per hour, and a full 15-activity comparison table and chart.
Using the calculator's own default scenario — 70 kg, 30 minutes of Running (6 mph)
Suppose you weigh 70 kg and run at 6 mph for 30 minutes. Running (6 mph) carries a MET value of 9.8.
Explanation: A 70 kg person running at 6 mph for 30 minutes burns approximately 343 kcal, based on the standard MET formula. This is a session estimate, not a measurement — actual burn can vary with running technique, terrain, and individual fitness, but the MET method is widely used because it's simple, standardized, and reasonably accurate for population-level estimates.
How MET values group into light, moderate, and vigorous intensity
| MET Range | Intensity Zone | What This Generally Means |
|---|---|---|
| Below 3.0 | Light activity | Low calorie burn per minute (e.g. Yoga, slow walking); still valuable for mobility and recovery days |
| 3.0 – 5.9 | Moderate activity | Meets typical public-health "moderate-intensity" guidance (e.g. brisk walking, recreational cycling) |
| 6.0 and above | Vigorous activity | High calorie burn per minute (e.g. running, HIIT); may warrant a warm-up and, for some people, a check-in with a doctor first |
If your activity falls in the Light zone: you're still burning calories above resting rate, and light activity remains valuable for recovery, mobility, and building an exercise habit — it isn't a "worse" choice, just a lower calorie-burn rate per minute.
If your activity falls in the Moderate or Vigorous zone: you're burning calories at a faster rate per minute, which can make a workout more time-efficient, but higher intensity also means paying closer attention to warm-up, hydration, and how your body responds, especially if you're new to exercise.
This result is for informational purposes only and is not a medical diagnosis. MET-based estimates are population averages, not a measurement of your individual metabolism or cardiovascular response to exercise.
This calculator provides educational estimates only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results may vary depending on individual health conditions. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding medical concerns.
Where a fast, MET-based calorie-burn estimate is genuinely useful
See how running, cycling, swimming, and the elliptical stack up for the same time investment.
Work backward from a target calorie burn to figure out how long a session needs to be.
Contextualize calories burned against your daily intake using the Calorie Calculator or Daily Meal Tracker.
Get a rough calorie estimate for an upcoming cycling trip or hiking outing before you go.
Trainers can use MET-based estimates as a starting reference point when programming client workouts.
See how a dance class or basketball game compares to structured cardio in calorie terms.
Compare Yoga against higher-MET options when you want a lighter, lower-intensity session.
Identify which higher-MET activities burn more calories in less time on a busy schedule.
Compare swimming, rowing, and cycling to balance a weekly cross-training routine.
Use as a quick, private self-check for step or activity challenges at work.
Estimate energy cost for a hiking trip, sports tournament, or active vacation day.
Students and educators can use it to illustrate how the MET formula works in practice.
What this calories burned calculator does well, and where it can't replace professional advice
Standard MET values and approximate calories per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) person, calculated with this calculator's built-in table
| Activity | MET Value | Calories/Hour (at 70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga | 2.5 | 175 kcal |
| Weight Lifting (general) | 3.5 | 245 kcal |
| Walking (3.5 mph) | 3.8 | 266 kcal |
| Walking (4.5 mph) | 5.0 | 350 kcal |
| Dancing | 5.0 | 350 kcal |
| Elliptical | 5.0 | 350 kcal |
| Hiking | 6.0 | 420 kcal |
| Basketball | 6.5 | 455 kcal |
| Swimming (moderate) | 7.0 | 490 kcal |
| Rowing Machine | 7.0 | 490 kcal |
| Cycling (moderate) | 8.0 | 560 kcal |
| HIIT | 8.0 | 560 kcal |
| Running (6 mph) | 9.8 | 686 kcal |
| Cycling (vigorous) | 10.0 | 700 kcal |
| Running (8 mph) | 11.8 | 826 kcal |
Summary: This calories burned calculator gives you an instant, free, MET-based estimate of energy expenditure for 15 common activities, along with calories per hour and a full side-by-side comparison table — a useful planning tool, not a medical measurement. Pair it with related tools like the Calorie Calculator and TDEE Calculator to understand your full daily energy balance.
Common questions about calories burned during exercise
Official guidance to complement this calculator — not a substitute for licensed medical advice
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