Calories Burned Calculator – Calories Burned by Activity
Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate exactly how many calories you torch during your workout. Select your activity, enter your weight and duration, and let science do the rest.
Quick answer
A calories burned calculator estimates how much energy you use during exercise. Enter your weight, choose an activity such as running, cycling or yoga, set the duration in minutes and click Calculate Burn. The tool uses MET values to show total calories burned, calories per minute and how intense the activity is.
Our free calories burned calculator includes 20 popular activities, from moderate walking to boxing, with MET values based on the Compendium of Physical Activities. It supports kilograms and pounds and works on any device.
Results are estimates. Fitness level, body composition, terrain, temperature and how hard you actually work all change real calorie burn. Fitness watches can give different numbers because they also use heart rate.
How the Calories Burned Calculator Works
Each activity has a MET (metabolic equivalent of task) value. 1 MET is roughly the energy you use sitting quietly. The calculator uses the standard formula:
- Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200
- Total calories = calories per minute × minutes
Example: a 75 kg person running at a moderate 6 mph (MET 9.8) for 30 minutes burns about 12.9 calories per minute, or about 386 calories in total.
MET Values for Common Activities
| Activity | MET | Approx. kcal in 30 min (70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Walking, moderate (3 mph) | 3.3 | 121 |
| Walking, brisk (4 mph) | 4.3 | 158 |
| Running, moderate (6 mph) | 9.8 | 360 |
| Cycling, leisure (10 to 12 mph) | 6.8 | 250 |
| Weightlifting, general | 3.5 | 129 |
| HIIT / circuit training | 8.0 | 294 |
| Yoga (Hatha) | 2.5 | 92 |
| Swimming freestyle, vigorous | 9.8 | 360 |
How to Use the Calories Burned Calculator
Use the calories burned calculator in four steps.
Step 1: Choose Units and Enter Your Weight
Select Metric (kg) or Imperial (lbs) and type your current body weight.
Step 2: Pick Your Activity and Duration
Choose your workout from the list, such as Running (Moderate, 6 mph), and enter how many minutes you exercised.
Step 3: See Total Calories Burned
Click Calculate Burn. The main card shows the estimated calories burned during the session.
Step 4: Check Your Burn Rate and Intensity
Below the total, see calories burned per minute and whether the activity is light, moderate or vigorous.
How to Burn More Calories
- Increase duration gradually before increasing intensity.
- Add intervals: short bursts of hard effort raise average burn.
- Build muscle with strength training to support your daily energy use.
- Move more outside workouts: walking, stairs and chores add up.
Why Use a Calories Burned Calculator?
Knowing roughly how many calories an activity uses helps you plan workouts and balance food intake for weight loss or maintenance. A calories burned calculator also makes it easy to compare activities, for example seeing that 30 minutes of running burns more than twice as much as 30 minutes of brisk walking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this calories burned calculator free?
Yes. It is free with no sign-up.
What is a MET?
A metabolic equivalent of task. 1 MET is the energy used at rest; an activity with 8 METs uses about eight times as much.
Does weight affect calories burned?
Yes. A heavier person uses more energy for the same activity and duration.
Is the result net or gross calories?
It is gross: it includes the calories you would burn at rest during that time.
Why is my watch different?
Watches use heart rate and their own formulas, so numbers often differ by 10 to 20% or more.
Can I eat back the calories I burned?
Many people eat back part of them; estimates are approximate, so tracking weight trends is more reliable.