How to use
- Choose the activity and intensity.
- Enter your body weight and the duration in minutes.
- Read the calories burned; other activities for the same time are listed below.
Options explained
- Formula
- kcal = MET × body weight (kg) × hours. One MET is roughly 1 kcal per kg per hour at rest.
- Data
- MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann et al., J Sport Health Sci 2024), with each activity's code shown.
A worked example
The calculator multiplies the activity’s MET value by your body weight in kilograms and the time in hours. For a 70 kg person doing an activity rated at 8 METs for 30 minutes:
total = 8 × 70 × 0.5 = 280 kcal
above resting = (8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 245 kcalThe second figure takes off the 1 MET you would use sitting still. It is the extra energy the exercise costs. Because the formula is linear, doubling the time or the body weight doubles the result, and an activity with twice the MET value burns twice as much. The result is an estimate for an average person; individual energy use varies.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my fitness watch show something different?
Watches add heart-rate data. Fitness, technique and terrain all change the real number, so both are estimates.
What does "above resting" mean?
The total includes the energy you'd burn sitting still (1 MET). The extra part is what matters for weight loss.
How much exercise burns a kilogram of fat?
A common estimate is about 7,700 kcal, but the body compensates and diet matters as much.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files and text are processed on your device and are never uploaded to our servers.