Calories Burned by Activity
Compare calories burned across 8 common activities — walking, running, cycling, swimming, HIIT and more — for your weight and workout duration.
How to use this tool
- Enter body weight and duration in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your walking (3 mph) and the full breakdown beneath it.
Calorie burn depends on exercise intensity (MET) and body weight. Heavier individuals burn more calories for the same activity because more energy is required to move greater mass.
MET values are population averages. Actual calorie burn varies with fitness level, terrain and effort. Not medical advice.
⚠ This tool is for general information and education only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.
Formula
Calories (kcal) = MET × bodyWeight (kg) × duration (hours)
MET values used: Walking 3 mph = 3.5, Cycling (moderate) = 6.8, Running 6 mph = 9.8, Swimming (moderate) = 6.0, Weight training = 3.5, Yoga = 2.5, HIIT = 8.0, Hiking = 5.3.
How it works
This calculator applies the standard MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) equation, where 1 MET represents the energy expended at rest (approximately 1 kcal per kg per hour). Multiplying a MET value by body weight and duration gives the gross calorie burn for that activity. MET values are drawn from the Compendium of Physical Activities and represent average intensities for each activity type; individual variation in efficiency and fitness level means actual burn can differ by 10–20%.
Worked example
- Body weight = 70 kg, duration = 60 minutes = 1 hour.
- Walking (3 mph), MET = 3.5: calories = 3.5 × 70 × 1 = 245 kcal.
- Running (6 mph), MET = 9.8: calories = 9.8 × 70 × 1 = 686 kcal.
Walking: 245 kcal; Running: 686 kcal in 60 minutes at 70 kg.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Entering body weight in pounds instead of kilograms — the MET formula uses kg, so lbs inputs overstate calories burned by a factor of ~2.2.
- Using the moderate-cycling MET (6.8) for a high-resistance spinning class, which has a MET of 8.5-12, understating calorie burn for intense sessions.
- Treating MET-based estimates as precise calorie counts — individual variation in efficiency and fitness can cause actual burn to differ from the formula by 15-20%.
Key terms
- MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task)
- A ratio of the energy cost of an activity to resting metabolic rate; 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal/kg/hour. Higher MET = more intense activity.
- Gross calorie burn
- Total energy expended during an activity including the resting component; net burn subtracts calories that would have been burned at rest — this tool reports gross.
- Compendium of Physical Activities
- A database of MET values for hundreds of activities, originally compiled by Ainsworth et al. and widely used in exercise science and public health.
- HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
- Exercise structured as repeated short bursts of near-maximal effort alternated with recovery periods; assigned MET ≈ 8.0 in this tool.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a MET?
- MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a ratio of exercise energy expenditure to resting metabolic rate. 1 MET = resting; 3.5 MET = walking; 9.8 MET = running at 6 mph.
- Does fitness level affect calorie burn?
- Yes — fitter individuals tend to burn fewer calories for the same work because they are more efficient, but the MET-based formula does not capture this directly.