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Cardio and training

Calories burned calculator

Calorie burn for thirty activities, using MET values from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities.

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Calories burned
400kcal

9.8 MET × 180 lb × 30 min.

Estimates are based on the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Real-world burn varies by fitness level, terrain, and effort — treat the number as ±15 percent at best.

How MET-based estimates work

The metabolic-equivalent-of-task (MET) system was developed to standardise the energy cost of activities. One MET is the approximate energy expended while sitting quietly — about 1 kcal per kilogram of bodyweight per hour. Walking briskly is roughly 5 METs (five times sitting), running at 6 mph is around 10 METs, and so on.

The numbers used on this page come from Ainsworth et al., 2011 — the most widely cited Compendium of Physical Activities. It is the same data set used by most wearables and fitness apps for non-heart-rate-based estimates.

How the calculation works

kcal = MET × weight(kg) × duration(hours)

example: 30 min jogging at 5 mph for an 82 kg adult
       = 8.3 × 82 × 0.5
       ≈ 340 kcal

Imperial weight is converted to kilograms before the calculation. Duration is entered in minutes and converted to hours internally.

Frequently asked questions

What is a MET?
MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. One MET is the energy cost of sitting quietly — roughly 1 kcal per kg of bodyweight per hour. Activities are rated as multiples of that baseline: jogging at 5 mph is 8.3 METs, meaning it burns about 8.3 times the calories of sitting still.
How accurate are MET-based estimates?
Reasonable, but not precise for any individual. The Compendium of Physical Activities provides population-average MET values that can over- or under-estimate by 10–20 percent depending on fitness, body composition, terrain, and how hard you actually pushed. Wrist-based wearables aren't dramatically more accurate for non-running activities.
Why does a heavier person burn more calories doing the same thing?
Because more body mass costs more energy to move. The MET formula multiplies the activity factor by bodyweight in kilograms — a 90 kg person burns 50 percent more calories per minute of jogging than a 60 kg person at the same pace.
Does lifting really burn that little?
During the session, yes — most strength training works out to 200–400 kcal per hour for moderate-intensity work. The bigger benefit of lifting for body composition comes from preserving and building muscle (which raises resting metabolic rate) rather than the calories burned in the session itself.
Should I subtract my baseline calories?
Strictly, yes — the MET formula gives you total burn including the calories you would have used at rest. For practical calorie-tracking purposes, most people don't bother. The error is small relative to the noise in MET estimates in the first place.

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