Calories burned
calculator.
Estimate the energy an activity uses from its MET value, your body weight and the time you spend on it, or find how long it takes to burn a calorie goal. Every MET value comes from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities and is shown with its Compendium code.
Brisk walk, 3.5–3.9 mph (4.8 METs) for 30 minutes at 160 lb (72.6 kg) burns about 174 calories (kcal), 138 of them above what you would burn at rest.
- Calories per minute
- 5.81 kcal
- Calories per hour
- 348 kcal
- Above resting (MET − 1)
- 138 kcal
- In kilojoules
- 729 kJ
- MET-minutes
- 144
- Intensity (U.S. guidelines)
- Moderate (3 to 5.9 METs)
kcal = MET × kg × hours = 4.8 × 72.5748 × 0.5 = 174.2Effort times weight
times time.
- Calories (kcal) = MET × body weight in kg × hours. One MET is defined as 1 kcal per kilogram per hour, about the energy cost of sitting quietly.
- MET values are the 2024 Adult Compendium’s standard METs, copied with their five-digit codes. Pounds are converted at 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.
- Net calories, the part above resting, use (MET − 1) in place of MET. Intensity follows the U.S. guideline bands: light under 3 METs, moderate 3 to 5.9, vigorous 6 or more.
- Some calculators use kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 instead. That route gives exactly 5% more, and it is shown alongside for comparison.
- Results are rounded to whole kcal for display only. This is an informational estimate for healthy adults, not medical or nutrition advice.
How do you calculate calories burned?
Multiply the activity’s MET value by your weight in kilograms and by the time in hours. Brisk walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph is 4.8 METs (Compendium code 17200). A 160 lb person weighs 160 × 0.45359237 = 72.57 kg, so 30 minutes is 4.8 × 72.57 × 0.5 = 174 kcal. The same person burns 348 kcal in an hour, or 5.8 kcal a minute.
kcal = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours)
weight (kg) = weight (lb) × 0.45359237What is a MET?
A MET (metabolic equivalent) compares the energy cost of an activity with sitting quietly. The Compendium defines one MET as 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour, or an oxygen uptake of 3.5 mL per kilogram per minute. Running at 6 mph is 9.3 METs, so it uses 9.3 times the energy of sitting still. For a 70 kg person, an hour of it is 9.3 × 70 = 651 kcal.
The Adult Compendium of Physical Activities is the standard reference for MET values. Its 2024 edition lists 1,114 activities. This calculator includes 40 common ones, and you can type any other Compendium MET value yourself.
How many calories does walking burn compared with running?
For the same time, running burns about twice as much. At 160 lb, 30 minutes of brisk walking (4.8 METs) is 174 kcal and 30 minutes of running at 6 mph (9.3 METs) is 337 kcal. Over the same distance the gap is much smaller, because the walk takes longer. The table under each result compares the other activities in the same group at your weight and time.
How many calories do you burn above resting?
The total includes the energy your body would use anyway. Taking off one MET for resting leaves the extra that the activity costs: (MET − 1) × kg × hours. Of the 174 kcal in a 30-minute brisk walk at 160 lb, 3.8 × 72.57 × 0.5 = 138 kcal is above resting. Use the net figure when you add exercise to a daily calorie estimate that already counts your resting burn.
net kcal = (MET − 1) × weight (kg) × time (hours)How long does it take to burn 300 calories?
Divide the goal by MET × weight in kg to get the hours. Jumping rope is 11 METs, so at 70 kg it burns 11 × 70 = 770 kcal an hour, and 300 kcal takes 300 ÷ 770 = 0.39 hours, or about 23 minutes. A brisk walk at 4.8 METs takes about 54 minutes for the same 300 kcal. Choose “Time for a calorie goal” to work this out for any activity.
hours = kcal ÷ (MET × weight in kg)Why do calorie calculators give different answers?
There are three common reasons. Some use kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200, which gives 5% more than 1 kcal per kg per hour. Some use MET values from an older edition of the Compendium, or from a list that names no source at all. And some report net instead of total calories. This calculator shows the result both ways and names the Compendium code, so you can check it.
Standard METs also assume an average resting rate of 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram per minute. The Compendium’s authors say this does not give one person’s exact energy cost. Resting rate varies with age, sex, height, weight and body composition.
Worked examples.
A 30-minute brisk walk
160 lb, walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph (code 17200, 4.8 METs) for 30 minutes.
About 174 kcal, 138 of them above resting.
Load this exampleAn hour’s run at 6 mph
70 kg, running at 6 to 6.3 mph, about 10 minutes a mile (code 12050, 9.3 METs), for 1 hour.
651 kcal, 581 of them above resting.
Load this exampleA 90-minute bike ride
80 kg, cycling at 12 to 13.9 mph (code 01030, 8.0 METs) for 1 hour 30 minutes.
960 kcal, or 640 kcal an hour.
Load this exampleAn hour of Hatha yoga
150 lb, Hatha yoga (code 02150, 2.3 METs) for 60 minutes.
About 156 kcal, at light intensity.
Load this exampleTime to burn 300 kcal jumping rope
70 kg, jumping rope (code 02068, 11 METs), with a goal of 300 kcal.
About 23 minutes (23.4 min).
Load this exampleA MET value you look up yourself
81.8 kg for 60 minutes at 11.8 METs, typed in as a custom MET.
About 965 kcal, or 1,014 kcal by the MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 rule.
Load this exampleWhat this calculator
does not do.
- Standard METs describe an average adult. The Compendium’s authors note that they do not give one person’s exact energy cost, and the real figure can differ with fitness, body composition, age, sex, technique and terrain.
- It counts only the time you enter. Rest between sets, waiting at a ski lift or slowing down will lower the real total.
- The Compendium is meant for adults without health conditions that change energy use. It is not designed for children, pregnancy or people with a disability; the Compendium has separate tables for older adults and wheelchair users.
- It is an informational estimate, not medical, weight-loss or nutrition advice.
Common questions.
What formula does this calculator use?
Calories (kcal) = MET × weight in kg × hours, from the Compendium’s definition of 1 MET as 1 kcal per kg per hour. It also shows the MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 per-minute version, which gives 5% more.
Are these calories the same as on food labels?
Yes. Food labels use kilocalories and call them Calories, so 174 kcal here is 174 Calories on a label.
Where do the MET values come from?
From the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the third update of the standard list, which covers 1,114 activities. Each activity here shows its five-digit Compendium code.
Does a heavier person burn more calories?
Yes, for the same activity and time. The estimate rises in proportion to weight: at 4.8 METs for 30 minutes, 150 lb burns about 163 kcal and 200 lb about 218 kcal.
Should I eat back the calories I burn?
This calculator cannot tell you. It estimates energy use only. For weight or diet decisions, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
- Herrmann SD et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci 2024;13(1):6–12 — 1,114 activities; 1 MET = 3.5 mL/kg/min ≈ 1.0 kcal/kg/h; MET-minutes; not precise individual energy costs
- Compendium of Physical Activities: 2024 Adult Compendium activity tables — codes and MET values for walking, running, bicycling, conditioning, sports, water, home and lawn activities
- Compendium of Physical Activities: Unit Conversions — 1 MET = 1 kcal/kg/hr; METs to kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200
- Compendium of Physical Activities: Corrected METs, Adults — standard METs are not corrected for age, body mass and sex; intensity bands light < 3.0, moderate 3.0–5.9, vigorous ≥ 6.0 METs
The calculator multiplies the Compendium MET value by weight in kilograms and time in hours, and divides a calorie goal by MET × kg for the time mode. All 40 listed activities were checked by script against the tables on pacompendium.com: code, MET value and description. Our tests check hand-worked cases and reproduce two competitors’ published examples by the ÷ 200 rule. They also run 300 seeded random cases for linearity in weight and time, pound and kilogram agreement, the round trip between the two modes and the 5% gap between the two conventions. Validation and fuzz tests cover every field.
Built and reviewed by CalculatorLab against the sources above; every worked example on this page is re-checked by our automated test suite before each release. How we build and check calculators. Found a problem? Tell us.