Calories Burned Exercise Calculator
This calculator estimates the calories you burn during exercise using the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) method, drawn from the Compendium of Physical Activities published by Arizona State University. Choose from 15 common activities, enter your body weight and exercise duration, and the calculator applies the formula: Calories = MET x weight in kilograms x hours of exercise. It also shows calories burned per hour and an estimate of how many grams of body fat you would burn if all energy came from fat stores. MET values represent average intensity for each activity: actual calorie burn depends on individual fitness, exercise pace, body composition, and environmental conditions. Treat the result as a reliable training estimate rather than a laboratory measurement. A full MET reference table for all 15 activities is included below.
Calories burned: -- kcal
How calories burned is calculated
The MET-based calorie formula multiplies the activity's energy cost (expressed as a multiple of resting metabolic rate) by your body weight and exercise duration.
Calories (kcal) = MET x weight (kg) x duration (hours)
Fat burned (g) = Calories / 7.7
Worked example
Running (MET 9.8), 70 kg person, 30 minutes:
- Duration in hours = 30 / 60 = 0.5 hours
- Calories = 9.8 x 70 x 0.5 = 343 kcal
- Calories per hour = 9.8 x 70 = 686 kcal/hr
- Fat burned = 343 / 7.7 = 44.5 g
MET reference table: all 15 activities
| Activity | MET value | Kcal/hr (70 kg person) |
|---|---|---|
| Running | 9.8 | 686 |
| Cycling (moderate) | 7.5 | 525 |
| Swimming | 6.0 | 420 |
| Walking | 3.5 | 245 |
| Hiking | 6.0 | 420 |
| Weight training | 3.5 | 245 |
| Yoga | 2.5 | 175 |
| Rowing | 7.0 | 490 |
| Jump rope | 11.8 | 826 |
| Basketball | 6.5 | 455 |
| Soccer | 7.0 | 490 |
| Tennis | 7.3 | 511 |
| Elliptical | 5.0 | 350 |
| Stair climbing | 4.0 | 280 |
| Dancing | 4.5 | 315 |
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.). Kcal/hr column shown for a 70 kg reference person.
How to use exercise calorie estimates for weight management
A kilogram of body fat stores approximately 7,700 kilocalories. To lose 1 kg of fat per week through exercise alone, you would need to burn roughly 1,100 extra kilocalories per day, which is impractical for most people. A sustainable approach combines modest calorie restriction (300 to 500 kcal/day below maintenance) with regular exercise (200 to 400 kcal/session). This creates a weekly deficit of 3,500 to 6,300 kcal, equivalent to 0.45 to 0.8 kg of fat per week.
Use this calculator to track exercise contribution to your energy balance. For your total daily energy requirement, see our BMI calculator for body composition context.
Calories burned exercise calculator: frequently asked questions
What is a MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task)?
A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a unit that expresses the energy cost of physical activity as a multiple of resting metabolic rate. A MET of 1.0 represents the energy used while sitting quietly. An activity with a MET of 6.0 uses six times as much energy as rest. MET values are standardised across the Compendium of Physical Activities, a reference database compiled and maintained by researchers at Arizona State University.
How accurate is the calorie estimate?
The MET-based formula (Calories = MET x weight in kg x hours) is a population-average estimate. Individual calorie burn varies with age, fitness level, body composition, efficiency of movement, and environmental conditions. The estimate may differ by 15 to 30 percent for any given person. For precise measurement, laboratory-grade indirect calorimetry is required. Use this estimate as a training guide, not a medical measurement.
What is a calorie and why does exercise burn them?
A dietary calorie (also called a kilocalorie or kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Your body burns calories to power muscle contractions during exercise. The harder and longer you exercise, and the heavier you are, the more calories you burn, because larger bodies require more energy to move and sustain higher work rates.
How is the fat burned estimate calculated?
One gram of body fat stores approximately 7.7 kilocalories of energy (some sources use 7.2 to 9 kcal/g depending on water content). This calculator uses 7.7 kcal per gram, which means 7,700 kcal per kilogram of fat. The fat burned estimate divides total calories burned by 7.7 to give grams. This is a theoretical maximum; in practice, the body burns a mix of fat and carbohydrate depending on exercise intensity.
Which activities burn the most calories?
Activities with the highest MET values burn the most calories per unit time: jump rope (MET 11.8), running (MET 9.8), cycling at moderate intensity (MET 7.5), soccer (MET 7.0), and rowing (MET 7.0) are among the highest in this calculator. Lower-intensity activities like yoga (MET 2.5), walking (MET 3.5), and weight training (MET 3.5) burn fewer calories per minute but can contribute significantly to weekly total energy expenditure when performed regularly.
Official sources
- Compendium of Physical Activities (MET values): sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/.
- Ainsworth, B.E. et al. (2011). 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(8), 1575-1581.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology. General information only, not medical advice.