Estimate the calories you burn for dozens of activities, based on your body weight, the activity, and how long you did it.
How other activities compare at the same weight and time:
| Activity | Calories |
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These are estimates based on MET (metabolic equivalent) values from the Compendium of Physical Activities. Actual calories burned vary with intensity, fitness, age, and body composition, and fitness trackers may differ. This tool is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
The estimate uses the MET system, where MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is the energy you burn sitting quietly. An activity rated at 8 METs burns roughly eight times that. Calories burned equal the activity's MET value times your body weight in kilograms times the time in hours.
Because weight is part of the formula, a heavier person burns more for the same activity, and longer or more intense efforts burn more. The comparison table shows how the same amount of time stacks up across different activities at your weight.
Three things move the number most: how hard you work (a brisk run versus an easy jog), how long you go, and how much you weigh. Intensity is the biggest lever — pushing the pace raises the effective MET value and the calorie burn climbs quickly.
Fitness level matters too. A well-trained body can be more efficient, sometimes burning slightly fewer calories for the same task, while building muscle raises the calories you burn even at rest.
Hard sessions, especially intervals and heavy strength work, keep your metabolism elevated for a while after you stop — an effect called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. It adds a modest number of calories beyond the workout itself, which this calculator doesn't include.
EPOC is real but usually small compared with the workout's own burn, so treat it as a bonus rather than a reason to skip the work during the session.
Weight change comes down to energy balance: calories in versus calories out. Knowing roughly how much a workout burns helps you plan a deficit for fat loss or fuel enough for performance. A common reference is that about 3,500 calories roughly equals a pound of fat, though individual results vary.
Pair this with your daily energy needs to build a realistic plan. Don't try to "earn back" every calorie with exercise, though — diet is usually the more powerful lever for changing weight.
Your watch, a gym machine, and this calculator can all give different numbers because each uses different inputs — heart rate, motion sensors, or MET tables — and machines often overestimate. None is exact; they're all estimates.
The most useful approach is to pick one method and watch the trend over weeks rather than obsessing over a single session's figure.
Using MET values: calories equal the activity's MET times your weight in kilograms times the duration in hours. Heavier bodies and longer or harder efforts burn more.
It depends on pace and your weight. A brisk walk is around 5 METs, so a 160-pound person burns roughly 180 calories in 30 minutes. Select "walking" above for your own number.
Muscle raises the calories you burn at rest somewhat, and strength training also produces an afterburn. The effect is meaningful over time but modest day to day.
Trackers use heart rate and motion sensors rather than MET tables, and gym machines often overestimate. All are estimates, so follow the trend rather than one exact figure.
Weight loss depends on overall energy balance, not exercise alone. About 3,500 calories roughly equals a pound of fat. Combine activity with your daily calorie needs for a realistic deficit.