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Calories Burned Calculator | Estimate calories via METs

Estimate calories burned for walking, running, cycling and dozens of other activities using the MET formula, scaled by your body weight and duration. Plan workouts and balance your energy budget — the tool shows the burn for your exact weight and time.

Last updated: June 2026 · Free · No sign-up required

Results

Enter values above and click Calculate to see your result instantly.

Quick reference

Calories burned in 30 min (155 lb / 70 kg):

Activity	MET	Calories
Walking (3.5 mph)	4.3	~150
Cycling (moderate)	8.0	~280
Running (6 mph)	9.8	~343
Swimming laps	8.3	~290

monitor_weight A starting point, not a diagnosis

This calculator gives you the same number a clinician would compute by hand from your inputs. It is informational, never a substitute for a doctor. If a result surprises you, write it down and discuss it at your next appointment — that conversation is the goal, not a verdict from a webpage.

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Every health calculator on CalcaTools uses an equation from the WHO, NIH, ACOG, CDC, or a published peer-reviewed paper. The exact citation is in the "Formula & methodology" section. We re-check sources quarterly and update the page when guidance changes — the "Last reviewed" date is at the top.

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Health calculations only help if you can actually use them. We use plain-English labels (no jargon), accept both metric and US units, and show what a "normal" range looks like alongside your result — so you understand what the number means, not just what it is.

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Your weight, height, age, pregnancy details, and any other health input never leave your browser. Calculations run client-side; nothing is logged or stored on our side. We don't want your medical data — we just want the formula to work for you.

Interpretation guide

How MET works:

Term	Meaning
MET	Energy cost vs sitting still (1 MET)
Higher MET	More intense, more calories
Heavier body	Burns more for the same activity
Longer duration	Linearly more calories

lightbulb Worked example

Let's say you are using the Calories Burned Calculator. Shows how many calories you burn during exercise based on your body weight. Enter your weight, choose the activity — from walking and running to cycling and swimming — and the duration, and the tool Enter the values that match your situation into the input fields and press calculate — using realistic numbers makes the result directly useful for you.

Result: The calculator instantly applies the formula Calories = METs x 3.5 x weight(kg) / 200 x minutes and returns the result with appropriate precision.

What this means: Read the result in the context of what you are measuring. The step-by-step breakdown lets you confirm the math and understand which input most affects the outcome.

Formula & methodology

Formula: Calories = METs x 3.5 x weight(kg) / 200 x minutes

The Calories Burned Calculator is built on a well-established calculation method. It uses the formula Calories = METs x 3.5 x weight(kg) / 200 x minutes to turn your inputs into a reliable result. Shows how many calories you burn during exercise based on your body weight. Enter your weight, choose the activity — from walking and running to cycling and swimming — and the duration, and the tool applies standard MET The steps are shown on the page so you can follow the reasoning from input to output.

Calorie burn is estimated from the activity's MET value (metabolic equivalent), your body weight, and the time spent. One MET is the energy used sitting quietly; an 8-MET activity burns about eight times as much. The calculator multiplies METs by weight and duration to estimate total calories. Heavier people and more intense or longer activities burn more. Treat the result as a useful estimate, not a precise measurement.

What is the Calories Burned Calculator?

The Calories Burned Calculator is a free, browser-based health calculator tool that helps you Shows how many calories you burn during exercise based on your body weight. Enter your weight, choose the activity — from walking and running to cycling and swi. Instead of working through the math by hand or in a spreadsheet, you enter your values and the calculator returns an accurate result instantly — while still showing the formula and the steps so you can verify the reasoning. It is designed for quick everyday use: no sign-up, no installation, and everything runs locally in your browser for complete privacy.

How to use the Calories Burned Calculator

Enter the required values into the input fields.
Press the calculate button — the result appears immediately, updated live as you change any value.
Read the step-by-step breakdown below the result to see exactly how the calculation was performed.
Use the interpretation guide to understand what the result means for your situation, and try different inputs to see how they change the outcome.

How to use the Calories Burned Calculator

Enter your weight, choose the activity from the list, and set the duration in minutes. The tool applies the MET method: Calories = METs × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes, where each activity has a published MET value — about 3.5 for brisk walking, 7 for jogging, 9.8 for running, and 11 for vigorous cycling. The heavier you are, the more calories any activity burns, because moving more mass takes more energy.

Interpreting your result

The estimate is the additional energy above what you would burn resting, and it scales directly with body weight and duration. A 70 kg person running at a 9.8 MET pace for 30 minutes burns about 360 calories; the same person walking briskly for 30 minutes burns about 130. These numbers are useful for balancing intake against exercise, but they are estimates — individual efficiency, terrain, temperature, and fitness level move the real figure by 10–20%. Treat the result as a planning tool, not an exact fuel gauge.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common error is eating back the full estimated burn — most people overestimate both, which stalls fat loss. Second, using the wrong MET value: walking slowly (2.8 METs) is not the same as hiking with a pack (7+ METs), and the difference is large. Third, entering weight in pounds without conversion — the MET formula requires kilograms, and the calculator handles it. Finally, forgetting that the estimate includes the calories you would have burned anyway; the 'extra' burn is smaller than the headline number suggests.

Tips for best results

Weigh yourself in kilograms or let the tool convert, and be honest about both intensity and duration. For interval sessions, use the MET value that matches the average effort, not the peak. If you are counting calories for weight management, log the burn at 75–90% of the estimate to avoid overeating. High-intensity intervals burn more per minute and leave an afterburn, while steady cardio is easier to sustain longer — pick based on your goal and schedule. Recalculate when your weight changes, because the burn scales with it.

Authoritative source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Frequently asked questions

How are calories burned calculated?

The Calories Burned Calculator is free, private, and accurate: it runs entirely in your browser (no uploads, no accounts), applies the standard calculation, and explains each step so you can verify the result. Shows how many calories you burn during exercise based on your body weight. Enter your weight, choose the activity — from walking and running to cycling and swimming — and the duration, and the tool applies standard MET (metabolic equivalent) values to There is no limit on usage, and it works on any device.

What is a MET?

A MET (metabolic equivalent) is the energy cost of an activity relative to resting: 1 MET is sitting quietly, 3.5 METs is brisk walking, 7 METs jogging, and 9.8+ METs running or vigorous cycling. The formula Calories = METs × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes uses the MET value to scale the burn. The higher the MET, the more intense the activity and the faster you burn.

Does body weight affect calories burned?

Yes, directly — the MET formula multiplies by body weight, because moving a heavier body takes more energy. A 90 kg person burns about 30% more calories than a 70 kg person doing the same activity for the same time. This is why the calculator asks for your weight: the same 30-minute run produces very different burns for different people.

How many calories does walking burn?

Brisk walking (about 3.5 METs) burns roughly 4 calories per minute per 70 kg of body weight — about 120 calories in 30 minutes. A 90 kg person burns about 155 calories in the same walk. Pacing up hills or wearing a pack raises the MET and the burn. The calculator returns the exact figure for your weight and duration.

Are these estimates accurate?

The Calories Burned Calculator applies the standard formula: Calories = METs x 3.5 x weight(kg) / 200 x minutes. It is tested against published worked examples before launch and uses native double-precision arithmetic, so results are accurate to typical precision for the values you enter — with no intermediate rounding that could distort the answer.

What does the Calories Burned Calculator do?

Shows how many calories you burn during exercise based on your body weight. Enter your weight, choose the activity — from walking and running to cycling and swimming — and the duration, and the tool applies standard MET (metabolic equivalent) values to. The calculator takes your inputs, applies the standard calculation, and returns a clear result so you can make an informed decision without doing the math by hand.

What formula does the Calories Burned Calculator use?

It uses the MET method: Calories = METs × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes, where METs is the metabolic equivalent of the activity — about 3.5 for brisk walking and 9.8 for running. Enter your weight, the activity, and the duration, and the tool returns the estimated calories burned. A 70 kg person running for 30 minutes burns roughly 360 calories.

Is the Calories Burned Calculator free and private?

Yes — the Calories Burned Calculator. There is no sign-up, no paywall, no trial, and no limit on how many calculations you can run. CalcaTools covers its costs with non-intrusive display advertising, so the calculator itself never asks for payment or restricts any feature.

How accurate is the Calories Burned Calculator?

The MET method is accurate to roughly ±15% for most activities and people — it captures the two dominant factors (intensity and body weight) but not individual efficiency, terrain, temperature, or fitness. For weight management, log the burn at 75–90% of the estimate, since people consistently overestimate both exercise burn and food intake.

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