Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate calories burned during various physical activities
Activity Details
Select an activity and click Calculate
Calories Burned
— kcal
Formula: MET × Weight (kg) × Duration (hrs)
That's roughly equivalent to...
How to Use
- Enter your Body Weight in kg.
- Select an Activity from the dropdown (15+ activities with accurate MET values).
- Enter the Duration in minutes.
- Click Calculate to see calories burned and equivalent food items.
- For the most accurate results, enter your actual body weight — calorie burn scales linearly with weight.
How are Exercise Calories Calculated?
The calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values — a standardised measure of exercise intensity relative to rest (1 MET = energy at rest). The formula is:
Calories = MET × Weight (kg) × Duration (hours)
For example: 60 minutes of running (MET 9.8) for a 70 kg person = 9.8 × 70 × 1 = 686 calories.
MET Values for Popular Activities
| Activity | MET | Cal/hr (70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Walking (moderate) | 3.5 | 245 |
| Yoga | 2.5 | 175 |
| Cycling (moderate) | 7.0 | 490 |
| Swimming | 7.0 | 490 |
| Running (10 km/h) | 9.8 | 686 |
| HIIT | 8.0 | 560 |
| Skipping rope | 11.8 | 826 |
Factors Affecting Actual Burn
- Fitness level: Trained athletes burn fewer calories for the same activity — their bodies are more efficient.
- Heart rate: A heart rate monitor gives more personalised estimates than MET formulas.
- Temperature: Working out in heat increases calorie burn by 5–10%.
- Afterburn (EPOC): High-intensity exercise continues burning extra calories for hours post-workout — not captured by this calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
MET-based calculations are accurate to within 10–20% for most people. Key sources of error: individual variation in fitness level (trained athletes burn fewer calories for the same activity), body composition (more muscle = more calories burned), environmental conditions, and movement efficiency. For more precision, a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker gives better estimates.
Yes — calorie burn scales directly with body weight. A 90 kg person burns approximately 50% more calories doing the same activity for the same duration as a 60 kg person. This is why the calculator requires your body weight as an input.
High-intensity activities top the list: skipping rope (800–1,000 kcal/hr), running at 12+ km/h (900–1,100 kcal/hr), HIIT (600–900 kcal/hr). However, sustainability matters — a 45-minute moderate run that you do consistently is better than 10 minutes of maximum-intensity exercise you never repeat. The best calorie-burning activity is the one you'll do regularly.
Yes — this is EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption), commonly called the 'afterburn effect.' After high-intensity exercise, your metabolism remains elevated for 12–48 hours. HIIT and strength training produce the greatest EPOC. Our calculator shows calories burned during exercise only — afterburn adds roughly 6–15% more calories for high-intensity sessions.