Estimate calories burned during exercise based on activity, duration, and weight
Calorie burn estimates are based on MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values from the Compendium of Physical Activities. Actual calories burned vary based on fitness level, body composition, environmental conditions, and exercise technique. Use these figures as approximate guides only.
Knowing how many calories you burn during exercise is useful for weight management, nutrition planning, and understanding the relative intensity of different activities. This calculator estimates calorie expenditure for ten common exercises -- running, walking, cycling, swimming, yoga, HIIT, weight training, dancing, rowing, and jump rope -- based on the scientifically established MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) system used by exercise physiologists worldwide. MET values quantify the energy cost of physical activities as multiples of resting metabolic rate. A MET of 1.0 represents the energy you burn at rest, while a MET of 10.0 means the activity burns ten times as much energy. The Compendium of Physical Activities, maintained by Arizona State University, catalogues MET values for hundreds of specific activities and is the standard reference used by health professionals. This calculator uses MET values from the Compendium, adjusted for three intensity levels (low, moderate, and high) for each activity. To put calorie burn into perspective, the calculator also shows food equivalents using familiar UK items: Mars bars (228 kcal), bananas (89 kcal), and pints of lager (182 kcal). These comparisons help illustrate a key principle of weight management -- it is typically much easier to avoid consuming excess calories than to burn them off through exercise. A 30-minute moderate jog burns roughly 340 kcal for a 70kg person, which is less than two pints of lager. Understanding this relationship helps set realistic expectations for exercise-based weight loss.
To estimate calories burned during exercise: 1. Select your activity from the dropdown. The calculator covers ten popular exercises, each with distinct MET values. If your specific activity is not listed, choose the closest match in terms of intensity and movement type. 2. Enter the duration in minutes. This is the total active time, not including warm-up, cool-down, or rest periods between sets (for weight training, count only the time you are actively lifting). 3. Enter your body weight in kilograms. Heavier individuals burn more calories for the same activity and duration because it takes more energy to move a larger body. If you know your weight in stones, multiply by 6.35. 4. Select your intensity level. Low intensity means comfortable effort where you can hold a full conversation. Moderate means breathing harder but able to speak in short sentences. High means breathless, unable to speak more than a few words at a time. 5. Review your results. The calculator shows total calories burned, calories per minute, and food equivalents. The bar chart compares your chosen activity to three other common exercises at the same intensity and duration, helping you see which activities burn the most energy.
Calories burned are calculated using the standard MET formula: Calories = MET x body weight (kg) x duration (hours) MET values used in this calculator (by activity and intensity): - Running: 7.0 / 9.8 / 12.8 - Walking: 2.5 / 3.5 / 5.0 - Cycling: 4.0 / 6.8 / 10.0 - Swimming: 5.8 / 8.0 / 10.0 - Yoga: 2.5 / 3.0 / 4.0 - HIIT: 8.0 / 10.0 / 12.5 - Weight Training: 3.5 / 5.0 / 6.0 - Dancing: 3.5 / 5.5 / 7.8 - Rowing: 4.8 / 7.0 / 12.0 - Jump Rope: 8.8 / 11.8 / 14.0 **Worked example:** Running at moderate intensity for 30 minutes, 70kg body weight: Calories = 9.8 x 70 x (30/60) = 9.8 x 70 x 0.5 = 343 kcal Food equivalents: - Mars bars: 343 / 228 = 1.5 bars - Bananas: 343 / 89 = 3.9 bananas - Pints of lager: 343 / 182 = 1.9 pints Calories per minute: 343 / 30 = 11.4 kcal/min
MET-based calorie estimates are approximations. Actual calorie burn varies depending on factors the formula does not capture, including fitness level (fitter individuals may burn fewer calories for the same activity), body composition (muscle burns more energy than fat), environmental conditions (cold weather and altitude increase expenditure), and exercise technique. Wearable fitness trackers with heart rate monitors can provide more personalised estimates, though they also have significant margins of error. For weight management purposes, the NHS recommends adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, regardless of the exact calorie figures.