Calorie Burn Calculator
Not All Minutes of Exercise Cost the Same
Thirty minutes of yoga and thirty minutes of jump rope both fill a half-hour block on a schedule, but they draw on the body's energy systems very differently. The gap between them is measured in METs — metabolic equivalents — a standardized way of expressing how much energy an activity demands relative to sitting still. This calculator uses published MET values for eighteen common activities, combined with body weight and session length, to turn "I did 30 minutes of cycling" into an actual kcal figure.
The Formula
The underlying math is a direct application of the standard MET equation used throughout exercise physiology:
Weight entered in pounds is converted to kilograms first (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg), and duration entered in minutes is converted to hours before the multiplication runs. The MET value itself comes from a lookup table specific to the activity selected — walking at a moderate pace sits at 3.5 METs, brisk walking at 4.5, running at 6 mph at 9.8, and so on up through higher-intensity activities like jump rope at 12.3 METs.
Where This Calculation Matters
- Comparing activities — deciding between a 30-minute swim and a 30-minute cycling session becomes a real comparison once both are expressed in the same kcal unit.
- Balancing intake and output — anyone tracking daily energy balance needs a workout-side number to weigh against food intake, and MET-based estimates are the standard starting point.
- Building a weekly routine — mixing higher-MET and lower-MET sessions across a week lets someone hit an energy-expenditure target without every session needing to be high intensity.
- Tracking progress indirectly — as fitness improves, the same MET-based session at a longer duration or higher intensity reflects a genuine increase in output, even though MET values themselves are fixed per activity.
Calorie Burn by Activity
The table below applies the calculator's own formula to a fixed reference case — a 70 kg (about 154 lb) person exercising for 30 minutes — so the numbers are directly comparable across activities:
| Activity | MET value | Calories (30 min) |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga | 3.0 | 105.0 kcal |
| Walking (moderate, 3 mph) | 3.5 | 122.5 kcal |
| Walking (brisk, 4.5 mph) | 4.5 | 157.5 kcal |
| Weight training | 5.0 | 175.0 kcal |
| Hiking | 6.0 | 210.0 kcal |
| Swimming (general) | 7.0 | 245.0 kcal |
| Cycling (moderate) | 8.0 | 280.0 kcal |
| HIIT | 8.0 | 280.0 kcal |
| Running (6 mph) | 9.8 | 343.0 kcal |
| Jump rope | 12.3 | 430.5 kcal |
Figures scale directly with actual body weight and duration — use the calculator itself for a value matched to your inputs. These are general reference estimates, not a personalized energy-expenditure assessment.
How to Use This Calculator
- Choose a unit system — Metric (kg) or Imperial (lb).
- Select the activity from the list, which spans walking, running, cycling, swimming, weight training, sports, and more.
- Enter body weight in the field provided.
- Enter the session duration in minutes.
- Select Calculate to see total calories burned, along with the exact MET value and weight conversion used.
Related Calculations
For a heart-rate-driven estimate of a specific workout session rather than an activity-list lookup, see the Exercise Calorie Estimator. To check whether a session lands in a particular training intensity, pair this with the Heart Rate Zone Calculator.