Calories Burned Calculator
Enter your weight, an activity and how long you did it to see the calories burned for walking, running, cycling and more, plus what that equals in slices of pizza.
MET values are averages across many people, so your real burn can differ by 10–30% with fitness, muscle mass and age. Treat the result as an estimate.
How to use
How calories burned are calculated
This calculator estimates the calories you burn during exercise with a simple, widely used formula. Pick an activity, enter your weight and the minutes you spent, and it multiplies them by the activity’s intensity value, called a MET. You can type your weight in kilograms or use the US units box to enter pounds. The result appears as total calories burned, the burn per hour and a fun comparison in slices of pizza (at about 300 kcal per slice), which turns an abstract number into something you can picture.
What is a MET?
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, roughly 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 6 METs burns about six times as much as sitting still. The values in this calculator come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference list that researchers and fitness apps use. By convention, activities under 3 METs are light, 3 to 5.9 are moderate and 6 or more are vigorous. Walking at 3 miles per hour is about 3.5 METs, running at 6 miles per hour is about 9.8 and a leisurely bike ride is about 6.8.
The formula, with examples
Calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours)
A person who weighs 150 lb (68 kg) and runs at 6 mph for 30 minutes burns about 9.8 × 68 × 0.5 = 333 kcal. The same person walking briskly at 4 mph for an hour burns 5.0 × 68 × 1 = 340 kcal, which shows why a long walk can match a short run. A 200 lb (91 kg) person doing 45 minutes of leisure cycling burns 6.8 × 91 × 0.75 = 464 kcal. Heavier people burn more for the same activity because moving more mass takes more energy, so always enter your own weight.
How accurate is it?
MET values are averages from studies of many people, so they are best treated as an estimate. Your real burn depends on fitness (fitter people are more efficient and burn slightly less for the same pace), body composition, age, terrain, wind, technique and effort. Differences of 10 to 30 percent from the estimate are normal. Smartwatches and fitness trackers use heart rate and motion data and can be closer for steady cardio, but they also have wide error margins, especially for strength training and activities where the wrist barely moves. Use any estimate to compare workouts and track trends, not to decide precisely how much you can eat.
Calories burned versus calories you can eat back
It is tempting to treat every workout as a license to eat. A 30-minute run that burns about 330 kcal is erased by a single large slice of pizza or a sweetened coffee drink. If you are trying to lose weight, the bigger lever is usually your overall food intake and consistency, with exercise supporting fitness, mood and muscle. If weight loss is your goal, calculate your daily needs with the BMR Calculator, then see how exercise adds to them.
Quick reference: calories burned in 30 minutes
For a 150 lb (68 kg) person, using the same MET values as the calculator, the estimated burn in 30 minutes is as follows. Heavier people burn proportionally more and lighter people less.
| Activity | MET | Calories in 30 min |
|---|---|---|
| Walking, 3 mph | 3.5 | about 119 |
| Brisk walking, 4 mph | 5.0 | about 170 |
| Leisure cycling | 6.8 | about 231 |
| Swimming, freestyle | 5.8 | about 197 |
| Weight training | 6.0 | about 204 |
| Running, 6 mph | 9.8 | about 333 |
| Jump rope | 11.8 | about 401 |
| Yoga (Hatha) | 2.5 | about 85 |
How much exercise is enough?
The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines and the World Health Organization recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent mix, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days. That is only about 20 to 30 minutes a day, and it can be split into short sessions. The calculator can show you what those minutes are worth in calories. Walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, at a moderate pace burns roughly 900 to 1,100 kcal a week for a 150 lb person.
Tips for using the numbers
- Pick the activity that matches your effort, not the sport you planned. Gentle singles tennis is closer to a brisk walk than the 8 METs listed for competitive play.
- For intervals or mixed workouts, run the calculator once for each portion and add the results.
- Strength training is rated at 6 METs here, but resting between sets lowers the true average. Count actual working time.
- Compare activities by time you can actually keep up. The best workout for calories is the one you enjoy enough to repeat three or four times a week, month after month, because consistency adds up faster than any single hard session.
- Do not forget the benefits that calories do not capture: stronger bones, better blood pressure and glucose control, better sleep and mood.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does a 30-minute run burn?
It depends mostly on your weight and speed. At a 6 mph pace, a 150 lb person burns about 333 kcal in 30 minutes and a 200 lb person about 445 kcal. Use the calculator with your own weight and the running option closest to your pace.
Is walking or running better for burning calories?
Per minute, running burns more. Per mile, the gap is smaller because a runner covers the distance faster. Walking is easier on joints and easier to sustain, so for many people it burns more total calories over a week simply because they do more of it.
Why does my fitness tracker show a different number?
Trackers estimate from heart rate, movement and your profile, while this tool uses an average MET value. Both are estimates. If the two are within 15 to 20 percent of each other, that is normal. Pick one source and use it consistently to track change.
Does the calculator include the calories I burn at rest?
The MET formula as used here counts total energy used during the activity, including the resting portion. If you want only the extra calories above resting, subtract the amount you would have burned sitting still, which is 1 MET × weight × hours.
Why is the picture showing pizza slices?
It is a quick way to make the number real. One slice of a typical pizza is roughly 300 kcal, though sizes vary widely. The picture shows up to 12 slices, and the text underneath gives the exact count.
Can I use this for weight loss planning?
Yes, as a guide. About 3,500 kcal equals a pound of body fat in the common rule of thumb, but actual weight change is slower than the arithmetic suggests because the body adapts. Consider the BMR Calculator for your daily calorie targets, and speak with a clinician before big changes.
Are my weight and workouts stored?
No. The math runs in your browser and nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.