Calories Burned Calculator — METs by Activity

This calculator estimates the energy you expend during an activity using metabolic equivalents, or METs. A MET expresses intensity relative to quiet rest, which is set to 1.0. To get a personalized estimate, the tool multiplies the chosen MET by your body weight in kilograms and the minutes you performed the activity. The result is shown in kilocalories, the common “calorie” used on food labels. Because it relies on your inputs and standardized tables, you get a fast and practical figure without a heart rate monitor.

Start by selecting the closest activity and entering your body weight and duration. If you know a better MET—for example from a lab test, a journal protocol, or a device study—enter it in the custom field to override the list. The activity menu covers everyday choices such as walking and desk work, plus popular training modes like running, cycling, circuits, rowing, yoga, and general strength training. For walking and running, speed strongly affects MET; a brisk walk or relaxed jog can differ by several hundred calories over an hour.

• Use a current body weight; small changes shift the result.
• Round the minutes to a sensible figure; exact seconds are not needed.
• Match intensity honestly; “vigorous” should feel hard to sustain.

The formula used here is the standard MET equation: Calories = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes. The 3.5 term converts METs to mL of oxygen per kilogram per minute; dividing by 200 converts oxygen cost to kilocalories. Because MET tables reflect averages from many people, individual results vary with biomechanics, efficiency, temperature, grade, wind, and rest breaks. Devices that use heart rate and accelerometers can narrow the estimate for you personally, but even those are not perfect in resistance training or stop-and-go sports.

How should you use the number? For weight management, pair this output with your daily energy budget from the TDEE and Macro Calculator to plan intake on training and rest days. For performance, compare sessions over time at the same pace or power—if calories for a fixed workout drift downward at the same heart rate, your efficiency may be improving. Remember that strength sessions can burn fewer calories during the work itself but still drive progress through muscle gain and recovery demands.

Common pitfalls include double counting and optimistic intensity labels. If a smartwatch already logs a workout, avoid adding the calculator result on top. When in doubt between two intensities, choose the lower one; it is better to be conservative and discover extra progress than to overshoot and stall. Finally, calories are just one lens. Sleep, protein intake, progressive overload, and consistency move the needle far more than chasing a precise burn every day.