Calories Burned Calculator

A calories burned calculator uses the formula calories = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes. A MET value rates how hard an activity is compared with sitting quietly. Brisk walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph is 4.8 METs, so a 160 lb (72.6 kg) person walking for 30 minutes burns about 4.8 × 3.5 × 72.6 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 183 calories.

How to use the calories burned calculator

1. Choose US or metric units and enter your body weight.
2. Pick a mode. Activity lets you search 136 activities. Distance works out your speed from distance and time for walking, running or cycling. Steps turns a step count and step length into distance and speed.
3. Enter how long you were active in hours and minutes.
4. Optionally add a calorie goal to see how long it would take.
5. Read the total, the net calories above resting, the per-hour rate and the comparison table, then open Show steps.

The MET formula for calories burned

calories (kcal) = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes

• MET (metabolic equivalent) is the activity’s energy cost divided by the resting rate. The Compendium defines 1 MET as the energy of sitting quietly, an oxygen uptake of 3.5 mL per kg of body weight per minute.
• 3.5 ÷ 200 turns oxygen into calories. Each liter of oxygen used is about 5 kcal, the factor the Compendium’s own conversion uses. So 3.5 mL ÷ 1,000 × 5 = 3.5 ÷ 200 kcal per kg per minute.
• Weight in kg is pounds × 0.45359. Heavier people burn more for the same activity, because they move more mass.

The Compendium also gives a shortcut: 1 MET is about 1 kcal per kg per hour. It gives slightly lower answers. For the walk above, 4.8 × 72.57 × 0.5 h ≈ 174 kcal, about 5% less than 183.

Gross and net calories

The formula gives gross calories: everything you burned during the activity, including the energy you would have used anyway at rest. Subtract 1 MET to get net calories, the extra burn from the activity itself: (4.8 − 1) × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 145 kcal. Net calories are the better number to compare with food eaten “because” of a workout.

Where the MET values come from

The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann et al., Journal of Sport and Health Science) is the third update of the standard MET list used in research. It lists 1,114 activities under 22 headings, each with a five-digit code. For example, code 17200 is “Walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph, level, brisk, firm surface, walking for exercise” at 4.8 METs. The calculator shows the code for every result so you can check it on the Compendium website.

The Compendium uses 3.5 mL/kg/min for 1 MET for everyone. Its own notes explain that real resting rates vary with age, height, weight, sex and lean body mass, and that the standard value often underestimates measured MET values. That is one reason results are estimates. For adults 60 and older, a separate Older Adult Compendium (2024) uses a lower resting rate.

Calories burned in 30 minutes by activity

Worked calories burned examples

Example 1: a 30-minute brisk walk

1. Weight: 160 lb × 0.45359 = 72.57 kg. MET for code 17200: 4.8.
2. Per minute: 4.8 × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 ≈ 6.096 kcal.
3. For 30 minutes: 6.096 × 30 ≈ 183 kcal, or about 145 kcal net.

Example 2: running 3 miles in 30 minutes

1. Speed: 3 mi ÷ 0.5 h = 6 mph, which matches code 12050 (6 to 6.3 mph), 9.3 METs.
2. Calories at 160 lb: 9.3 × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 354 kcal.
3. Net: (9.3 − 1) × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 316 kcal.

Example 3: 10,000 steps

1. Distance with a 30-inch step: 10,000 × 30 = 300,000 in, and 300,000 ÷ 63,360 ≈ 4.73 miles.
2. Speed over 1 h 30 min: 4.73 ÷ 1.5 ≈ 3.16 mph, which falls in the 2.8 to 3.4 mph band (code 17190, 3.8 METs).
3. Calories at 160 lb: 3.8 × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 × 90 ≈ 434 kcal.

Example 4: how long to burn 300 calories cycling?

1. A 70 kg rider at 12 to 13.9 mph (8.0 METs) burns 8.0 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 9.8 kcal a minute.
2. Time: 300 ÷ 9.8 ≈ 30.6, about 31 minutes.

How the Distance and Steps modes pick a MET value

The Compendium lists walking, running and cycling at set speeds or speed bands. The calculator finds your average speed and uses the code for the band at or just below it. For example, 7.2 mph running uses the 7 mph code (11.0 METs). This rounds down, so it does not overstate your burn. Walking codes go up to 5.5 mph, running codes start at 4 mph, and cycling codes run from leisure riding to over 20 mph. If your speed falls outside a list, the calculator says so and suggests the right activity.

For steps, measure your own step length: walk 10 normal steps, measure the distance and divide by 10. A fitness tracker’s walking time gives the duration.

Intensity and the weekly activity guideline

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans define light activity as under 3.0 METs, moderate activity as 3.0 to less than 6.0 METs, and vigorous activity as 6.0 METs or more. Adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity. The calculator labels each result with its intensity and shows how much of the weekly minimum the session covers.

Common calories burned mistakes

• Using pounds in the formula. The formula needs kilograms. 160 lb is 72.57 kg, not 160.
• Counting gross calories as extra. Some of the total would have been burned at rest anyway. Use the net figure when you compare with food.
• Using the wrong intensity. “Swimming” ranges from 3.5 METs (treading water) to 13.8 METs (butterfly). Pick the closest description.
• Counting rest breaks as activity. Enter only the time you were actually moving.
• Treating the number as exact. MET values are averages from studies of groups of adults, and your own burn can be higher or lower.

This calculator gives estimates, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition or another health concern, ask your doctor what activity is right for you. To set daily calorie targets, use the calorie calculator, the TDEE calculator or the BMR calculator.

Sources

All sources checked November 2026.

• Compendium of Physical Activities home page (definition of 1 MET as 3.5 mL/kg/min and 1 kcal/kg/hour)
• Compendium of Physical Activities: 2024 Adult Compendium activity lists and MET values
• Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci. 2024;13(1). doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010
• Compendium of Physical Activities: Corrected METs (3.5 mL/kg/min standard and its limits)
• Willis EA, Herrmann SD, et al. Older Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. J Sport Health Sci. 2024;13(1)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (PDF)

Calories Burned practice quiz: 10 questions

Test yourself with 10 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate calories burned?

Multiply the activity's MET value by 3.5 and by your weight in kilograms, divide by 200, then multiply by the minutes. For 30 minutes of brisk walking at 160 lb: 4.8 × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 × 30 ≈ 183 kcal.

How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?

It depends on your weight, step length and speed. A 160 lb person with a 30-inch step who takes 90 minutes covers about 4.73 miles at 3.16 mph and burns about 434 kcal, or about 320 kcal net.

How many calories does running a mile burn?

At 6 mph (10 minutes a mile, 9.3 METs), a 160 lb runner burns about 118 kcal per mile: 9.3 × 3.5 × 72.57 ÷ 200 × 10. A heavier runner burns more.

Are fitness tracker calorie counts accurate?

Trackers make their own estimates, and their numbers can differ from MET-based results. Neither is an exact measurement, so use one method consistently when you compare days.

What is a MET?

A MET is a ratio of an activity's energy cost to the energy of sitting quietly. Sitting is 1.0 MET, brisk walking is 4.8 and running at 6 mph is 9.3, so running at that pace uses about 9.3 times the energy of sitting.

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