A MET is the metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is your energy use sitting quietly, so an activity rated at 8 METs burns roughly eight times your resting rate. Higher METs mean more intense effort.

Why does my weight affect calories burned?

Moving a heavier body requires more energy, so calorie burn scales directly with body mass in the MET formula. Two people doing the same workout for the same time will burn different amounts based on weight.

How accurate are MET-based estimates?

They are population averages. Your real burn depends on fitness, intensity, technique, and environment, so the figure can differ by 10–20% or more. Use it for comparison and planning rather than precise accounting.

Does this include the calories I would burn anyway at rest?

The MET formula reflects gross energy use during the activity, which already incorporates resting metabolism. For net "extra" calories you would subtract what you would have burned sitting still over the same period.

Calories Burned Calculator

Activity

Duration30 min

Weight

lbs

Calories Burned400 cal

This calculator estimates how many calories you burn during an activity using MET values — the metabolic equivalent of task, a standard intensity rating where one MET equals resting energy use. By combining the activity's MET, your body weight, and how long you exercise, it produces a quick estimate of energy expended. Actual burn varies with fitness, terrain, and effort, so treat the number as a useful approximation.

Formula

Calories = MET × weight(kg) × (minutes / 60)

MET: Metabolic equivalent of the chosen activity (e.g. running 9.8)
weight: Body weight in kilograms (pounds × 0.453592)
minutes: Duration of activity in minutes, divided by 60 to get hours

How it works

Pick an activity — running, cycling, swimming, walking, HIIT, yoga, or weight training — each tied to a fixed MET value (for example running 9.8, cycling 7.5, walking 3.5, yoga 3.0).
Enter your weight in pounds (converted to kilograms) and the duration in minutes.
The tool multiplies MET by weight in kg by hours of activity to estimate total calories burned, shown rounded to a whole number.

Worked example

A 180 lb person runs for 30 minutes.

Convert weight: 180 × 0.453592 = 81.65 kg.
Running MET = 9.8; hours = 30 / 60 = 0.5.
Calories = 9.8 × 81.65 × 0.5 = 400.07.

About 400 calories burned.

Frequently asked questions

What is a MET value?: A MET is the metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is your energy use sitting quietly, so an activity rated at 8 METs burns roughly eight times your resting rate. Higher METs mean more intense effort.
Why does my weight affect calories burned?: Moving a heavier body requires more energy, so calorie burn scales directly with body mass in the MET formula. Two people doing the same workout for the same time will burn different amounts based on weight.
How accurate are MET-based estimates?: They are population averages. Your real burn depends on fitness, intensity, technique, and environment, so the figure can differ by 10–20% or more. Use it for comparison and planning rather than precise accounting.
Does this include the calories I would burn anyway at rest?: The MET formula reflects gross energy use during the activity, which already incorporates resting metabolism. For net "extra" calories you would subtract what you would have burned sitting still over the same period.

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