Calorie Burn Calculator

Free calorie burn calculator — estimate how many calories you burn during different activities—walking, running, cycling, strength training, HIIT and more. Enter your weight in kg or lb.

A calorie burn calculator (or calories burned calculator) gives you an approximate number of calories burned during a single session of exercise, based on your body weight, the type of activity (using standard MET values), and how long you did it. Our tool uses the same MET-based formula used in research. For your total daily calorie burn—including rest—use our TDEE calculator. This page is for estimating calories burned per activity.

Units

What Is a Calorie Burn Calculator?

A calorie burn calculator (or calories burned calculator) is a tool that estimates how many calories you burn during a specific physical activity—for example walking, running, or cycling—based on your body weight, the activity’s intensity (expressed as a MET value), and the duration. It does not measure your total daily burn; for that you need a TDEE calculator. Our calorie burn calculator uses standard MET (metabolic equivalent of task) values from research so you can quickly see how many calories an activity is likely to burn and plan your diet or deficit accordingly.

How to Calculate Calories Burned

You can calculate calories burned for an activity using the form above. Enter your weight in kg, select the activity, and enter the duration in minutes. The calculator uses the MET formula: calories = MET × weight(kg) × time(hours). So for 30 minutes (0.5 h) of an activity with MET 6 at 70 kg: 6 × 70 × 0.5 = 210 kcal. That’s how to calculate calories burned for a single session. For "how many calories do I burn a day" or "how many calories should I burn a day," use our TDEE calculator—it includes rest and all activity.

The MET formula

MET (metabolic equivalent of task) is a standard measure of activity intensity. 1 MET = energy at rest. Higher MET = more calories per minute. The formula is: Calories burned = MET × weight(kg) × time(h). For example, walking at a brisk pace might be around 4 MET; running at 10 km/h might be around 10 MET. Our calculator uses fixed MET values per activity; actual burn can vary with your intensity and fitness.

Which Activities Burn the Most Calories?

Per minute, higher-intensity activities burn more calories. So "what exercise burns the most calories" per minute is typically running, fast cycling, HIIT, or similar. In our calculator you can compare: walking (slow) has a lower MET than brisk walking; running has a higher MET than cycling at a moderate pace. Best calorie burning exercises in terms of MET include running, jumping rope, and vigorous HIIT. For fat loss, you can either do shorter high-intensity sessions or longer lower-intensity ones; the total calories burned depends on MET × time × weight. Use the dropdown in the calculator to see estimates for walking, running, cycling, strength training, and HIIT.

Calories Burned per Day — Use TDEE

This calorie burn calculator is for one activity at a time. If you want to know how many calories you burn a day in total (rest + all activities), use our TDEE calculator. It gives you total daily energy expenditure. You can then combine the two: use TDEE for your baseline and add calories burned from this calculator for specific workouts if you want to fine-tune intake. For weight loss, our calorie deficit calculator helps you set a daily calorie target based on your TDEE.

Limitations and Disclaimer

MET values are averages from research. Your actual calories burned depend on intensity, technique, fitness level, and body composition. This calculator is for information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use it as an estimate to compare activities and plan roughly; for precise needs, consider professional testing or a dietitian.

Important: Results are estimates based on average MET values. Actual burn may vary. This tool does not replace medical or dietetic advice.

Related Calculators

For total daily burn use our TDEE calculator; to set a daily calorie target for weight loss use our calorie deficit calculator; to track food use our calorie calculator. The BMR calculator shows calories at rest.

Frequently asked questions

A tool that estimates how many calories you burn during a specific activity (e.g. walking, running) based on your weight, the activity type (MET value), and duration. Ours uses the MET formula.

Enter your weight in kg, select the activity, and enter duration in minutes. The calculator uses: calories = MET × weight(kg) × time(hours).

MET (metabolic equivalent of task) is a standard value for activity intensity. 1 MET = rest; higher values mean more calories burned per minute.

Per minute, high-intensity activities (e.g. running, HIIT) burn more than walking or light cycling. Our calculator shows estimates for several activities.

MET values are averages from research. Actual burn depends on intensity, fitness, and technique. Use as an estimate.

For total daily burn (including rest), use our TDEE calculator. This tool is for calories burned during a single activity.

Yes. Combine with our calorie deficit calculator: know your TDEE, add activity burn, and plan intake.

The MET formula for activity burn uses body weight and time; height and age are not required. For total daily burn (TDEE), age, sex, height and weight are used—see our TDEE calculator.

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Content quality

Written by DietaBest Editorial Team

Medically reviewed by Dr. Alex Novak, MD (Internal Medicine)

Last updated:

This guide is for general education only and does not replace personal medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making major diet or lifestyle changes, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication.