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Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate calories burned for various activities like running, walking, cycling, and swimming based on your weight and duration. Optimize your workout plan.
Understanding Calories Burned
Knowing how many calories you burn during exercise is key to weight management. This calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values to estimate energy expenditure for different activities.
What is a MET?
One MET is the energy you spend sitting at rest. An activity with a MET value of 4 means you're exerting four times the energy than you would be if you were sitting still.
- Light Activity (< 3 METs): Walking slowly, sitting, light office work.
- Moderate Activity (3-6 METs): Brisk walking, vacuuming, light cycling.
- Vigorous Activity (> 6 METs): Running, swimming laps, heavy lifting, competitive sports.
⚠️ Accuracy Note
This calculator provides an estimate. Individual calorie burn can vary based on age, gender, muscle mass, and fitness level. Fitness trackers with heart rate monitors may provide more personalized data.
💡 Expert Tip from Sarah Jenkins, RD
Don't "eat back" all your exercise calories if you're trying to lose weight. Exercise estimates are often generous. A good rule of thumb is to refuel with about 50% of what you think you burned.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are calories burned calculated?
Calories burned are estimated using MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values. The formula is: Calories = (MET × 3.5 × Weight in kg) / 200 × Duration in minutes.
Which exercise burns the most calories?
High-intensity activities like running (especially at faster speeds), vigorous swimming, and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) typically burn the most calories per minute.
Does weight affect calories burned?
Yes. Heavier individuals burn more calories doing the same activity than lighter individuals because it takes more energy to move a larger body mass.