ClutchCalcs

Exercise

Calories Burned Calculator

Wondering if your morning bike ride really earns you that post-workout breakfast burrito, or how much your weekend hike actually subtracts from the calorie ledger? This calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values from the Compendium of Physical Activities — the standard tool exercise scientists use — to estimate calories burned. Pick from 30+ activities (walking, running, cycling, swimming, weightlifting, sports, yard work, shoveling snow), enter your weight and duration, get a calorie estimate. Realistic accuracy: ±15%, which is about as good as any non-laboratory method gets.

The MET formula in plain English

METs measure the energy cost of activity relative to sitting still. 1 MET = the energy you burn lying on the couch (roughly 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour). A 4-MET activity burns 4x your resting rate; an 8-MET activity burns 8x.

Formula: calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × hours.

Worked example: a 180-lb (82-kg) person cycling at moderate effort (8 METs) for 45 minutes (0.75 hr). Calories = 8 × 82 × 0.75 = 492 calories. About what one large bagel + cream cheese delivers.

MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a research-backed reference that classifies hundreds of activities by metabolic cost based on direct gas-exchange measurements.

MET values for common activities

  • Walking, casual: 3.0 MET
  • Walking, brisk: 4.3 MET
  • Hiking: 6.0 MET
  • Running 6 mph (10 min/mi): 9.8 MET
  • Running 7.5 mph (8 min/mi): 12.5 MET
  • Cycling, moderate: 8 MET
  • Cycling, vigorous: 12 MET
  • Swimming, leisure: 6 MET
  • Weightlifting, moderate: 3.5 MET
  • CrossFit: 8 MET
  • Yoga: 2.5 MET
  • Basketball, game: 8 MET
  • Tennis: 7.3 MET
  • Jump rope: 12.3 MET
  • Shoveling snow: 5.3 MET (this is why heart attack rates spike during snowstorms)

How to use this calculator

  1. Body weight in pounds — actual current weight.
  2. Duration in minutes.
  3. Activity: pick the closest match from the list.
  4. Output: estimated calories burned.
  5. For mixed sessions (warm-up + main + cooldown), run each part separately and add the totals.

Common scenarios

180-lb person, 45-min moderate bike ride. 8 MET × 82 kg × 0.75 hr = 492 cal. Equivalent to a large bagel with cream cheese, or 12 oz of orange juice.

140-lb person, 30-min jog at 6 mph. 9.8 MET × 63.5 kg × 0.5 hr = 311 cal. Worth a small post-run smoothie but not much else.

250-lb person, 2 hours of yard work (mowing + weeding). ~5.5 MET avg × 113 kg × 2 hr = 1,243 cal. Real work — you earned the cold beer.

FAQ

Why doesn't my Apple Watch / Fitbit match this estimate? +
Wearables use heart rate ± motion sensors to estimate METs in real time and can be more accurate for steady-state aerobic activity, but they're often off for strength training, mixed-intensity sports, or anything that doesn't elevate heart rate predictably. MET tables and wearables both have ±10-15% error in opposite directions — the truth usually splits the difference.
Does this include resting metabolic rate (BMR)? +
Yes — 1 MET equals resting rate, so a 5 MET activity for 1 hour burns 5x your hourly BMR (4 extra MET above what you'd burn lying still). If you're tracking total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), use a BMR calculator separately and add exercise calories on top.
Does fitness level affect MET values? +
The same activity at the same speed costs more for a less-fit person and less for a fitter person, but MET tables average across populations. For elite athletes, MET-based estimates over-predict calorie burn (efficient movement uses less energy). For sedentary beginners, MET tables can slightly under-predict.
Why is running so much more calorie-dense than walking? +
Running adds vertical motion (you launch off the ground each step) and faster overall pace — both significantly increase energy cost. Walking at 4 mph: 4.3 MET. Running at 4 mph (a slow jog): 6.0 MET. Running at 6 mph: 9.8 MET. Speed matters more than distance per mile.
Does weight matter that much? +
Yes — calorie burn scales linearly with body weight (you're moving more mass). A 250-lb person burns about 80% more calories than a 140-lb person for the same activity and duration. This is part of why heavier people often lose weight faster initially — same exercise burns more calories.
Should I eat back my exercise calories? +
Depends on goal. If you're tracking calories for fat loss and aiming for a deficit, eating back exercise calories partially defeats the deficit. Most coaches recommend NOT eating back exercise calories — use exercise to widen the deficit, not replace it. For pure performance / maintenance, eat in line with exercise.
What about EPOC (afterburn)? +
EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) is real but small. High-intensity workouts (HIIT, heavy lifting, Tabata) burn 50-200 extra calories in the 24 hours after the workout. Steady-state aerobic work produces minimal EPOC. The "hours of fat burn after lifting" is real but modest — nowhere near doubling the workout's calorie burn.
What activity has the highest MET? +
Competitive running at sub-5-min-mile pace tops out around 23 MET. Vigorous boxing 12 MET. Cross-country skiing uphill 16 MET. Jumping rope at 130+ jumps/min hits 12+ MET. For most non-elite training, the practical ceiling is around 12-14 MET for sustained efforts.