Enter the activity, how long you did it and your weight. The calories burned (kcal) are calculated with the MET method, and a bar graph compares the calories burned by different activities.
If you only know the distance, turn it into time first with time = distance ÷ speed (for example, 10 km at 10 km/h is 60 minutes). Results from the MET method are rough estimates based on averages, not medical advice.
Result and graph
Choose an activity on the left, enter the time and your weight, and press "Calculate". The result and a graph will appear here.
Table of Contents
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What you can do on this page
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What is this calculation used for?
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How to Use
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Formula and figure
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Symbols and terms
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Good to know before you start
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How to calculate it in Excel
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How to calculate it in Google Sheets
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How to calculate it in Python
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How to write it in LaTeX and other math languages (copy and paste)
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How to have ChatGPT do the calculation
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DataChef Features
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Related Features
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NumberChef Calculators List
What you can do on this page
- Choose from 44 everyday activities, such as walking, running, swimming, strength training, cleaning and shoveling snow, enter the time and your weight, and see the calories burned (kcal) on the spot
- The calculation uses the standard MET method, and the page explains in plain language what the formula does and what METs are
- A bar graph compares the calories you would burn doing other activities for the same time at the same weight
- An explanation of the formula and copy-and-paste formulas for Excel, Google Sheets and Python are all on this page
Calories burned by the MET method are estimates based on averages from many people, so they differ from person to person with body size, fitness and how hard you move. The results are only a rough guide, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or have been told to limit exercise, talk with your doctor before exercising.
What is this calculation used for?
Planning weight loss with real numbers
A common rule of thumb is that losing 1 lb of body fat takes burning about 3,500 kcal. If a 154-lb person walks at a normal pace (2.6 METs) for 30 minutes every day, that is about 95 kcal a day, so it takes about 37 days to burn the equivalent of 1 lb of body fat.
Many people feel this is less than they expected. Knowing these realistic numbers is the starting point for a weight loss plan you can stick to, combining exercise and diet.
Turning food into minutes of exercise
A slice of frosted cake can be about 350 Calories. For a 130-lb person to burn the same amount by jogging (7.0 METs), it takes about 48 minutes.
Being able to convert "this snack equals so many minutes of running" gives you numbers you can trust, both to avoid overeating and to feel fine about a treat on a day you were active.
Knowing the calories burned by biking or walking to work
If a 143-lb person bikes 20 minutes each way to work (6.8 METs), that is about 154 kcal each way and about 309 kcal for the round trip. Commuting 20 days a month adds up to about 6,200 kcal.
Seeing that commuting and errands can add up as daily exercise, without setting aside special time for a workout, makes everyday choices easier, such as walking an extra stop or biking instead of driving.
Planning fuel for a marathon or a long ride (sports)
If a 132-lb person finishes a marathon in 4 hours 30 minutes (slow running, about 8.3 METs), the formula on this page gives about 2,350 kcal burned. The body can store only a limited amount of energy from carbohydrates, so refueling along the way is essential in long events.
In marathons and long-distance cycling, estimating calories burned like this and planning how much to eat and when is a standard part of getting ready.
Setting exercise intensity in medicine and rehab (MET-based prescriptions)
METs are used in cardiac rehabilitation and in exercise therapy for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as a unit for setting how hard to exercise (for example, "start with light activity of about 3 METs").
Knowing what METs are when your doctor or physical therapist mentions them helps you choose activities at the right intensity for you. Always follow your own doctor's advice on intensity and on whether you can exercise.
Formula and figure
Calories burned (MET method)
Figure
Standard notation
(the usual math form)
\(K\)
\(=\)
\(t\)
\(\times\)
\(M\)
\(\times\)
\(3.5\)
\(\times\)
\(W\)
\(\div\)
\(200\)
In words
(symbols replaced with words)
⑥
\(K\): calories burned (kcal)
\(=\)
①
\(t\): exercise time (min)
\(\times\)
②
\(M\): intensity (METs)
\(\times\)
③
constant 3.5
\(\times\)
④
\(W\): weight (kg)
\(\div\)
⑤
constant 200
The formula in words
①
Take the
\(t\): exercise time (min)
②
multiply by the
\(M\): intensity (METs)
③
multiply by the
constant 3.5
④
multiply by the
\(W\): weight (kg)
⑤
divide by the
constant 200
⑥
and you get the
\(K\): calories burned (kcal)
Quick example
For a person who weighs 70 kg (about 154 lb) and walks at a normal pace (2.6 METs) for 60 minutes (1 hour), the calories burned are
\(K\): calories burned
\(=\)
exercise time (60 min)
\(\times\)
intensity (2.6 METs)
\(\times\)
constant 3.5
\(\times\)
weight (70 kg)
\(\div\)
constant 200
\(60 \times 2.6 \times 3.5 \times 70 \div 200 = 191.1\)
\(191.1 \approx 191\)
Key idea
The "3.5" comes from the oxygen your body uses while sitting at rest (about 3.5 mL per kg of body weight per minute). The "200" combines two conversions: about 5 kcal of energy is used per liter of oxygen, and 1,000 mL make 1 liter (1000 ÷ 5 = 200). These two numbers always stay the same.
So the formula takes the calories you burn per minute at rest (\(3.5 \times W \div 200\) kcal/min) and multiplies it by the intensity of the activity (METs) and by the time. A MET is a unit of intensity that shows how many times the resting energy an activity uses. Each activity has a set typical value (for example, walking at a normal pace 2.6, tennis 7.0; these are the values used in this calculator).
The formula uses weight in kg. If you know your weight in pounds, divide by 440.9 instead of 200 (1 kg = 2.2046 lb, and 200 × 2.2046 = 440.9): \(K = t \times M \times 3.5 \times W \div 440.9\) with \(W\) in lb. This is what the calculator does when "Units" is set to US customary.
Calories burned can be estimated as "time (min) × METs × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200", or "÷ 440.9" with weight in pounds. A MET is a unit of intensity that shows how many times the resting energy an activity uses, and each activity has a set typical value.
Symbols and terms
Symbols
| \(K\) | kay | Calories burned (kcal), the amount this calculator finds. |
| \(t\) | tee | Exercise time in minutes. 1 hour 30 minutes counts as 90 minutes. |
| \(M\) | em | Intensity in METs. Each activity has a set typical value. |
| \(W\) | double-u | Weight in kg (kg = lb × 0.4536). The heavier you are, the more calories the same activity burns. |
Terms
| MET (metabolic equivalent) | A unit for the intensity of exercise or an activity, based on how many times the energy of sitting at rest it uses. Rest is 1 MET, so an activity of 3 METs uses 3 times the resting energy. Typical values for hundreds of activities are listed in the Compendium of Physical Activities, and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans use METs too (moderate intensity is 3.0 to 5.9 METs, vigorous intensity is 6.0 METs or more). |
| resting metabolism | The energy you use while sitting at rest. It is the baseline for METs (1 MET) and matches using about 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute (where the "3.5" in the formula comes from). |
| kcal (kilocalorie) | A unit of energy. The "Calories" on a US Nutrition Facts label are the same unit (1 kcal = 1,000 cal). |
| calories burned | The amount of energy your body uses for an activity. You burn calories not only in exercise but also in everyday movement such as chores and work. |
| oxygen uptake | The amount of oxygen your body takes in and uses. It is known to be roughly proportional to the energy used, so calories burned can be estimated from oxygen. The MET method is an estimate based on this relationship. |
Good to know before you start
It is fine if METs are new to you (they are explained in the "Formula and figure" section).
Just make sure you have the basic math behind them.
| Multiplying and dividing decimals (Grades 5–6) |
|
| Speed, time and distance (Grades 6–7) |
|
| Thinking in "times as much" (Grade 5) |
|
How to calculate it in Excel
Copy the whole table below and paste it into cell A1 in Excel. It works as is.
Table to find the calories burned (MET method)
| Exercise time (min) | 60 |
| Intensity (METs) | 2.6 |
| Weight (lb) | 154 |
| Calories burned (kcal) | =B1*B2*3.5*B3/440.9 |
After pasting, B1 to B3 are your inputs and B4 is calculated automatically. "*" is multiplication and "/" is division. The weight is in pounds, so the formula divides by 440.9 instead of 200 (to use kg, change 440.9 to 200).
With the example numbers, B4 shows about 190.7 (about 191 kcal). Just replace B1 to B3 with your own numbers.
For the intensity (B2), enter the MET value shown in the result when you choose an activity in this calculator (for example, 7.0 for jogging (general)).
With the example numbers, B4 shows about 190.7 (about 191 kcal). Just replace B1 to B3 with your own numbers.
For the intensity (B2), enter the MET value shown in the result when you choose an activity in this calculator (for example, 7.0 for jogging (general)).
How to calculate it in Google Sheets
Copy the whole table below and paste it into cell A1 in Google Sheets. It works as is.
Table to find the calories burned (MET method)
| Exercise time (min) | 60 |
| Intensity (METs) | 2.6 |
| Weight (lb) | 154 |
| Calories burned (kcal) | =B1*B2*3.5*B3/440.9 |
The same formula as in Excel works as is. Copy the whole table, paste it into cell A1, and replace B1 to B3 with your own numbers.
How to calculate it in Python
minutes = 60 # exercise time (min)
met = 2.6 # intensity (METs), the typical value for the activity
weight_lb = 154 # weight (lb)
# 440.9 = 200 x 2.2046 (use 200 instead if the weight is in kg)
calories = minutes * met * 3.5 * weight_lb / 440.9
print(f"Calories burned: {calories:.1f} kcal")
Runs with the standard library only. Change the exercise time, METs and weight at the top and run it. For METs, you can use the value shown in the result when you choose an activity in this calculator (for example, 2.6 for walking at a normal pace or 7.0 for jogging).
How to write it in LaTeX and other math languages (copy and paste)
Calories burned (MET method)
K = t × M × 3.5 × W ÷ 200
K = \dfrac{t \times M \times 3.5 \times W}{200}
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block">
<mrow>
<mi>K</mi>
<mo>=</mo>
<mfrac>
<mrow>
<mi>t</mi><mo>×</mo><mi>M</mi><mo>×</mo><mn>3.5</mn><mo>×</mo><mi>W</mi>
</mrow>
<mn>200</mn>
</mfrac>
</mrow>
</math>
K = (t * M * 3.5 * W) / 200
t*m*3.5*w/200
K := t*M*3.5*W/200;
K = t*M*3.5*W/200;
K = (t×M×3.5×W)/200
How to have ChatGPT do the calculation
You are a calories-burned calculation assistant. Do the following calculation by actually running Python code, and base your answer only on the numbers from the execution result (do not answer by mental math or guessing). MET formula: calories burned (kcal) = time (min) × METs × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg) A person who weighs 154 lb walked at a normal pace (2.6 METs) for 45 minutes. 1. Find the calories burned. 2. Also find the calories burned by jogging (7.0 METs) for the same time, and compare the two. Show the formulas you used and the numbers from the execution result. Also mention that the MET method gives estimates based on averages.
How to Use
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1Enter your numbersType the numbers you want to calculate with into the input fields
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2CalculatePress the "Calculate" button
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3Check the resultThe result appears on the spot. The same page also explains the idea behind the calculation and the formula
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