Calories Burned Calculator: By Activity & Time (2026)
Use our free Calories Burned Calculator to estimate energy burned during exercise. Pick your activity, enter your body weight and how long you exercised. Get the calories burned, burn rate per minute, and energy in kilojoules. No signup, no upload.
How Exercise Calories Are Calculated
The calculator uses the MET (metabolic equivalent) formula: calories = MET × weight in kg × time in hours. MET values are standard for each activity — running at 6 mph is about 9.8 MET, brisk walking 5.0, cycling 7.5, HIIT 8.0, and swimming 6.0. Your weight is converted from pounds to kilograms first for the formula.
How to Use Our Calories Burned Calculator
- Open the Calories Burned Calculator tool.
- Pick your activity from the built-in list.
- Enter your body weight in pounds.
- Enter the duration in minutes.
- Read off the calories burned.
Calories Burned Reference (155 lb person, 30 min)
| Activity | Calories | Per Minute |
|---|---|---|
| Running (6 mph) | ~370 | ~12.3 |
| Cycling (moderate) | ~260 | ~8.7 |
| Swimming (moderate) | ~220 | ~7.3 |
| HIIT | ~290 | ~9.7 |
| Walking (brisk) | ~165 | ~5.5 |
| Weight lifting | ~105 | ~3.5 |
Common Use Cases for a Calories Burned Calculator
- Fitness tracking — log calories burned during workouts.
- Weight management — track exercise energy expenditure for weight loss.
- Workout planning — compare different activities by calorie burn.
- Training logs — record exercise data for training periodization.
- Activity comparison — see which exercises burn the most calories.
FAQ
How are exercise calories calculated?
The calculator uses the MET formula: calories = MET × weight in kg × time in hours. MET values are standard for each activity.
What is a MET value?
A MET is the ratio of your working metabolic rate to your resting rate. 1 MET is sitting still; an activity at 5 MET burns five times as many calories per minute as resting.
Are the calorie estimates accurate?
They are a good population average. Real burn varies with fitness level, terrain, intensity, and body composition. Treat the number as an estimate within 10-20%.
Why does weight matter for calories?
A heavier person does more work to move their body through the same activity, so they burn more calories. The formula scales the result directly with body weight.
Is this calories burned calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no signup. All math runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Try our free Calories Burned Calculator to estimate calories burned during any activity.