Calories burned calculator

How many calories do you burn with strength training, running, walking or cycling? Pick your activity, enter how long and how much you weigh, and instantly see your burn.

Units

kg, cmlb, ft, in

Activity

Duration

minutes

Weight

You burn about

349kcal

Of which from the activity itself: 311 kcal
Per hour: 698 kcal

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How this calculator works

Every activity has a MET value: how many times more energy you use than at rest. Rest is 1 MET, walking around 4, running at 10 km/h around 9. The values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a large collection of measurements from research. Because 1 MET is about 1 kcal per kilo of body weight per hour, you calculate:

kcal = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours)

Example: 30 minutes of running at 9.7 km/h (9.3 MET) at 75 kg is 9.3 × 75 × 0.5 = 349 kcal. That includes your resting burn: what you would have burned on the couch in those 30 minutes anyway (1 MET, here 38 kcal). So the activity itself adds about 310 kcal.

Calories burned per activity

For someone weighing 75 kg, per half hour and per hour:

Calories burned per activity at 75 kg
Activity	MET	30 min	60 min
Strength training, moderate	3.5	131 kcal	263 kcal
Strength training, vigorous (powerlifting, bodybuilding)	6.0	225 kcal	450 kcal
Circuit training, vigorous	7.5	281 kcal	563 kcal
HIIT, vigorous (burpees, jumps, Tabata)	11.0	413 kcal	825 kcal
Walking, 4.5 to 5.5 km/h (2.8 to 3.4 mph)	3.8	143 kcal	285 kcal
Brisk walking, 5.6 to 6.3 km/h (3.5 to 3.9 mph)	4.8	180 kcal	360 kcal
Very brisk walking, 6.4 to 7.1 km/h (4.0 to 4.4 mph)	5.5	206 kcal	413 kcal
Running, 8 km/h (5 mph)	8.5	319 kcal	638 kcal
Running, 9.7 km/h (6 mph)	9.3	349 kcal	698 kcal
Running, 11.3 km/h (7 mph)	11.0	413 kcal	825 kcal
Running, 12.9 km/h (8 mph)	12.0	450 kcal	900 kcal
Running, 16.1 km/h (10 mph)	14.8	555 kcal	1,110 kcal
Cycling, 16 to 19 km/h (10 to 11.9 mph)	6.8	255 kcal	510 kcal
Cycling, 19 to 22 km/h (12 to 13.9 mph)	8.0	300 kcal	600 kcal
Cycling, 22 to 25 km/h (14 to 15.9 mph)	10.0	375 kcal	750 kcal
Lap swimming, slow (freestyle)	5.8	218 kcal	435 kcal
Lap swimming, fast (freestyle)	9.8	368 kcal	735 kcal
Rowing machine, moderate (under 100 watts)	5.0	188 kcal	375 kcal
Rowing machine, vigorous (100 to 149 watts)	7.5	281 kcal	563 kcal
Jumping rope, moderate pace	11.8	443 kcal	885 kcal
Soccer, casual	7.0	263 kcal	525 kcal
Yoga (hatha)	2.3	86 kcal	173 kcal

Why your watch says something different

A MET value is an average for everyone who does that activity. How fit you are, how efficiently you move and how hard you really train all make a difference. A sports watch estimates from your heart rate, but is also regularly well off. So treat every result as a guide, not an exact measurement.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does strength training burn?

Less than most people think: at 75 kg about 130 kcal per half hour of regular strength training and around 225 kcal if you train heavy, as in powerlifting or bodybuilding. A hard circuit with little rest comes to around 280 kcal. The real benefit of strength training is what it does for your muscles.

How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?

10,000 steps is about 7 to 8 kilometers, so roughly an hour and a half of walking. At 75 kg that is roughly 400 kcal including your resting burn, and about 300 kcal from the walking itself. Your pace and stride length make a difference.

Should I eat back the calories I burn?

If you already calculated your calorie needs with an activity level, your exercise is already included. Do not eat it all back again: that counts it twice.

These results are estimates based on research averages for adults aged 19 to 59. For people over 60 there is a separate compendium with its own values.

Sources