About the Calories Burned Calculator
Tezmy's Calories Burned Calculator estimates the energy you use during exercise and everyday activity. Pick one or more of 32 activities, from slow walking and yoga to running, cycling, swimming, weight training, cricket and housework, enter how many minutes you did each and your body weight in kilograms or pounds. The answer comes from the standard MET method: calories equal the activity's MET value times your weight in kilograms times the hours spent. METs are averages from the Compendium of Physical Activities, so the result is an estimate. Your fitness, pace, terrain and body build can move the real figure by 10 to 20 percent or more.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Calories Burned Calculator
- 1Enter your weight and choose kilograms or pounds.
- 2Choose an activity and type the minutes you spent on it.
- 3Press Add another activity if your workout had more than one part, for example a warm-up walk and a run.
- 4Read the total in kilocalories, with a per-activity breakdown when you have several.
What a MET is and why it works
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, roughly one kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 8 METs uses about eight times that. Researchers have measured the energy use of hundreds of activities and published the averages in the Compendium of Physical Activities, which is where this tool's values come from, rounded to one decimal.
Because the method only needs your weight, the activity and the time, it works without a heart-rate monitor, and it lets you compare activities fairly: an hour of brisk walking (4.3) against an hour of swimming laps (5.8 easy, 9.8 hard), for example.
Getting a better estimate
- Choose the line that matches your pace. Jogging, running at 9.7 km/h and running at 12 km/h are separate entries because the energy use differs a lot.
- Count only the time you were moving. Rests between sets of weights lower the real average, so use the general weight-training line unless the session was hard throughout.
- Split mixed workouts into parts, such as 10 minutes of easy walking, 30 minutes of running and 10 minutes of stretching.
- Use your current weight, and update it as it changes.
- Compare results over weeks, not single sessions, to see whether your activity level is going up.
Using the number in your day
Exercise calories are easy to overestimate and food calories easy to underestimate, so do not treat the total as a licence to eat more. The food equivalents under the result are there to give a feel for the size of the number: a 30-minute jog may burn about as much as two bananas provide.
This tool is not medical advice. If you are managing a health condition, training for an event or trying to change your weight, a doctor or a qualified dietitian can set targets that suit you. For your daily needs as a whole, the Calorie Calculator works out an estimate based on age, height, weight and activity. Pair the result with the BMI Calculator and the Target Heart Rate Calculator to plan how hard to train.
Features
- 32 activities grouped by type, with average MET values
- Up to ten activities added together for one session or day
- Weight in kilograms or pounds
- Per-activity breakdown and a kilojoule figure
- Plain-language reminder that the number is an estimate
- Runs in your browser with nothing stored
Frequently asked questions
How are calories burned calculated here?
With the MET formula: calories = MET × weight in kg × hours. A MET is how many times more energy an activity uses than sitting still. Running at about 10 km/h is 9.8 METs, so a 70 kg person running for half an hour burns 9.8 × 70 × 0.5 = 343 kcal.
Why do heavier people burn more calories?
Moving a larger body takes more energy, so for the same activity and time the result goes up in proportion to weight. That is why the calculator asks for your weight.
How accurate is the result?
It is a reasonable estimate, not a measurement. MET values are averages across many people. A fitter person usually uses a little less energy at the same pace, and hills, wind, heat and technique all change it. Treat the figure as a guide of roughly plus or minus 20 percent.
Does the total include the calories I burn anyway?
Yes. A MET value covers all the energy used during the activity, including what your body would have used at rest. To see only the extra calories, subtract about one MET, which is your weight in kg multiplied by the hours.
Can I add a whole day of activities?
Yes, up to ten lines. Include light activities such as standing work or housework if you want a fuller picture of the day, but remember that this is still not your total daily energy use, which includes resting energy.
Is a fitness watch more accurate?
A watch that measures heart rate can account for your fitness and effort, so it is often closer for hard workouts, though they also make errors. Use this calculator when you have no device or want a quick comparison between activities.
Is my weight or workout data stored?
No. The sum happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server or saved.