Calories burned calculator
Estimate the calories burned by walking, running, cycling, swimming, lifting or housework from your weight, the activity and the minutes you spent on it, or convert a step count into calories. The calculator uses the MET values of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities and the formula kcal = METs × weight in kg × hours, and shows the result gross and net of what you would have burned at rest. Free, no sign-up, and nothing you type is stored.
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| Activity | METs | Gross kcal | Net kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking, moderate pace (2.8–3.4 mph) | 3.8 | — | — |
| Walking, brisk (3.5–3.9 mph) | 4.8 | — | — |
| Jogging, general | 7.5 | — | — |
| Running, 6 mph (10 min/mile) | 9.3 | — | — |
| Cycling, moderate (12–13.9 mph) | 8.0 | — | — |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, slow | 5.8 | — | — |
| Weight training, 8–15 reps | 3.5 | — | — |
| HIIT, moderate | 7.0 | — | — |
Values recalculate instantly as you type. Nothing is sent or stored — the math runs in your browser.
How the calculation works
The reference for the energy cost of activities is the Compendium of Physical Activities, whose 2024 adult edition is published by Herrmann, Willis, Ainsworth and colleagues. It defines its unit as “the ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as 1 kcal/kg/hour”. Because the unit is already per kilogram and per hour, the whole formula is one multiplication, the same one used in our 10,000-steps article.
Gross kcal = METs × body weight (kg) × hours
Net kcal = (METs − 1) × body weight (kg) × hours, subtracting the resting MET your body would have spent anyway
Steps mode: hours = steps × 0.75 m ÷ speed (4,828 m/h at 3.0 mph, 5,633 m/h at 3.5 mph)
Example: 70 kg, 10,000 steps at 3.0 mph → 7,500 m ÷ 4,828 m/h = 1.55 h → 3.8 × 70 × 1.55 = 413 kcal gross, 2.8 × 70 × 1.55 = 304 kcal net
Gross is everything your body burned during the session, including the one MET of resting energy that any daily calorie target already contains; net is the honest size of what the activity added, and the figure to compare with your food. Some calculators use the per-minute form kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × weight ÷ 200, derived from the oxygen-cost definition of a MET (3.5 ml of oxygen per kg per minute); it gives about 5% more than the kcal per kg per hour definition used here.
The Compendium never mentions steps, so a step length has to be assumed: 0.75 m (about 2.5 ft) per step, the same assumption as the 10,000-steps article, which makes 10,000 steps 7.5 km (4.7 miles). The moderate pace is 3.0 mph, code 17190, 3.8 METs; the brisk pace 3.5 mph, code 17200, 4.8 METs. Your own step length is the least certain number on this page; measuring it over a known 100 m improves the estimate more than anything else.
Calories burned walking
Walking has a MET value per pace. At 3.0 mph (3.8 METs) a 70 kg (154 lb) walker burns about 266 kcal gross in an hour, 196 net; at a brisk 3.5 mph (4.8 METs) 336 gross and 266 net; at a very brisk 4.0–4.4 mph (5.5 METs) 385 gross and 315 net. Weight is the biggest lever: a 100 kg walker burns 380 kcal gross in the same moderate hour.
Calories burned running
Running is priced by speed, not by how hard it feels. Jogging at a self-selected pace is 7.5 METs; 5 mph (12 min/mile) 8.5; 6 mph (10 min/mile) 9.3; 7 mph 11.0; 8 mph 12.0. A 70 kg runner at 6 mph burns about 651 kcal gross in an hour, 581 net, and a 45-minute run at 5 mph about 446 gross and 394 net.
Calories burned cycling
Outdoor cycling depends on speed: leisurely 5.5 mph is 3.5 METs, 10–11.9 mph 6.8, 12–13.9 mph 8.0 and 14–15.9 mph 10.0; a stationary bike is 6.8 METs in general and a spin class 9.0. A 70 kg rider at 12–13.9 mph burns about 280 kcal gross in 30 minutes, 245 net; an hour of spin class about 630 gross and 560 net.
Calories burned swimming
Slow recreational freestyle laps are 5.8 METs, fast vigorous laps 9.8 and leisurely non-lap swimming 6.0. For a 70 kg swimmer, 30 minutes of slow laps is about 203 kcal gross and 168 net; 30 minutes of fast laps about 343 gross and 308 net.
Calories burned lifting weights
Weight training burns less than its reputation: multiple exercises at 8–15 reps are 3.5 METs, vigorous free-weight lifting 6.0. A 70 kg lifter spends about 184 kcal gross in a 45-minute session of 8–15 reps, 131 net, and about 280 gross or 233 net in 40 vigorous minutes. The value covers the rests between sets, which are most of the time.
MET values used by this calculator
| Code | Activity as listed in the Compendium | METs | kcal for your weight and time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17170 | Walking, 2.5 mph, firm, level surface | 3.0 | — |
| 17190 | Walking, 2.8 to 3.4 mph, level, moderate pace, firm surface | 3.8 | — |
| 17200 | Walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph, level, brisk, firm surface, walking for exercise | 4.8 | — |
| 17220 | Walking, 4.0 to 4.4 mph (6.4 to 7.1 km/h), level, firm surface, very brisk pace | 5.5 | — |
| 17080 | Hiking, cross country (Taylor Code 040) | 6.0 | — |
| 17131 | Stair climbing, general | 6.8 | — |
| 12020 | Jogging, general, self-selected pace | 7.5 | — |
| 12030 | Running, 5.0 to 5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 8.5 | — |
| 12050 | Running, 6-6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 9.3 | — |
| 12070 | Running, 7 mph (8.5 min/mile) | 11.0 | — |
| 12090 | Running, 8 mph (7.5 min/mile) | 12.0 | — |
| 01018 | Bicycling, leisure 5.5 mph | 3.5 | — |
| 01020 | Bicycling, 10-11.9 mph, leisure, slow, light effort | 6.8 | — |
| 01030 | Bicycling, 12-13.9 mph, leisure, moderate effort | 8.0 | — |
| 01040 | Bicycling, 14-15.9 mph, racing or leisure, fast, vigorous effort | 10.0 | — |
| 01200 | Bicycling, stationary, general | 6.8 | — |
| 01270 | Bicycling, stationary, RPM/Spin bike class | 9.0 | — |
| 02054 | Resistance (weight) training, multiple exercises, 8-15 reps at varied resistance | 3.5 | — |
| 02050 | Resistance (weight lifting – free weight, nautilus or universal-type), power lifting or body building, vigorous effort (Taylor Code 210) | 6.0 | — |
| 02048 | Elliptical trainer, moderate effort | 5.0 | — |
| 02071 | Rowing, stationary ergometer, general, <100 watts, moderate effort | 5.0 | — |
| 02065 | Stair treadmill ergometer, general | 9.3 | — |
| 02035 | Circuit training, moderate effort | 5.0 | — |
| 02210 | High intensity interval exercise, moderate effort | 7.0 | — |
| 02150 | Yoga, Hatha | 2.3 | — |
| 15040 | Basketball, game (Taylor Code 490) | 8.0 | — |
| 15610 | Soccer, casual, general (Taylor Code 540) | 7.0 | — |
| 15690 | Tennis, singles (Taylor Code 420) | 8.0 | — |
| 15265 | Golf, walking, carrying clubs | 4.3 | — |
| 15551 | Rope jumping, moderate pace, general, 100 to 120 skips/min, 2 foot skip, plain bounce | 11.8 | — |
| 15120 | Boxing, sparring | 7.8 | — |
| 18240 | Swimming laps, freestyle, slow, recreational | 5.8 | — |
| 18230 | Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort | 9.8 | — |
| 18310 | Swimming, leisurely, not lap swimming, general | 6.0 | — |
| 03025 | Ethnic or cultural dancing (e.g. Greek, Middle Eastern, hula, salsa, merengue, bamba y plena, flamenco, belly, and swing) | 4.5 | — |
| 03030 | Ballroom dancing, fast (Taylor Code 125) | 5.5 | — |
| 05030 | Cleaning, house or cabin, general, moderate effort | 3.3 | — |
| 05043 | Vacuuming, general, moderate effort | 3.0 | — |
| 08120 | Mowing lawn, walk, power mower, moderate or vigorous effort | 5.0 | — |
| 08245 | Gardening, general, moderate effort | 3.8 | — |
| 07021 | Sitting quietly, general | 1.0 | — |
2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, pacompendium.com, retrieved 6 September 2026. The last column applies the weight and time entered above (gross).
Sources: MET values and definition, Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al., 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, category pages walking, running, bicycling, conditioning exercise, sports, water activities, dancing, home activities, lawn and garden and inactivity. Step length and walking speeds: how many calories does 10,000 steps burn. Basal rate in the FAQ: Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al., A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals, Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51(2):241–7. Body-fat equivalence: how many calories are in a pound of fat (3,500 kcal per pound, 7,700 kcal per kilogram, the site’s convention). All retrieved 6 September 2026. The 0.75 m step, the mph-to-km/h conversions and every figure in the tables are this page’s arithmetic on those sources, not measurements.
Limits of the estimate
A MET value is a population average for adults doing the activity as described: the same 3.8 METs for everyone walking at 3 mph, whatever their fitness, technique, terrain, load or weather. Body weight is the only personal input, so two people of the same weight get the same number. Wearables use different inputs (heart rate, a learned stride, GPS) and answer different questions, “active” calories aiming at the net figure and “total” at the gross one, so a 10–15% gap between this page and a watch is normal. Duration counts the whole session, rests included. None of this is medical or training advice: if you are changing what you eat, or starting to exercise with a health condition, talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian first.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do 10,000 steps actually burn?
About 413 kcal gross for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult at a moderate 3.0 mph pace, or 304 kcal once you subtract resting energy; at a brisk 3.5 mph, 447 gross and 354 net. That assumes 0.75 m per step, so 10,000 steps is 7.5 km (4.7 miles) and about 93 minutes. Heavier walkers burn proportionally more: about 590 kcal gross at 100 kg.
How many calories should a 1 hour walk burn?
It depends on weight and pace, not on a target. At a moderate 3.0 mph (3.8 METs) a 70 kg walker burns about 266 kcal gross in an hour, 196 net of resting; at a brisk 3.5 mph (4.8 METs) about 336 gross and 266 net. A 50 kg walker burns roughly 190 kcal gross at the moderate pace and a 100 kg walker about 380.
How many calories do you burn walking for 2 hours?
Twice the one-hour figure, because the formula is linear in time: about 532 kcal gross for a 70 kg walker at a moderate pace, 392 net, and 672 gross or 532 net at a brisk pace. Two hours at 3.0 mph covers about 6 miles (9.7 km), roughly 12,900 steps at 0.75 m per step.
Will I lose fat if I walk every day?
Only if the walk leaves you below your total expenditure and you do not eat the difference back. A daily 10,000-step walk adds about 304 net kcal for a 70 kg person, roughly 2,100 kcal a week, a bit more than a quarter of the 7,700 kcal conventionally assigned to a kilogram of body fat: about 0.3 kg (0.6 lb) a week if intake stays the same.
How many calories do I naturally burn every day?
Resting energy alone is roughly 1 kcal per kilogram per hour by the Compendium’s convention, about 1,680 kcal a day at 70 kg. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation refines that with height, age and sex: a 30-year-old woman of 70 kg and 170 cm has a basal rate of about 1,452 kcal and burns about 2,250 kcal a day at a moderate activity level. The calorie calculator gives your own figure.
What is the MET formula for calories burned?
kcal = METs × body weight in kg × hours, because the Compendium defines one MET as 1 kcal per kilogram per hour. Subtract 1 MET for the same time to get the net figure. The per-minute form some calculators use, kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200, is built on the oxygen-cost definition of a MET and gives about 5% more.
Keep reading
How many calories does 10,000 steps burn? · Energy balance: when exercise calories are a double count · Daily calorie calculator · How many calories are in a pound of fat? · TDEE calculator: your maintenance calories
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