This calories burned calculator estimates how many calories you burn during exercise, based on your body weight, the activity and how long you do it. Pick an activity below — walking, running, cycling, swimming, hiking and more — enter your weight and minutes, and get your calorie burn instantly.
*Rough guide only: about 2,000 steps ≈ walking 1 mile ≈ 80–100 kcal for most adults.
What Is a Calories Burned Calculator?
A calories burned calculator estimates exercise energy expenditure. Every activity has a standard intensity value called a MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task): sitting is 1 MET, brisk walking about 4.3, running at 6 mph about 9.8. Multiply the MET value by your weight and the duration and you get a solid estimate of calories burned — the same method used by the Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference behind most fitness trackers. Find more training tools in our Sports Calculators collection.
The Calories Burned Formula
Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes
Your weight matters a lot: a 180 lb person burns roughly 30% more than a 140 lb person doing the same workout, because moving a bigger body takes more energy. Duration matters linearly — double the time, double the burn.
Calories Burned Examples (Verified, 154 lb / 70 kg, 30 minutes)
- Walking at 3.5 mph: 158 kcal
- Running at 6 mph: 360 kcal
- Cycling at 12–14 mph: 294 kcal
- Swimming laps: 305 kcal
- Hiking: 221 kcal
Heart rate-based estimates (from a watch) can refine these numbers, but MET estimates are typically within 10–20% — good enough for planning meals and training. For your total daily burn including rest, use the TDEE Calculator; for run pacing, the Pace Calculator.
Walking vs. Running Calories
Per minute, running burns about twice what walking does. Per mile, the gap shrinks: walking a mile burns roughly 80–100 kcal and running a mile roughly 110–130 kcal for an average adult, because running is less economical. If your goal is fat loss, the best exercise is the one you will repeat — total weekly minutes beat intensity for most people. Strength work counts too: test your strength level with our One Rep Max Calculator.
Related Tools
- TDEE Calculator — total daily energy expenditure
- Pace Calculator — running pace, time and distance
- One Rep Max Calculator — strength training loads
- Sports Calculators — the full sports collection
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories do I burn walking 10,000 steps?
About 400–500 kcal for most adults: 10,000 steps is roughly 5 miles, and walking burns about 80–100 kcal per mile depending on your weight and pace. Enter your weight above with the walking activity for a closer figure.
How accurate is this calories burned calculator?
MET-based estimates are generally within 10–20% of measured values. Individual fitness, terrain, temperature and efficiency all shift the real number slightly.
Do heavier people burn more calories exercising?
Yes. Energy cost scales with body mass, which is why weight is a required input — the same 30-minute run can differ by 100+ kcal between two people.
Should I eat back the calories I burn?
If you are maintaining weight, roughly yes; if you are losing, most people eat back only part of them, because exercise estimates (and food labels) both carry error. Track the trend over 2–3 weeks and adjust.
Which exercise burns the most calories?
Per hour for a 154 lb person: running at 8 mph (~845 kcal), jump rope (~662), swimming laps (~610) and vigorous rowing (~588) lead the list in this calculator.
Is this calculator free?
Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.