What a MET is
A MET, or metabolic equivalent, expresses how hard an activity is compared with sitting quietly. Sitting is 1 MET. Brisk walking is about 4.3, so it uses roughly four times the energy of resting. For a rough sense of scale, 1 MET is close to one calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour.
The MET values in this calculator come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a research reference compiled from energy-use measurements in lab and field studies. We use rounded values from the 2011 edition.
The formula
Calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours)
Extra above resting = (MET − 1) × weight (kg) × time (hours)The first figure includes the calories you would have used sitting still. The second is the extra the activity adds.
Worked example
A 72 kg person walks briskly for 40 minutes, then, on another day, jogs at 8 km/h for 40 minutes.
- Brisk walk: 4.3 × 72 × (40 ÷ 60) = 206 kcal, of which 158 kcal is extra above resting
- Jog at 8 km/h: 8.3 × 72 × (40 ÷ 60) = 398 kcal, of which 350 kcal is extra
The jog burns about 1.9 times as much in the same 40 minutes, because it is a harder activity (a higher MET value).
Calories burned in 30 minutes, by activity
These are the 16 activities in the calculator, for a person weighing 70 kg. Your own figure scales with your weight: a 90 kg person burns about 29 percent more, a 55 kg person about 21 percent less.
| Activity | MET | Calories (30 min, 70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Jumping rope | 11.8 | 413 |
| Running, 10 km/h | 9.8 | 343 |
| Running, 8 km/h | 8.3 | 291 |
| Cycling, moderate (20 km/h) | 8 | 280 |
| Circuit or interval training | 8 | 280 |
| Dance fitness class | 7.3 | 256 |
| Soccer, casual game | 7 | 245 |
| Basketball, general play | 6.5 | 228 |
| Hiking | 6 | 210 |
| Swimming laps, moderate | 5.8 | 203 |
| Elliptical trainer | 5 | 175 |
| Walking, brisk (5.5 km/h) | 4.3 | 151 |
| Cycling, easy (under 16 km/h) | 4 | 140 |
| Strength training | 3.5 | 123 |
| Walking, slow (3 km/h) | 2.8 | 98 |
| Yoga | 2.5 | 88 |
Choosing the right activity from the list
The speeds in the list are averages, so match your effort rather than the label exactly.
- Walking: slow (3 km/h) is a stroll. Brisk (5.5 km/h) is a pace where you can talk but not sing and you notice your breathing.
- Running: 8 km/h is about 7 minutes 30 seconds per kilometre, and 10 km/h is 6 minutes per kilometre. If you jog more slowly than 8 km/h, the running figure will be too high, and the hiking figure (6.0 MET) is a closer match.
- Cycling: easy means leisurely and under 16 km/h on the flat. Moderate is around 20 km/h or steady effort on hills.
- Strength training: the value is for light to moderate effort. If you lift heavy with short rests, the true figure is higher, so treat the result as a minimum.
Which number should you eat back?
Usually neither. If you set your activity level honestly when you worked out your calories on the TDEE or daily calorie page, your normal exercise is already included. Eating the calories back would count it twice.
When you do something unusual, such as a long hike on a rest day, add the extra above resting figure, not the main one, because the resting part is already in your daily target. Many people also eat back only half, because exercise estimates tend to run high.
What about 10,000 steps?
At a brisk pace most people take roughly 100 to 120 steps a minute, so 10,000 steps takes about 80 to 100 minutes. For a 70 kg person walking briskly for 90 minutes the calculator gives 452 calories, of which about 347 is extra above resting. A smaller person burns less, and a slower pace burns less again.
Why your watch gives a different answer
Watches and trackers estimate energy use from heart rate, motion and the personal details you entered. Studies comparing wearables with laboratory measurements have found large and inconsistent errors in calorie estimates, much bigger than their errors for heart rate or steps. This calculator uses a fixed average for each activity, so it will not know if you are fitter, faster, running uphill or carrying a load. Use either as a rough guide, and trust the trend in your weight over several weeks.
These results are general estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. See the disclaimer for who should check with a professional first.