Find how many calories you burn during any exercise. 34 activities from walking to HIIT, powered by MET values. Enter your weight, pick an activity, set the duration.
| Activity | MET | Calories | Cal/Min |
|---|
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Knowing how many calories you burn during exercise is essential for weight management, performance planning, and nutrition timing. The gold standard for estimating exercise calorie burn is the MET system (Metabolic Equivalent of Task), developed from decades of research at universities worldwide. This guide explains how METs work, what affects your calorie burn, and how to use this data effectively.
Scenario 1: The Lunch Break Walker. Sarah walks briskly (5.5 km/h, MET 3.8) for 30 minutes during lunch, 5 days/week. At 65 kg: 3.8 × 65 × 0.5 = 124 cal per walk. Weekly: 619 cal. Monthly: ~2,475 cal = 0.32 kg fat. In a year: 3.9 kg of fat burned just from lunch walks. Use our Calorie Deficit Calculator to pair with diet.
Scenario 2: The HIIT Enthusiast. Marcus does 25-minute HIIT sessions (MET 8.0) 4x/week at 80 kg. Per session: 8.0 × 80 × 0.42 = 267 cal + ~75 cal afterburn = 342 total. Weekly: 1,368 cal. That is a 500-cal daily deficit worth of exercise alone. Use our Heart Rate Zone Calculator to optimize intensity.
Scenario 3: The Swimmer. Priya swims moderate laps (MET 5.8) for 45 minutes 3x/week at 68 kg. Per session: 5.8 × 68 × 0.75 = 296 cal. Weekly: 887 cal. Swimming is joint-friendly and burns more than most land exercises due to water resistance. She also needs extra calories for body temperature regulation in cool water.
Scenario 4: The Weight Lifter. David does vigorous weight training (MET 6.0) for 60 minutes 5x/week at 85 kg. Per session: 6.0 × 85 × 1.0 = 510 cal. Weekly: 2,550 cal. But the real benefit is muscle gain: each kg of muscle burns ~13 extra calories per day at rest. After gaining 3 kg muscle: 39 extra cal/day = 14,235 cal/year burned automatically. Use our TDEE Calculator for his nutrition needs.
💡 Key insight: The best exercise for calorie burn is the one you will do consistently. Jump rope burns 12.3 METs but most people cannot sustain it for 30 minutes. Brisk walking at 3.8 METs for 60 minutes (266 cal) is more realistic and sustainable than 15 minutes of jump rope (144 cal) before quitting from exhaustion. Consistency beats intensity every time.
| Jump Rope (fast) | 12.3 MET |
| Running (14 km/h) | 13.5 MET |
| Swimming (vigorous) | 9.8 MET |
| Stair Climbing | 9.0 MET |
| HIIT / CrossFit | 8.0 MET |