The standard way to estimate calories burned in exercise uses METs — an activity's intensity as a multiple of resting metabolism. The formula is calories = MET × weight(kg) × time(hours). So a more intense activity (higher MET), a heavier body, or a longer session all increase the burn, each as a direct multiplier. Published MET tables cover hundreds of activities, from yoga (~2.5) to running (~9.8) to jumping rope (~11). It's an estimate — handy for comparing workouts and planning, not an exact measurement.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: the MET energy-expenditure formula. Not medical advice.
The calories-burned equation
A MET of 1 is resting; an activity rated at, say, 8 METs uses roughly eight times that energy. Multiplying by weight accounts for the cost of moving your body, and by time for how long you do it. Dividing the hourly figure by 60 gives a per-minute rate. The gross figure includes the resting calories you'd burn anyway; subtracting 1 MET gives the extra (net) calories from exercising rather than resting.
Worked example — a 30-minute run
Scenario: running (9.8 METs), 70 kg, for 30 minutes.
The run burns about 343 calories — roughly 11.4 per minute, or 686 if continued for a full hour. Swap the activity and the figure scales with the MET: at the same 70 kg and 30 minutes, brisk walking (3.8) burns about 133, cycling (7.5) about 263, and swimming (8.0) about 280. Change the weight too and it shifts again — a 90 kg runner would burn about 441 in the same half hour, since the calorie total scales directly with body mass.
Frequently Asked Questions
calories = MET × kg × hours. Running 9.8 MET, 70 kg, 30 min → 343.
Intensity vs resting. Walking ≈ 3.8, cycling ≈ 7.5, running ≈ 9.8, jump rope ≈ 11.
Heavier bodies use more energy to move, so calories scale with kg. 90 kg burns more than 60 kg.
A population average. Fitness, intensity and form vary; a heart-rate monitor is more personal.
Gross (includes resting). Net extra ≈ (MET − 1) × kg × hours.