Calories Burned Calculator — Free

A MET, or metabolic equivalent of task, is the workhorse of exercise calorie estimates. One MET is the rate of energy you expend sitting quietly — about 1.05 kcal per kilogram of bodyweight per hour. Every activity is assigned a MET multiple of that resting rate: brisk walking is roughly 4.3 MET, running at 6 mph is 9.8 MET, and the Stairmaster is about 9 MET. The published values come from the Ainsworth Compendium of Physical Activities (2011), the same reference our Walking and Steps calculators use.

Multiply the MET value by your weight in kilograms and the hours you spend, then by 1.05, and you have the calories burned. Because your weight is part of the equation, two people doing the identical workout burn different amounts — a heavier body moves more mass and uses more energy. That is why a generic “300 calories per workout” figure is misleading, and why this calculator asks for your weight. Already have a MET value? Convert it directly with the MET to Calories Calculator.

Gross vs net burn: these figures are gross calories — they include the calories you would have burned at rest during the same time. For weight-loss maths the net burn (over and above resting) is a little lower. We report gross burn because it is what fitness trackers and machines display, but keep the distinction in mind when you fold the number into a deficit.

Counting steps instead of minutes? Switch the calculator to By steps mode. It converts your step count into walking time using a typical cadence for your chosen pace, then applies the same MET formula. As a rule of thumb, 10,000 steps burns roughly 300–500 kcal for most adults — about 400 kcal for a 70 kg walker at an average pace — but body weight and pace move that figure substantially.

If you want to turn daily steps into a weekly fat-loss projection with distance covered and milestone dates, use the dedicated Daily Steps Calculator. For a pace-by-pace walking burn with a weight-loss timeline, see the Walking Weight Loss Calculator. Working the other way — from a calorie goal to a step count — is the Calories to Steps Calculator.

Burning calories through exercise only creates weight loss when it adds up to an overall calorie deficit — you have to end the day having used more energy than you ate. The single biggest mistake is “eating back” the burn: a 300 kcal workout undone by a 300 kcal snack nets zero. Two steps make the burn count:

1. Find your daily total. Your TDEE is everything you burn in a day — resting metabolism plus all movement. A single activity is just one slice of it.
2. Set a deficit. The Calorie Deficit Calculator turns your TDEE and goal into a daily calorie target. Exercise can widen that deficit, but diet is what makes it reliable.

A practical rule: use exercise to support a moderate dietary deficit, not to out-train a poor diet. Walking and lifting are especially valuable because they protect muscle and are sustainable day after day. And don't forget the fluid you sweat out — work out how much to replace with the Water Intake Calculator, which adds to your daily target based on how long you train.