Quick answer: 30 minutes of brisk walking (3.5 to 3.9 mph, 4.8 METs) burns about 179 kcal for a 160 lb (72.6 kg) person. An hour of running at 6 mph (9.3 METs) comes to about 695 kcal, and half an hour of vigorous elliptical work (9.0 METs) about 336 kcal.
How to use it
Type your body weight in pounds or kilograms, then the time you spent on the activity, either as minutes or as hours and minutes. Choose the closest line in the list. The list is grouped by type (walking, running, cycling, gym, swimming, sports, home and yard), and every option shows its MET value so you can see at a glance how hard the Compendium rates it. If your workout mixed several things, such as a warm-up walk, 20 minutes of weights and a stretch, run the calculator once for each part and add the results.
What a MET is
MET stands for metabolic equivalent. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, set by convention at 3.5 ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. An activity rated 6 METs costs six times that. The Compendium of Physical Activities, first published in 1993 and updated in 2000, 2011 and 2024, is the reference list researchers use to give each activity a MET value. Its 2024 adult edition covers ages 19 to 59 and gives every activity a five-digit code, which this page shows next to each result so you can look the entry up yourself.
Worked example
Take 45 minutes of moderate circuit training (code 02035, 5.0 METs) for a 180 lb person. 180 lb is 81.6 kg. Oxygen use: 5.0 x 3.5 = 17.5 ml per kg per minute, so 1.429 litres a minute for the whole body. At 4.9 kcal per litre that is 7.00 kcal a minute, or about 315 kcal in 45 minutes. The net figure uses 4.0 METs instead of 5.0 and comes to about 252 kcal: the extra energy the workout cost over sitting still.
Gross or net?
The big number is gross: everything you burned during the activity, including the energy your body would have used anyway. Net subtracts that resting share. When you add exercise to a daily total that already counts your resting needs, net is the fairer figure, and the gap matters most for gentle activities. For yoga at 2.3 METs, net is only about 57% of gross; for running at 9.3 METs it is about 89%.
Half an hour of common activities
Gross kcal for 30 minutes at three body weights, from the same formula as the calculator.
| Activity (code) | METs | 130 lb | 160 lb | 200 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking, strolling under 2 mph (17151) | 2.3 | 70 | 86 | 107 |
| Yoga, general (02175) | 2.3 | 70 | 86 | 107 |
| Pilates, general (02105) | 2.8 | 85 | 105 | 131 |
| Vacuuming (05043) | 3.0 | 91 | 112 | 140 |
| Weight training, 8 to 15 reps (02054) | 3.5 | 106 | 131 | 163 |
| Golf, carrying clubs (15265) | 4.3 | 130 | 161 | 201 |
| Brisk walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph (17200) | 4.8 | 146 | 179 | 224 |
| Elliptical, moderate (02048) | 5.0 | 152 | 187 | 233 |
| Shoveling snow, moderate (08195) | 5.3 | 161 | 198 | 247 |
| Mowing the lawn, walking (08095) | 5.5 | 167 | 205 | 257 |
| Weight lifting, vigorous (02050) | 6.0 | 182 | 224 | 280 |
| Zumba class (02310) | 6.5 | 197 | 243 | 303 |
| Basketball, general (15055) | 7.5 | 228 | 280 | 350 |
| Cycling, 12 to 13.9 mph (01030) | 8.0 | 243 | 299 | 373 |
| Tennis, singles (15690) | 8.0 | 243 | 299 | 373 |
| Elliptical, vigorous (02049) | 9.0 | 273 | 336 | 420 |
| Running, 6 to 6.3 mph (12050) | 9.3 | 282 | 347 | 434 |
| Jumping rope (02068) | 11.0 | 334 | 411 | 513 |
| Running, 10 mph (12120) | 14.8 | 449 | 553 | 691 |
Limits of MET estimates
- Compendium values are averages for adults, measured on groups of people. The Compendium team itself says it was not designed to give the precise energy cost of an activity for one person.
- A MET of 3.5 ml/kg/min is a convention. The Compendium website describes a corrected MET method that swaps in a resting rate predicted from age, height, weight and sex (the Harris-Benedict equation), because real resting rates differ from the standard value.
- Effort inside one label varies a lot. Choose the line that best matches how hard the session actually was.
- These are energy estimates for planning and curiosity, not medical or weight-loss advice.
For activities with a speed or a power reading, the dedicated tools are more precise: the running, walking and treadmill calorie calculators use the ACSM equations, and the cycling, rowing, swimming and hiking pages cover those sports in detail. How each calorie formula works is summarised on the methodology page. Counting steps instead of minutes? Convert them with the steps to miles calculator.
Sources: Herrmann et al. (2024), 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, J Sport Health Sci; 2024 Adult Compendium: activity categories and MET values; Compendium of Physical Activities: corrected METs for adults; ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, Table 7.3 metabolic calculations (as reproduced by Texas Tech University). Rules checked . Found a problem? Tell us.
Questions
How do I calculate calories burned?
Multiply the activity's MET value by 3.5 and by your weight in kg, divide by 1,000 to get litres of oxygen a minute, then multiply by 4.9 kcal per litre and by the minutes. For a 160 lb person, brisk walking at 4.8 METs comes to about 6.0 kcal a minute.
How many calories do I burn in an hour of exercise?
It depends on the activity and your weight. For a 160 lb person, an hour of yoga is about 172 kcal, brisk walking about 358, cycling at 12 to 13.9 mph about 597 and running at 6 mph about 695 kcal.
Do heavier people burn more calories doing the same activity?
Yes. MET estimates scale directly with body weight, so 30 minutes of the same activity at 200 lb gives 25% more kcal than at 160 lb.
How many calories does weight lifting burn?
The 2024 Compendium rates weight training with several exercises at 8 to 15 reps at 3.5 METs and vigorous power lifting or bodybuilding at 6.0 METs. For a 160 lb person that is about 131 and 224 kcal per 30 minutes.
Is my fitness watch more accurate than this?
Not necessarily. Watches use their own models, often with heart rate, and the methods are not published. A MET estimate is transparent: you can check the code, the value and the arithmetic yourself.