This calculator uses MET values, a standard way of rating how hard an activity is compared with sitting still. One MET is roughly your resting burn. Brisk walking is about 5 METs, so it burns about five times as many calories per minute as sitting.
Looking for more detail on one activity? Each of our activity calculators has more options and notes: walking, running, treadmill with incline, steps, cycling, swimming, StairMaster, elliptical, jump rope and rowing machine. For chores, see shoveling snow, mowing and yard work and house cleaning.
Total vs net calories
Your body burns calories all day just to keep running, roughly 1 MET. The total figure includes those calories. The net figure subtracts them, leaving only the extra energy the activity cost. Net is the more honest number if you are thinking about how much a workout adds to a calorie deficit.
Don't count the same calories twice
If you set a calorie target with our TDEE calculator and chose an activity level that includes your usual workouts, those workouts are already in your target. Adding exercise calories on top would count them twice. Use these numbers for workouts beyond your normal routine, or to compare activities.
How accurate is this?
MET values are averages measured in groups of adults aged 19 to 59. Your real burn can differ by 10 to 20% or more because of fitness, technique, body composition and how hard you actually worked. Adults over 60 often burn somewhat less than these estimates; a separate Compendium for older adults exists for that reason. Treat the result as a solid estimate rather than an exact count. Fitness trackers are no more precise; see how accurate fitness trackers are for calories.
Questions people ask
What is a MET?
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, about 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated 6 METs uses roughly six times that. MET values come from lab measurements collected in the Compendium of Physical Activities.
Why do heavier people burn more calories doing the same exercise?
Moving more body mass takes more energy. That is why every calories-burned estimate needs your weight. Two people walking side by side at the same pace can burn noticeably different amounts.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
Usually not all of them. Exercise estimates, including those from fitness trackers, tend to run high, and if you chose an activity level in a TDEE calculator, your regular workouts are already counted there. Use the net number here and treat it as a rough guide.
Sources
- Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024;13(1):6–12. pacompendium.com