A 68 kg person running at 6 mph for 45 minutes burns about 525 kcal, roughly 700 kcal an hour. That is 9.8 METs, a vigorous effort.
What this calculates
Pick an activity, enter your weight and how long you do it, and this estimates the calories you burn using the MET value for that activity. It also shows the burn per hour and per minute, the effort level on a light, moderate and vigorous scale, and a table of what the same time would burn at other activities. The MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities.
The formula
Per minute
kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200Total
calories burned = kcal per minute × minutesLight activity is under 3 METs, moderate 3 to under 6, and vigorous 6 and over.
Worked example
Walking at 3 mph (3.5 METs) for 30 minutes at 70 kg burns about 129 kcal; moderate cycling (8 METs) for an hour at 82.5 kg burns 693 kcal; and an hour of Hatha yoga (2.5 METs) at 55 kg burns about 144 kcal.
When to use it, and the mistakes to avoid
Use it to compare activities, to plan how much exercise offsets a meal, or to set a weekly activity target alongside the calorie calculator.
The mistakes that cost the most:
- Treating the figure as exact. It is an average; yours can differ by 10% to 20%.
- Counting rest time. Enter the time you were actually active, not the whole session.
- Eating back every calorie. Estimates run high for many people; do not over-compensate.
- Choosing the wrong intensity. Brisk and slow walking differ by a third; pick the closest pace.
- Ignoring weight. The same workout burns far more for a heavier person.
FAQ
How many calories does running burn?
About 525 kcal for 45 minutes at 6 mph (10 minutes a mile) for a 68 kg person, or roughly 700 kcal an hour. The burn rises with your weight and with your pace: at 8 mph (11.8 METs) the same person burns about 20% more than at 6 mph.
What is a MET?
A metabolic equivalent: how many times the energy of sitting quietly an activity uses. Walking briskly is about 4 METs, running at 6 mph about 10. Multiplying the METs by your weight and the time gives the energy used, which is how this calculator works.
How is the calorie burn worked out?
Calories per minute = METs × 3.5 × your weight in kilograms ÷ 200, then times the minutes. It rests on the fact that one MET uses 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram a minute, and a litre of oxygen releases about 5 kcal.
Why does my watch show a different number?
Watches use heart rate and your age, sex and fitness; this uses a standard MET for the activity and your weight. Neither is exact. Real burn varies with fitness, technique, terrain and how hard you actually work, often by 10% to 20%.
Does a heavier person burn more calories?
Yes. Moving a heavier body takes more energy, so the burn is proportional to weight: someone twice as heavy burns twice the calories doing the same thing for the same time.