Calories burned calculator
The calories you burn in an activity depend on how hard it is, how heavy you are and how long you do it. FitCalcs uses the MET method: a MET is how many times harder an activity is than sitting still, taken from the Compendium of Physical Activities that researchers use. Pick an activity, enter your weight and the minutes, and you get a calorie estimate. Real burn varies with fitness and effort, so treat it as a good estimate rather than a precise count. This is general information, not medical advice.
How this is worked out
FitCalcs uses the MET method. A MET (metabolic equivalent) is how many times harder an activity is than sitting still. Running at 9.5 km/h is about 9.8 METs, so it burns roughly 9.8 times your resting rate:
calories = METs x 3.5 x weight kg ÷ 200 x minutes
The MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference database researchers use. Real burn varies with fitness, terrain and effort, so treat the number as a good estimate, not a precise count.
Informational only. Wearable and gym-machine figures use similar models and can differ. Editorially reviewed by FitCalcs, with each figure citing its source.
Calculators and Data Desk, FitCalcs
FitCalcs' editorial desk builds and documents the calculators, citing the underlying equation and the UK dataset behind every number. Health-related tools are editorially reviewed, with figures cited to named UK sources.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026