Activity Calorie Calculator — Walking, Running, Cycling

Estimate calories burned walking, running, cycling, or on the treadmill using MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities. Enter weight and duration.

July 3, 2026

Activity

Pace / Intensity

Body Weight (lb)

Duration (minutes)

Estimated Calories Burned

156 kcal

≈5.2 kcal/min

Calories = MET × Body Weight (kg) × Duration (hours). One MET is the energy cost of resting quietly — roughly 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour. MET values are population averages and don't account for individual fitness level, terrain, or efficiency, so treat results as a solid estimate rather than an exact figure.

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Reference Values

Last verified: Jul 2, 2026

Category	Range	What It Means	Status
Walking, 2.5 mph (leisurely)	3.0 MET	Light-intensity activity.	Okay
Walking, 3.5 mph (brisk) ★	4.3 MET	Moderate-intensity — the most commonly recommended pace for general health walking.	★ Best
Running, 5 mph (12:00/mile)	8.3 MET	Entry-level jogging pace.	Good
Running, 6 mph (10:00/mile)	9.8 MET	Common recreational running pace.	Good
Running, 8 mph (7:30/mile)	11.8 MET	Competitive/vigorous running pace.	Okay
Cycling, 12–13.9 mph (moderate)	8.0 MET	Typical moderate-effort recreational cycling.	Good
Cycling, 16–19 mph (racing)	12.0 MET	Vigorous/competitive cycling effort.	Okay

Source: MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.), the standard reference used by exercise physiologists and virtually all calorie-burn calculators.

Worked Examples

30-Minute Brisk Walk, 160 lb Person

Activity: Walking, 3.5 mph (brisk)
Weight: 160 lb (72.6 kg)
Duration: 30 min

≈156 calories

4.3 MET × 72.6 kg × 0.5 hr = 156 calories.

45-Minute Run at 6 mph, 180 lb Person

Activity: Running, 6 mph (10:00/mile)
Weight: 180 lb (81.6 kg)
Duration: 45 min

≈600 calories

9.8 MET × 81.6 kg × 0.75 hr = 599.8 calories.

60-Minute Moderate Cycling, 200 lb Person

Activity: Cycling, 12–13.9 mph (moderate)
Weight: 200 lb (90.7 kg)
Duration: 60 min

≈726 calories

8.0 MET × 90.7 kg × 1.0 hr = 725.6 calories.

How to Use This Calculator

1

Choose an activity

Walking, Running, Cycling, or Treadmill (which includes incline options).
2

Select your pace or intensity

Each activity has a range of speed/effort options, each with its own MET value.
3

Enter your body weight and duration

Weight in pounds, duration in minutes.
4

Read your estimated calorie burn

Shown as both total calories and calories per minute.

What Each Value Means

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) (MET): A standardized measure of how much energy an activity costs relative to resting — 1 MET equals roughly the resting metabolic rate.
Calories Burned (kcal): Estimated total energy expenditure for the activity, calculated as MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a MET and how does it relate to calories burned?

MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task — a standardized way to express how intense an activity is relative to resting. 1 MET is roughly the energy cost of sitting quietly (about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour). An activity rated at 8 METs burns roughly 8 times the resting rate. Multiplying MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours) gives an estimated calorie burn.

Why does the calculator ask for weight instead of just activity and time?

Calorie burn scales directly with body mass — a heavier person burns meaningfully more calories doing the same activity for the same amount of time, because moving more mass takes more energy. Two people walking the same pace for the same duration can have noticeably different calorie burns purely based on weight.

How accurate are MET-based calorie estimates?

MET values are population averages from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard reference used by exercise scientists. They don't account for individual fitness level, running/cycling efficiency, terrain, wind, or incline unless a specific MET value for that condition is used — so treat results as a solid estimate, typically within 10-20% of a more precise metabolic-testing measurement, not an exact figure.

Does incline or terrain change the calorie burn?

Significantly. Walking on a 5-8% incline nearly doubles the MET value compared to flat walking at the same speed — this calculator includes a treadmill-incline option to reflect that. Running or cycling on hills, sand, or against wind resistance all increase energy cost above the flat-ground MET value shown here.

Is running twice as fast twice as many calories burned?

Not quite — the relationship between speed and MET isn't perfectly linear. Going from a 12:00/mile to a 6:00/mile pace (doubling speed) roughly increases MET from 8.3 to 14.5 kcal/kg/hr — about a 75% increase, not 100% — because running economy improves somewhat at a given effort level relative to pure speed doubling.