Calories Burned Calculator — 2024 Compendium MET Values
Estimate calories burned for 28 activities using MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, see how much is above your resting burn, and how the session counts toward the weekly activity guidelines.
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Calories for the same duration at your weight, and each activity's intensity band.
| Activity | MET | Calories | Intensity |
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How this calculator works
A MET (metabolic equivalent) expresses an activity's energy cost as a multiple of resting, where 1 MET = 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute. Using the standard ACSM conversion:
- Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200
- Net calories (above what you'd burn resting anyway) = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200
- Intensity (Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans): light < 3 METs, moderate 3–5.9, vigorous ≥ 6
MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. If you add sex, age and height, the calculator also shows a corrected MET — the Compendium's recommended adjustment that divides 3.5 by your predicted resting rate (Harris-Benedict), since the standard 3.5 overstates resting metabolism for many adults. It can move an activity into a higher intensity band; calorie totals stay the same.
By Suhaib Hassan · Reviewed 28 September 2026 against the 2024 Adult Compendium · How CalculatePilot verifies formulas →
A worked example
A 75 kg (165 lb) person running at 6 mph (MET 9.3) for 30 minutes: 9.3 × 3.5 × 75 ÷ 200 = 12.2 kcal a minute, or about 366 kcal. About 39 kcal of that would have been burned at rest anyway, so the net extra is about 327 kcal. The same 30 minutes of Hatha yoga (MET 2.3) is about 91 kcal.
How the session counts toward activity guidelines
Adults are advised to get 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent mix, plus muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days. A minute of vigorous activity counts roughly the same as two minutes of moderate activity.
Why MET-based estimates are approximate
The Compendium was built to standardize activity intensities for research, not to measure one person's exact burn. Fitness, technique, terrain and body composition all shift the real figure. Heart-rate-based wearables can be more personal, though they have their own error.
Sources
- Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. J Sport Health Sci 2024;13:6–12.
- Compendium of Physical Activities — Corrected METs (Kozey et al.; Byrne et al.)
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (metabolic equations).
- U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition
Frequently asked questions
What is a MET?
A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) compares an activity's energy use with sitting at rest. 1 MET is resting; running at 6 mph is 9.3 METs, meaning it uses roughly 9.3 times as much energy per minute.
What's the difference between gross and net calories burned?
Gross calories include what your body would have burned at rest during that time. Net calories subtract that resting amount, which is a fairer figure when deciding how much extra energy exercise used.
Why is my fitness tracker's number different?
Trackers combine heart rate, movement and their own algorithms, while this calculator uses average MET values for each activity. Both are estimates — use one method consistently to track changes over time.
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