What is MET?
MET is a reference energy cost relative to conventional rest. This calculation uses 3.5 ml oxygen per kg per minute as 1 MET and an approximate energy conversion. Your actual resting rate may differ.
MOVEMENT IN CONTEXT
Exercise Calorie Calculator
Estimate calories burned while walking, running, cycling, lifting weights and doing other activities.
↗ 33 referenced activities · 2024 Compendium⌁ No account · browser calculations
Estimate for this activity
Total includes resting-equivalent energy during the entered minutes. Active subtracts an approximate 1 MET and is not exactly what a watch measures.
A population estimate, not an individual measurement. Weight, technique, fitness and breaks affect actual expenditure. No personal error margin is calculated.
Build a sequential session
Each row follows the previous one. For simultaneous activities, choose one representative activity per interval: do not add the same time twice.
Saving is optional and only happens through your action. Weight and sessions stay on this device; others using this browser can access them. Clearing the browser or changing devices may erase history.
Compare expenditure, not the value of exercise
Higher kcal/min does not mean a better exercise for everyone. Ranking uses current weight and total calories, not health outcomes.
Same weight. Same duration.
Choose up to three activities. Bars show estimated total calories for the current weight and duration.
Turn a target into approximate time
Not a prescription or an incentive to compensate for food with exercise. Times may be unsuitable for your condition; treat them as mathematical examples.
Combine my preferences
Deterministic search over sequential 5–120 minute segments in 5-minute steps, with ±5% tolerance. MET values are never blended or changed. The grid may miss other possible solutions.
Your sessions, under your control
Saving is optional and only happens through your action. Weight and sessions stay on this device; others using this browser can access them. Clearing the browser or changing devices may erase history.
Only files exported by this tool, up to 500 KB and 50 sessions. Validated imports are added to local history after confirmation.
Total and active calories
Total includes resting-equivalent energy in the entered minutes. Active subtracts 1 MET before calculating. These are two estimates for the same interval, not amounts to add together.
Weight, intensity and duration
Weight and time multiply expenditure in the formula. That does not make different people metabolically identical. Technique, terrain, fitness and efficiency vary. Each intensity description is a published record, not an arbitrary conversion from speed.
Walking and running
Ranking compares expenditure at the same weight. It does not assess pain, impact, enjoyment, ability or individual benefit. An activity with fewer calories per minute may be the appropriate choice for someone.
Strength training and breaks
Strength-training METs reference the type of session described. Rest, load and repetitions change average expenditure. Enter representative time or separate segments; this tool does not measure afterburn or convert lifted load into calories.
Why does my watch show a different number?
Watches may combine heart rate, motion and proprietary algorithms with different definitions of active calories. This tool uses reference METs without sensors. Comparing the numbers alone cannot establish which is correct.
FAQ
Is the value precise for everyone?
No. It is a population estimate without an individual error interval. The Adult Compendium was developed for adults aged 19–59. Separate older-adult and wheelchair references are not integrated in this MVP.
Can I add this to BMI daily expenditure?
Not automatically. The TDEE activity factor may already include habitual exercise. Adding it again creates double counting. The tools work separately without transferring weight or calculating a clinical energy balance.
How should simultaneous activities be recorded?
Choose one representative reference for each interval. Each builder segment is sequential, not simultaneous. Do not enter the same minutes in two rows to represent one combined exercise.
How does the target work?
Time = target ÷ calories per minute, using your selected total or active basis. Combinations are mathematical examples with 5% tolerance, not personal recommendations. Times over 240 minutes are flagged and not offered as automatic sessions.
Where are saved sessions stored?
Only in this browser's local storage after you select Save. Current calculations are not automatically saved. Export JSON/CSV, import validated JSON, favourite or delete sessions. Recovery on another device requires your exported file.
Can I enter speed or incline?
This version uses only published pace ranges in activity descriptions. No speed, distance or incline input changes MET without a documented methodology. Converted pace units describe the same record, not interpolated METs.
Sources and open method
A reduced catalogue from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, for adults aged 19–59. Source codes, descriptions and METs are retained; translations and low-impact classification are editorial. No Compendium endorsement is implied.
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200
active kcal = max(MET − 1, 0) × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes
2024 Compendium of Physical Activities ↗Herrmann SD et al. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024;13(1):6–12.
Privacy (Portuguese)
Weight and history are not sent to the server or analytics. No cookies or automatic workout saving. Hosting may process IP and technical data to serve and protect the page. Exports and shares are copies under your control.
Exercise is not added to BMI TDEE: its activity factor may already include it. No weight or data is transferred between tools.