How Many Calories Do You Burn? Understanding MET in 5 Minutes

Knowing how many calories each activity burns helps you plan workouts and manage weight — and the key to the math is MET.

What Is MET?

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) measures activity intensity relative to resting metabolism (sitting still = 1 MET):

• Sitting / desk work = 1.0 MET — burns about your resting rate
• Walking (5 km/h) = 3.5 MET
• Brisk walk (6.5 km/h) = 4.3 MET
• Gym / strength training = 5.0 MET
• Swimming (moderate) = 5.8 MET
• Cycling (moderate) = 6.8 MET
• Running (9 km/h) = 9.8 MET

The Calorie Burn Formula

Calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × hours

Example: a 70 kg person brisk-walking for 30 minutes:

• 4.3 × 70 × 0.5 = 150.5 calories

Why Numbers Differ Between People

1. Body weight — heavier bodies burn more, since moving more mass takes more energy
2. Activity intensity — higher MET means more calories per hour
3. Duration — longer sessions burn more in total (per-hour rate stays the same)

Calculate It Instantly

Enter your weight, pick an activity and duration — use our free Calories Burned Calculator to get total calories and per-hour burn. No sign-up needed.