Calorie to Exercise Calculator
See how much exercise is needed to burn off a given number of calories. Enter calories and choose an activity.
How to use this tool
- Enter the calories you want to burn.
- Set the MET value for your activity (7 = jogging, 3.5 = brisk walk).
- Enter your body weight.
- Read the required exercise duration.
Find out how long you need to exercise to burn off any meal or snack based on your weight and activity type.
Formula
Calories burned per minute = MET × weight_kg × 3.5 ÷ 200
Exercise time (min) = calories_to_burn ÷ calories_per_minute
Exercise time (h) = minutes ÷ 60
How it works
This calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) formula endorsed by exercise physiology research to estimate how long a person must exercise to burn a target number of calories. The rate of calorie expenditure in kcal/min is derived from the MET value, body weight, and a constant (3.5 ml O₂/kg/min resting VO₂ converted to kcal). Results are estimates because individual metabolism, fitness level, and exercise intensity vary; the MET value entered should match the actual intensity of the chosen activity.
Worked example
Worked example
- Target: 500 kcal, Activity MET = 7 (e.g. running ~8 km/h), Body weight = 70 kg
- Calories per minute = 7 × 70 × 3.5 ÷ 200 = 1715 ÷ 200 = 8.575 kcal/min
- Minutes needed = 500 ÷ 8.575 ≈ 58.3 → rounded to 58 min
- Hours = 58.3 ÷ 60 ≈ 0.97 h
Exercise needed: 58 min (≈ 0.97 h)
Key terms
- MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task)
- A unit expressing the energy cost of physical activities as a multiple of resting metabolic rate; sitting quietly = 1 MET, brisk walking ≈ 3.5 MET, running ≈ 7–10 MET.
- Calorie (kcal)
- A unit of energy; in nutrition, one Calorie (capital C) equals one kilocalorie (kcal), the energy needed to raise 1 kg of water by 1 °C.
- Resting metabolic rate
- The baseline energy expended by the body at complete rest, approximately 3.5 ml of O₂ per kg of body weight per minute.
- Energy expenditure
- The total calories burned during physical activity, dependent on exercise intensity (MET), body weight, and duration.
Frequently asked questions
- What is MET value?
- MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a measure of exercise intensity. A MET of 1 is sitting quietly; walking briskly is about 3.5, jogging 7, running fast 10+.
- Why does body weight affect calorie burn?
- Heavier people move more mass against gravity, so they burn more calories for the same activity. This calculator uses the standard MET formula that accounts for body weight.