Calories burned in 30 minutes, top activities for your weight
| Activity | MET | kcal / 30 min |
|---|---|---|
| Running, 8.6 mph (7 min/mile) | 12.5 | 425 |
| Running, 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 11.8 | 401 |
| Jump rope, moderate pace | 11.8 | 401 |
| Running, 6.7 mph (9 min/mile) | 10.5 | 357 |
| Swimming, breaststroke | 10.3 | 350 |
| Cycling, 14–15.9 mph, vigorous | 10 | 340 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, fast | 9.8 | 333 |
| Running, 6–6.3 mph (10 min/mile) | 9.3 | 316 |
| Spin class | 9 | 306 |
| Elliptical, vigorous | 9 | 306 |
| Running, 5.0–5.2 mph (12 min/mile) | 8.5 | 289 |
| Cycling, 12–13.9 mph, moderate | 8 | 272 |
What a MET is
One MET (metabolic equivalent) is the energy you use sitting quietly, conventionally 3.5 ml of oxygen per kg per minute, or roughly 1 kcal per kg per hour. The CDC treats 3–5.9 METs as moderate and 6+ as vigorous. The values here come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard research reference, which lists over 1,000 activities.
Exercise burns fewer calories than most people expect: a 30-minute brisk walk is roughly a slice of toast with butter. That’s not a reason to skip it. The heart, mood and blood sugar benefits of movement stand on their own.
Questions people ask
How are calories burned calculated?
Each activity has a MET value: how many times more energy it uses than sitting quietly. Calories ≈ MET × body weight in kg × hours. Walking briskly at 4.8 METs for 30 minutes at 70 kg uses about 168 kcal.
How accurate are calories burned estimates?
MET values are averages from research. Your fitness, technique, terrain and body composition change the real figure, so treat results as ±20% or so. Fitness trackers have similar or larger errors.
Do heavier people burn more calories?
Yes. Moving more body mass takes more energy, which is why the calculation scales with weight.
Are these net or gross calories?
Gross: they include the ~1 kcal/kg/hour you would burn anyway at rest. For net extra calories from exercise, subtract one MET: (MET − 1) × kg × hours.
Sources
- Herrmann SD et al. (2024). 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci 13:6–12 (pacompendium.com).
- Ainsworth BE et al. (2011). 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43:1575–1581.
- CDC. Measuring physical activity intensity: moderate vs vigorous examples.
Every formula on VitalMetrics is listed with its original reference on Sources & methods.