The sum
Calories = METs × body weight in kg × hours, because 1 MET is about 1 kilocalorie (kcal) per kg per hour. A 30-minute brisk walk at 70 kg is 4.8 × 70 × 0.5, about 170 kcal (our arithmetic).
Calculator
Calories burned calculator
Pick an activity, enter how long you did it and your weight, and this calculator estimates the calories you burned, using MET values (metabolic equivalents: how many times more energy an activity uses than sitting quietly) from the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities. It shows the total and the extra over sitting still, and uses older-adult values for over-60s where they exist. Treat the result as a ballpark: two people on the same walk can burn noticeably different amounts, and watches are often further out.
Estimate the calories you burned
Choose an activity, or enter the MET value of another one, then add the minutes, your weight in kg, lb or stones and pounds, and your age if you're 60 or over.
Calories burned, total
170kcal (700 kJ)
About 135 kcal of that is extra over sitting still; the rest you'd have burned anyway.
Walking, brisk, 3.5 to 3.9 mph (5.6 to 6.3 km/h): 2024 Adult Compendium code 17200, 4.8 METs, a measured value. A MET is a multiple of the energy you use sitting still.
Moderate intensity: counts towards your 150 minutes a week.
144 MET-minutes. The guideline's 150 to 300 moderate minutes a week come to about 500 to 1,000.
| Activity | METs | Total kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Walking, brisk, 3.5 to 3.9 mph (5.6 to 6.3 km/h) | 4.8 | 170 |
| Running, 6 to 6.3 mph (9.7 to 10.1 km/h, 10 min/mile) | 9.3 | 325 |
| Cycling, under 10 mph (16 km/h), leisure | 4.0 | 140 |
| Swimming, front crawl, slow | 5.8 | 205 |
| Weight training, several exercises, 8 to 15 reps | 3.5 | 125 |
| Yoga, hatha | 2.3 | 80 |
Your real figure could be noticeably higher or lower: the values are averages, older adults often use more energy for the same task, and rest breaks lower it.
Don't expect the scales to move by the same amount: the body makes up some of it, and exercise alone usually takes off 2 to 3 kg. Exercise for weight loss explains why, and what exercise does well.
The short version
Total and extra
The total includes what you'd burn sitting quietly anyway, 1.0 MET. The extra over sitting still is (METs - 1) × kg × hours: about 135 kcal for that walk. Our yoga and Pilates weight-loss guides give both figures too.
Values from the 2024 Compendium
The 2024 Adult Compendium lists 1,114 activities for ages 19 to 59, 912 of them with measured values. All 57 activities here are measured values, with their exact codes.
Over-60s have their own values
The Older Adult Compendium measures against a lower resting rate (2.7 instead of 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute). Its values have to be converted (× 2.7 ÷ 3.5) before they go into the sum, or the answer comes out about 30% too high (our arithmetic). The calculator does this for the 11 activities that have one.
An estimate, not a measurement
The Compendium's authors say it doesn't give any one person's precise energy use. Measured resting energy averaged 20% below the 1 kcal per kg per hour convention in 769 adults, and older adults use 5 to 30% more energy for the same task. Watches do worse: in one study, no wrist device got its calorie error below 20%.
Calories aren't kilos
Exercise alone takes off about 2 to 3 kg on average. About 28% of the extra calories you burn are offset by a lower resting burn, people who start exercising tend to eat a little more, and the 3,500-calories-per-pound rule "grossly overestimates actual weight loss". So the calculator doesn't turn calories into kilos.
How the calculator works
The sum
Calories = METs × weight in kg × minutes ÷ 60. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute or about 1 kcal per kg per hour, and the Compendium's own adult calculator uses the same sum. The total is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal and also shown in kilojoules (kJ; 1 kcal is 4.184 kJ).
Some calculators use METs × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 a minute instead, which gives about 5% more (our arithmetic). We use 1 kcal per kg per hour, as our other guides do.
Total against extra
The total includes the energy you'd have used anyway: sitting quietly (code 07021) is 1.0 MET. The extra over sitting still takes that away: (METs - 1) × kg × hours. For a 30-minute brisk walk at 70 kg, that's 168 kcal in total, shown as 170, and 133 extra (our arithmetic). The extra is what the activity added.
What else the result shows
The activity's code, description and METs; its intensity class; its MET-minutes (METs × minutes); and a short table comparing a few common activities for the same time and weight. The Compendium classes activities by METs: sedentary 1.0 to 1.5, light 1.6 to 2.9, moderate 3.0 to 5.9 and vigorous 6.0 or more. Moderate and vigorous activity counts towards the guideline of 150 moderate minutes a week (or 75 vigorous), and the US guideline range of 150 to 300 moderate minutes a week is equivalent to about 500 to 1,000 MET-minutes.
Over-60s: the conversion
The Older Adult Compendium measures against a resting rate of 2.7 mL of oxygen per kg per minute, and calls its units MET60+. At 60 and over, where an activity has an older-adult value, the calculator converts it first: standard METs = MET60+ × 2.7 ÷ 3.5. Brisk walking for over-60s is 6.0 MET60+, which is 4.6 standard METs (our arithmetic). The extra over sitting still takes away the older-adult resting rate, 1 MET60+. The result shows the older-adult code, its MET60+ and the converted value.
Activities without an older-adult value use the adult one. The Compendium's spreadsheet converts adult METs to MET60+ by × 3.5 ÷ 2.7, which gives the same calories (our arithmetic).
Another activity
If yours isn't listed, look it up on the Compendium's website and enter its MET value. Prefer measured values where you can: the site marks the estimated ones in red.
What the evidence says
How the sum worksStrong evidence
The Compendium's unit page states that 1 MET is 1 kcal per kg per hour, and its 2024 paper defines a MET as 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute, or about 1.0 kcal per kg per hour. The Compendium's adult calculator works out total calories as METs × weight × minutes ÷ 60.
Total or extraStrong evidence
Sitting quietly is 1.0 MET, and METs are defined relative to rest, so the extra is METs minus 1. For hatha yoga (2.3 METs), an hour at 70 kg is about 161 kcal in total and 91 extra (our arithmetic), the figure our yoga guide gives.
Where the numbers come fromStrong evidence
The 2024 Adult Compendium lists 1,114 activities for ages 19 to 59: 912 measured and 202 estimated. The Older Adult Compendium adds 99 codes for 60 and over, from 68 studies with an average age of 68.
How far out it can be for youStrong evidence
The Compendium is a starting point, not a measurement: its authors say it doesn't reflect any one person's precise energy use. In a study they cite, women with obesity used about 8 to 15% more energy than women without at the same treadmill speeds; older adults used 5% to nearly 30% more than younger adults for the same activities; measured resting energy averaged 20% below the convention in 769 adults; and in 252 adults, standard METs put 12% of activities in the wrong intensity class.
Fitness trackersStrong evidence
In 60 adults, no wrist device got its calorie error below 20%. A review of 158 publications found no brand accurate for energy. Across 8 Apple Watch studies, errors ranged from about 10% when running to about 152% when walking. Adding heart rate to motion sensors reduced the error.
Calories and weightStrong evidence
European obesity guidance, at its top grade, says exercise training alone takes off no more than about 2 to 3 kg on average. In 1,754 adults, about 28% of the extra energy burned in activity was offset by a lower resting burn, and in a 24-week trial people who exercised ate 90.7 and 123.6 kcal a day more than controls. The 3,500-calories-per-pound rule "grossly overestimates actual weight loss", and the energy in each kilo lost depends on how much body fat you start with.
Corrected METs aren't proven betterMixed evidence
The Compendium's website offers a correction for your predicted resting rate. In its own worked examples it raised the calorie figure by about 4% to 45% (our arithmetic), yet the site says it hasn't been shown to be superior, and that standard METs should be used to class intensity. A validation study tested corrected values against measured MET ratios, not measured calories, so this calculator uses standard METs.
The activities
METs and codes are exact, from the 2024 Adult Compendium. Names are ours, km/h are our conversions of the published miles per hour (mph), and the calories are our arithmetic, rounded to 5 kcal as the calculator shows them.
Walking
Pace matters most. About 100 steps a minute is a moderate (3 MET) walking pace for most adults aged 21 to 85.
- Strolling, under 2 mph or 3.2 km/h (17151): 2.3 METs, about 80 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Walking slowly, 2 to 2.4 mph or 3.2 to 3.9 km/h (17152): 2.8 METs, about 100 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Walking at a moderate pace, 2.8 to 3.4 mph or 4.5 to 5.5 km/h (17190): 3.8 METs, about 135 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Brisk walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph or 5.6 to 6.3 km/h (17200): 4.8 METs, about 170 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Very brisk walking, 4 to 4.4 mph or 6.4 to 7.1 km/h (17220): 5.5 METs, about 195 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Fast walking, 4.5 to 4.9 mph or 7.2 to 7.9 km/h (17230): 7.0 METs, about 245 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Hiking or walking over fields and hills, no load (17082): 5.3 METs, about 185 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Walking up hills, 6 to 10% slope, no load (17035): 7.0 METs, about 245 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Climbing stairs (17131): 6.8 METs, about 240 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Running
- Jogging at your own pace (12020): 7.5 METs, about 265 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Running, 6 to 6.3 mph or 9.7 to 10.1 km/h, 10 minutes a mile (12050): 9.3 METs, about 325 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Running, 6.7 mph or 10.8 km/h, 9 minutes a mile (12060): 10.5 METs, about 370 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Running, 7.5 mph or 12.1 km/h, 8 minutes a mile (12080): 11.8 METs, about 415 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Running, 8.6 mph or 13.8 km/h, 7 minutes a mile (12100): 12.5 METs, about 440 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 25
Cycling
- Cycling for leisure, under 10 mph or 16 km/h (01010): 4.0 METs, about 140 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Cycling, 12 to 13.9 mph or 19 to 22 km/h, moderate effort (01030): 8.0 METs, about 280 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Cycling, 14 to 15.9 mph or 23 to 26 km/h, fast (01040): 10.0 METs, about 350 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Exercise bike, general (01200): 6.8 METs, about 240 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Spin class (01270): 9.0 METs, about 315 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 26
Swimming and water
- Swimming front crawl, slow (18240): 5.8 METs, about 205 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Swimming front crawl, fast (18230): 9.8 METs, about 345 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Swimming breaststroke, recreational (18265): 5.3 METs, about 185 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Water aerobics (18355): 5.5 METs, about 195 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 27
Strength and gym
- Weight training, several exercises, 8 to 15 reps (02054): 3.5 METs, about 125 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Powerlifting or bodybuilding, vigorous (02050): 6.0 METs, about 210 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges and push-ups (02056): 3.0 METs, about 105 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Kettlebell swings (02058): 9.8 METs, about 345 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Cross-trainer or elliptical, moderate effort (02048): 5.0 METs, about 175 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Rowing machine, moderate effort, under 100 watts (02071): 5.0 METs, about 175 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 17
High-intensity intervals (HIIT) and skipping
- HIIT, moderate effort (02210): 7.0 METs, about 245 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- HIIT, vigorous, such as burpees, mountain climbers and squat jumps (02214): 11.0 METs, about 385 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Skipping with a rope (02068): 11.0 METs, about 385 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 17
Yoga, Pilates and tai chi
- Yoga, general (02175): 2.3 METs, about 80 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Hatha yoga (02150): 2.3 METs, about 80 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Vinyasa yoga (02185): 2.7 METs, about 95 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Hot yoga (02155): 3.0 METs, about 105 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Pilates, traditional mat (02103): 1.8 METs, about 65 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Pilates, general (02105): 2.8 METs, about 100 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Tai chi or qi gong (15670): 3.3 METs, about 115 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Classes and dance
- Aerobics class, low impact (02005): 4.8 METs, about 170 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Zumba class (02310): 6.5 METs, about 230 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Ballroom dancing, such as waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha and swing (03042): 6.0 METs, about 210 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Housework
- Vacuuming (05043): 3.0 METs, about 105 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Mopping (05021): 3.5 METs, about 125 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Playing actively with children, active periods only (05175): 3.5 METs, about 125 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 30
Gardening
- Gardening, general (08245): 3.8 METs, about 135 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Mowing the lawn, walking (08095): 5.5 METs, about 195 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Digging (08050): 5.0 METs, about 175 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Raking (08160): 4.0 METs, about 140 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 31
Sports
- Tennis (15675): 6.8 METs, about 240 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Football, casual (15610): 7.0 METs, about 245 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Walking football (15615): 3.5 METs, about 125 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Badminton, social (15030): 5.5 METs, about 195 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Golf, walking and pulling clubs (15285): 4.5 METs, about 160 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Squash (15652): 7.3 METs, about 255 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
- Table tennis (15660): 4.0 METs, about 140 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 28
Sitting still
The baseline every other value is measured against.
- Sitting quietly (07021): 1.0 MET, about 35 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg
Source 4
Over-60s
Why older adults have their own valuesStrong evidence
The Older Adult Compendium (2024) lists 99 activity codes for adults aged 60 and over, from 68 studies with an average age of 68. Measured resting rates in people over 60 were 2.4 to 2.7 mL of oxygen per kg per minute, 22 to 31% lower than the standard 3.5, and resting rate falls by about 1% a year from about 60. Older adults also used 5% to nearly 30% more energy than younger adults for the same activities in one study, and 15% more at the same walking speed in another.
The 11 matched activities
Enter an age of 60 or over and the calculator uses these older-adult values, converted to standard METs (× 2.7 ÷ 3.5, our arithmetic). Some come out above the adult value and some below, because the studies measured what older adults actually did, and the walking speed bands differ a little from the adult ones.
- Slow walking: older-adult code 1715360 (2.0 mph or 3.2 km/h), 3.8 MET60+, equal to about 2.9 standard METs; adult code 17152, 2.8 METs
- Moderate walking: 1719060 (2.8 to 3.2 mph or 4.5 to 5.1 km/h), 5.3 MET60+, about 4.1 METs; adult 17190, 3.8 METs
- Brisk walking: 1720060 (3.3 to 3.7 mph or 5.3 to 6.0 km/h), 6.0 MET60+, about 4.6 METs; adult 17200, 4.8 METs
- Very brisk walking: 1722060 (4.0 to 4.2 mph or 6.4 to 6.8 km/h), 7.3 MET60+, about 5.6 METs; adult 17220, 5.5 METs
- Weight training, 8 to 15 reps: 0205460, 4.3 MET60+, about 3.3 METs; adult 02054, 3.5 METs
- Yoga, general: 0219060, 2.5 MET60+, about 1.9 METs; adult 02175, 2.3 METs
- Tai chi: 0221060, 3.8 MET60+, about 2.9 METs; adult 15670, 3.3 METs
- Vacuuming: 0504360, 4.3 MET60+, about 3.3 METs; adult 05043, 3.0 METs
- Gardening, general: 0826560, 3.8 MET60+, about 2.9 METs; adult 08245, 3.8 METs
- Mowing the lawn: 0809560, 6.8 MET60+, about 5.2 METs; adult 08095, 5.5 METs
- Golf, walking and pulling clubs: 1528560, 4.3 MET60+, about 3.3 METs; adult 15285, 4.5 METs
The exercise bike is left out
The older-adult code for stationary cycling (0101060, 5.3 MET60+) is for "moderate effort", while the adult code (01200, 6.8 METs) is "general", so they don't describe the same thing. Over-60s get the adult value for the exercise bike.
Why the conversion matters
MET60+ numbers look bigger because they're measured against a smaller resting rate. Put straight into the adult sum, they would overstate calories by 3.5 ÷ 2.7, about 30% (our arithmetic). The Compendium's own older-adult calculator uses MET60+ × 2.7 × kg ÷ 200 a minute, which gives about 5% more than our sum, the same 5% as for adults.
How accurate it is
For peopleStrong evidence
The Compendium was built to give studies a common set of values. Its authors say it can serve as a starting point for one person but doesn't reflect their precise energy use, and that it wasn't developed to find the precise energy cost of activities for an individual. In a study they cite, women with obesity used about 8 to 15% more energy than women without at the same treadmill speeds and slopes.
In 769 adults aged 18 to 74, measured resting oxygen use averaged 2.6 mL per kg per minute, 35% below the standard 3.5, and resting energy 0.84 kcal per kg per hour, 20% below the convention. In 252 adults doing 11 activities, standard METs averaged 0.51 MET below measured ones and put 12.2% of activities in the wrong intensity class, most often for less fit, heavier and older people. Older adults used 5 to 30% more energy than younger adults for the same tasks.
What else changes your figure
The values assume you keep going for the whole time, so rest breaks in a gym session or a tennis match lower the true figure (our reading). Pace, hills and load change the cost a lot: walking at 2.8 to 3.4 mph is 3.8 METs, at 4 to 4.4 mph it's 5.5, and up a 6 to 10% slope it's 7.0.
Source 5
Fitness trackersStrong evidence
Seven wrist devices tested on 60 adults all had energy errors of 20% or more, and errors were larger in men, at higher body mass index, with darker skin and when walking. A review of 158 publications found that "for energy expenditure, no brand was accurate". Across 60 studies, accuracy varied by activity, and adding heart rate to motion sensing reduced the error. In 8 Apple Watch studies, energy errors ranged from about 10% when running to about 152% when walking.
Use a tracker's number to compare your own days, not as a total to eat back (our suggestion).
Heart rate calorie formulasEmerging evidence
One formula built on 115 regular exercisers aged 18 to 45 explained 73% of the variation in their energy use from heart rate, without a fitness test. It was built on treadmills and bikes, so it doesn't cover weights, intervals or people on beta blockers (our reading), and this calculator doesn't offer a heart rate mode.
Source 32
What it means for your weight
Calories burned aren't kilos lostStrong evidence
European obesity guidance tells clinicians to explain that exercise training alone takes off no more than about 2 to 3 kg on average. The body makes up some of what you burn: in 1,754 adults, "only 72% of the extra calories we burn from additional activity translates into extra calories burned that day", and in a 24-week trial people who exercised ate about 90 to 125 kcal a day more than those who didn't.
Exercise trials lose less weight than the sums predict mainly because the prescribed exercise burned fairly few calories and people ate more. The 3,500-calories-per-pound rule "grossly overestimates actual weight loss", and the energy in each kilo lost depends on how much body fat you start with. So the calculator gives calories, not kilos.
What to do with the number
Use it to compare activities, or to see how a week of walking adds up, rather than to plan what you eat. Don't expect the scales to move by the same amount; our exercise for weight loss guide explains why, and what exercise does well.
If you've had an eating disorder, or find yourself using exercise to earn food, talk to your GP, and set goals for health and strength rather than calories burned (our suggestion, as in our weight-loss guide).
Workouts to try
Walking and steady cardio are the easiest ways to build up your weekly minutes. The walk and Pilates and the walk and yoga sessions pair a 20-minute brisk walk with strength work.
10-minute walk and move after meals
A 10-minute routine for straight after a meal: an easy walk, a few simple standing moves from blood sugar trials, then a short walk to finish.
10 minBeginner6 movesCardio machine, A bench or box
Easy cardio workout
A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wall
Low-impact cardio workout (no jumping)
A 25-minute standing cardio circuit with no jumping: marching, step jacks, sit-to-stands, punches, step-ups and wall push-ups, with a seated option for most moves.
25 minBeginner9 movesA bench or box, A step
Walk and Pilates workout
A 45-minute session for weight loss and health: a 20-minute brisk walk, which does more for the scales, then a short-rest Pilates circuit for strength.
45 minBeginner11 movesCardio machine
Walk and yoga workout
A 45-minute session for weight loss and health: a 20-minute brisk walk, which does more for the scales, then a standing yoga flow for strength and balance.
45 minBeginner12 movesCardio machineRead next
Questions people ask
How many calories does walking burn?
It depends mostly on your weight and pace. Brisk walking (3.5 to 3.9 mph, about 5.6 to 6.3 km/h) is 4.8 METs: about 170 calories in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, and about 240 for 100 kg. A slow walk (2 to 2.4 mph) is 2.8 METs, about 100 calories in 30 minutes at 70 kg.
How are calories burned calculated?
Each activity has a MET (metabolic equivalent) value: how many times more energy it uses than sitting quietly. Calories = METs × your weight in kg × hours, since one MET is about 1 kcal per kg per hour. The values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, which pools published measurements.
What is the difference between total and net calories?
The total includes the energy you'd have used anyway, sitting quietly (1 MET). Net, or extra, calories take that away, so they show what the activity added. For a 30-minute brisk walk at 70 kg that's about 170 total and 135 extra.
Are my watch's calories accurate?
Not very. Seven wrist devices tested against lab measurements were all at least 20% out, a review of 158 publications found no brand accurate for calories, and Apple Watch errors ranged from about 10% when running to over 100% when walking. Use the number to compare your own days, not as a total to eat back.
Why don't I lose as much weight as the calories suggest?
The body makes up some of it: in 1,754 adults about 28% of the extra calories burned were offset by a lower resting burn, and in a 24-week trial people who started exercising ate about 90 to 125 calories a day more. Exercise alone takes off about 2 to 3 kg on average, which is why this calculator doesn't turn calories into kilos. Our exercise for weight loss guide explains what exercise does well.
Do heavier people burn more calories?
Yes, for most activities, because moving more weight takes more energy: that's why the sum multiplies by your weight. Individual costs still vary around the table values; in a treadmill study the Compendium's authors cite, women with obesity used about 8 to 15% more energy than women without at the same speeds.
Do older adults burn a different amount?
Often, yes. Older adults have a lower resting rate but use 5 to 30% more energy for the same task, so the Compendium has separate values for over-60s. Enter an age of 60 or over and the calculator uses them for the 11 activities that have one, converted to standard METs.
How many calories does weight training burn?
A typical gym session of several exercises for 8 to 15 reps is 3.5 METs: about 125 calories in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person. Vigorous powerlifting or bodybuilding work is 6.0 METs, about 210. Long rests between sets lower the real figure, and strength training's main job is muscle and strength, not calories.
How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?
At a moderate pace of about 100 steps a minute, which is roughly 3 METs, 10,000 steps take about 100 minutes: about 350 calories in total for a 70 kg person, about 230 more than sitting. Faster walking burns more per minute.
Is HIIT better for burning calories?
Per minute, yes: vigorous high-intensity interval training (burpees, mountain climbers, squat jumps) is 11 METs against 4.8 for brisk walking, so it burns more than twice as much in the same time. Whether that makes it better for fat loss, and how big the afterburn really is, are covered in our HIIT guide.
Sources
- Compendium of Physical Activities · Unit conversions
- Herrmann 2024 · 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: third update of the energy costs of human activities (J Sport Health Sci)
- Compendium of Physical Activities · Compendium calculators with worked examples (spreadsheet)
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Inactivity table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Walking table
- Willis 2024 · Older Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: energy costs of activities in adults aged 60 and over (J Sport Health Sci)
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Older Adult Compendium (MET60+ values)
- Byrne 2005 · Metabolic equivalent: one size does not fit all, in 769 adults (study, J Appl Physiol)
- Shcherbina 2017 · Heart rate and energy accuracy of seven wrist-worn devices in 60 adults (study, J Pers Med)
- Fuller 2020 · Reliability and validity of consumer wearables for steps, energy and heart rate (systematic review, JMIR mHealth)
- Lambe 2026 · Accuracy of Apple Watch measurements (living systematic review and meta-analysis, npj Digital Medicine)
- Oppert 2021 · Exercise training for adults with overweight or obesity: European Association for the Study of Obesity recommendations (evidence synthesis, Obesity Reviews)
- Careau 2021 · Energy compensation and adiposity in 1,754 adults (Current Biology)
- Martin 2019 · Supervised exercise dose, food intake and metabolism: the E-MECHANIC trial (RCT, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
- Thomas 2013 · Can a 3,500-calorie deficit take off a pound a week? A commentary on the rule (Int J Obes)
- NHS · Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Conditioning exercise table
- Kozey 2010 · Errors in MET estimates using 3.5 mL/kg/min as the resting baseline, in 252 adults (study, J Phys Act Health)
- O'Driscoll 2020 · How well activity monitors estimate energy expenditure: 60 studies (systematic review and meta-analysis, BJSM)
- Hall 2008 · What energy deficit does each unit of weight loss need? (analysis, Int J Obes)
- Compendium of Physical Activities · Corrected METs for adults
- Tudor-Locke 2019 · Walking cadence and intensity at ages 21 to 40 (CADENCE-Adults study, IJBNPA)
- Tudor-Locke 2020 · Walking cadence and intensity at ages 41 to 60 (CADENCE-Adults study, IJBNPA)
- Tudor-Locke 2021 · Walking cadence and intensity at ages 61 to 85 (CADENCE-Adults study, IJBNPA)
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Running table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Bicycling table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Water activities table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Sports table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Dancing table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Home activities table
- Compendium of Physical Activities 2024 · Lawn and garden table
- Keytel 2005 · Predicting energy expenditure from heart rate in 115 regular exercisers (study, J Sports Sci)
- Thomas 2012 · Why don't people lose more weight from exercise? An energy balance analysis (Obesity Reviews)
Estimates for healthy adults, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP before hard training or testing a maximum if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.