Calories Burned During Exercise Calculator
Estimate the number of calories you burn during various physical activities using this calculator. Understanding your calorie expenditure can help you manage your weight and fitness goals.
Understanding Calories Burned During Exercise
The number of calories you burn during physical activity is a crucial factor in weight management and overall fitness. This calculator uses a widely accepted method based on Metabolic Equivalent of Task (METs) values to estimate your calorie expenditure.
What are METs?
MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. It's a physiological measure expressing the energy cost of physical activities and is defined as the ratio of metabolic rate during a specific physical activity to a reference metabolic rate, conventionally taken to be 3.5 ml of oxygen per kg per minute, which is approximately the energy expenditure of sitting quietly. Essentially, 1 MET is the energy expenditure of sitting still. An activity with a MET value of 4 means you're expending four times the energy compared to sitting still.
How is it Calculated?
The formula used to estimate calories burned is:
Calories Burned = METs × Weight (kg) × Duration (hours)
- METs: This value is specific to the type and intensity of the exercise. Our calculator uses average MET values for common activities.
- Weight (kg): Your body weight in kilograms. Heavier individuals generally burn more calories for the same activity because their bodies require more energy to move.
- Duration (hours): The length of time you perform the activity, converted into hours.
Factors Influencing Calorie Burn
While the METs formula provides a good estimate, several other factors can influence your actual calorie expenditure:
- Intensity: The harder you work, the more calories you burn. For example, running at 8 mph burns more calories than running at 6 mph.
- Individual Metabolism: Everyone's body is different. Factors like age, sex, genetics, and body composition (muscle vs. fat) can affect your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and how efficiently you burn calories.
- Fitness Level: Highly fit individuals might perform an activity more efficiently, potentially burning slightly fewer calories than someone less fit doing the same activity at the same perceived effort.
- Environmental Factors: Exercising in extreme heat or cold, or at high altitudes, can increase calorie expenditure.
Examples of Calorie Burn:
Let's consider a person weighing 70 kg (154 lbs):
- Walking (moderate, 3 mph) for 30 minutes:
- METs for moderate walking: 3.5
- Duration: 0.5 hours
- Calories = 3.5 × 70 kg × 0.5 hours = 122.5 calories
- Running (6 mph) for 30 minutes:
- METs for running (6 mph): 9.8
- Duration: 0.5 hours
- Calories = 9.8 × 70 kg × 0.5 hours = 343 calories
- Weightlifting (general) for 60 minutes:
- METs for general weightlifting: 3.0
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calories = 3.0 × 70 kg × 1 hour = 210 calories
These examples illustrate how different activities and durations significantly impact calorie expenditure. Use this calculator as a helpful tool to plan your workouts and track your fitness progress.
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function calculateCaloriesBurned() {
var bodyWeight = parseFloat(document.getElementById('bodyWeight').value);
var exerciseType = document.getElementById('exerciseType').value;
var durationMinutes = parseFloat(document.getElementById('durationMinutes').value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result');
// METs values for various exercises
var metsValues = {
"walking_moderate": 3.5,
"running_6mph": 9.8,
"cycling_moderate": 8.0,
"swimming_moderate": 6.0,
"weightlifting_general": 3.0,
"yoga": 2.5,
"aerobics_general": 5.0,
"basketball_game": 8.0,
"dancing_aerobic": 5.0,
"hiking": 6.0,
"elliptical": 5.0,
"rowing_machine": 7.0,
"jumping_rope": 10.0,
"tennis_singles": 8.0
};
// Input validation
if (isNaN(bodyWeight) || bodyWeight <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid body weight (e.g., 70 kg).";
return;
}
if (isNaN(durationMinutes) || durationMinutes <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid duration in minutes (e.g., 30 minutes).";
return;
}
var mets = metsValues[exerciseType];
if (typeof mets === 'undefined') {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Error: Could not find METs value for the selected exercise type.";
return;
}
// Convert duration from minutes to hours
var durationHours = durationMinutes / 60;
// Calculate calories burned
// Formula: Calories = METs * Weight (kg) * Duration (hours)
var caloriesBurned = mets * bodyWeight * durationHours;
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Calories Burned:
" + caloriesBurned.toFixed(2) + " kcal";
}