Pick an activity, enter your weight and how long you did it, and get an estimate of calories burned using the activity's standard MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value.
Active calories leave out your resting burn, so they are the figure to compare with a fitness watch.
A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) compares an activity's energy cost to sitting quietly, which is defined as 1 MET. An activity of 8 METs burns roughly 8 times the calories of sitting still for the same amount of time. Values here come from the widely used Compendium of Physical Activities.
MET-based estimates are a reasonable average, typically within 10–30% of a real measurement, but individual metabolism, fitness level, terrain, and effort within a category (a lazy jog vs. a hard 6 mph pace) all shift the true number. Treat it as a solid ballpark, not a lab reading.
No. MET values estimate calories burned during the activity itself. Intense exercise also raises your metabolism for a while afterward (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC), which typically adds a further 6–15% on top for very vigorous sessions — this calculator doesn't add that in.
Most watches and fitness apps show active calories, which leave out the energy your body burns at rest anyway (1 MET). The total here includes it, so it will always read higher. Compare your watch with the Active calories figure instead.
Moving more body mass costs more energy, so the MET formula scales directly with body weight. A 90 kg person and a 60 kg person doing the same activity for the same time burn different totals — the 90 kg person burns roughly 50% more.
