Calories Burned in 30 Minutes by Activity (MET Table)
General information: This page is general information, not medical advice. No dietitian, doctor or qualified trainer has reviewed it, and it is not a substitute for their advice.
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Join the NYUS waitlistShort answer: calories burned = MET x body weight in kg x hours, where one MET is 1 kcal per kg per hour (Compendium of Physical Activities). In 30 minutes a 60 kg person burns about 114 kcal walking at a moderate pace (3.8 METs), about 354 kcal skipping at a moderate pace (11.8), about 204 kcal cycling at a light-effort leisure pace (6.8), about 69 kcal in hatha yoga (2.3) and about 174 kcal swimming slow recreational laps (5.8). These are averages for adults, not a measurement of you. This is general information, not medical advice.
"How many calories does a walk burn?" has no single answer, because the number depends on your weight, how hard you work and for how long. What can be stated is how it is worked out. The Compendium of Physical Activities lists the average energy cost of hundreds of activities as METs, and this page turns the rows people search for most (walking, skipping, cycling, yoga and swimming) into kilocalories for four body weights, with the arithmetic shown so you can redo it for your own weight.
The formula: MET x kg x hours
The Compendium defines a MET as the ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate: "One MET is defined as 1 kcal/kg/hour and is roughly equivalent to the energy cost of sitting quietly" (pacompendium.com, read 4 November 2026). So calories burned = MET x your weight in kg x hours. For example, a 60 kg person walking at a moderate pace (3.8 METs, row 17190) for 30 minutes: 3.8 x 60 x 0.5 = 114 kcal (our arithmetic).
That total includes the energy you would have used sitting quietly. The extra above sitting is (MET - 1) x kg x hours, which for the same walk is (3.8 - 1) x 60 x 0.5 = 84 kcal (our arithmetic from the definition above).
Calories burned in 30 minutes, by body weight
Each cell is MET x kg x 0.5 hours, rounded to the nearest kcal. The METs are the Compendium's own values; the speeds in km/h are our conversion from the miles per hour the Compendium prints.
| Activity (Compendium row) | Code | METs | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking: Slow, 2.0 to 2.4 mph (3.2 to 3.9 km/h), level | 17152 | 2.8 | 70 | 84 | 98 | 112 |
| Walking: Moderate, 2.8 to 3.4 mph (4.5 to 5.5 km/h), level | 17190 | 3.8 | 95 | 114 | 133 | 152 |
| Walking: Brisk, 3.5 to 3.9 mph (5.6 to 6.3 km/h), level | 17200 | 4.8 | 120 | 144 | 168 | 192 |
| Walking: Very brisk, 4.0 to 4.4 mph (6.4 to 7.1 km/h), level | 17220 | 5.5 | 138 | 165 | 193 | 220 |
| Skipping: Rope jumping, slow, under 100 skips a minute | 15552 | 8.3 | 208 | 249 | 291 | 332 |
| Skipping: Rope jumping, moderate, 100 to 120 skips a minute | 15551 | 11.8 | 295 | 354 | 413 | 472 |
| Skipping: Rope jumping, fast, 120 to 160 skips a minute | 15550 | 12.3 | 308 | 369 | 431 | 492 |
| Cycling: Leisure, under 10 mph (under 16 km/h) | 01010 | 4.0 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 |
| Cycling: Leisure, 10 to 11.9 mph (16 to 19 km/h), light effort | 01020 | 6.8 | 170 | 204 | 238 | 272 |
| Cycling: 12 to 13.9 mph (19 to 22 km/h), moderate effort | 01030 | 8.0 | 200 | 240 | 280 | 320 |
| Cycling: Stationary bike, general | 01200 | 6.8 | 170 | 204 | 238 | 272 |
| Yoga: Hatha | 02150 | 2.3 | 58 | 69 | 81 | 92 |
| Yoga: Surya Namaskar | 02180 | 3.5 | 88 | 105 | 123 | 140 |
| Yoga: Power | 02160 | 4.0 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 |
| Swimming: Laps, freestyle, slow, recreational | 18240 | 5.8 | 145 | 174 | 203 | 232 |
| Swimming: Breaststroke, recreational | 18265 | 5.3 | 133 | 159 | 186 | 212 |
| Swimming: Leisurely, not lap swimming, general | 18310 | 6.0 | 150 | 180 | 210 | 240 |
| Swimming: Crawl, fast speed (about 75 yards a minute), vigorous effort | 18280 | 10.5 | 263 | 315 | 368 | 420 |
Pick the row that matches what you actually did: the Compendium gives different METs for different speeds and efforts, so "yoga" or "cycling" alone is not one number. For a different duration, multiply the 30-minute figure (2 for an hour, 1.5 for 45 minutes).
Calories burned walking one kilometre
Per kilometre the arithmetic is MET x kg x hours per km, using a speed inside the Compendium row's range (5 km/h for the moderate row, 6 km/h for the brisk row; both speeds are our assumption).
| Walking, one kilometre | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate walk (3.8 METs) at 5 km/h | 38.0 | 45.6 | 53.2 | 60.8 |
| Brisk walk (4.8 METs) at 6 km/h | 40.0 | 48.0 | 56.0 | 64.0 |
The two rows come out within a few kcal of each other: about 0.76 kcal per kg per km at 5 km/h and 0.8 at 6 km/h (our arithmetic). Walking faster mostly changes how long the same distance takes, not how much it costs per kilometre, by these METs.
Why your number will differ
- Averages, not you. A MET is an average energy cost for adults doing the activity; your fitness, technique, terrain and wind move it.
- Row choice. Skipping at under 100 skips a minute is 8.3 METs and at 120 to 160 is 12.3, so the pace you pick changes the answer by almost 50%.
- Trackers. Watches and apps estimate in their own way and can differ from this table.
- Total vs extra. Some sources quote the total, some the extra above rest; this page shows the total and the extra formula above.
These are our reading notes, not figures from the Compendium. For how much activity to aim for, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 recommend adults do a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a day for at least five days a week, or 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a day for at least five days, or an equivalent combination, plus muscle-strengthening exercises on a minimum of two days a week (PDF p. 87). It describes brisk walking at 3 to 6 km/h, yogasanas and gentle swimming as moderate activity, and running or jogging above 7 km/h and jumping rope as vigorous (PDF p. 87). It gives no kcal figures for activities. Our guides on steps a day, walking vs running and the TDEE calculator cover the same ground from other angles, and our 7-day no-equipment challenge needs nothing but floor space.
Where NYUS fits (our app)
We make NYUS, so read this section as ours. NYUS is an AI fitness and nutrition coach in early access on Android, with no ads and no data selling. It builds a workout and diet plan around your goal, logs each set with rest timers and personal bests, and reads steps, sleep, heart rate, workouts and weight from compatible wearables through Health Connect. A weekly check-in adjusts your calories, macros and step goal once enough is logged; it does not change your training plan automatically. This page's table is not built into the app and the app does not replace a measured figure.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn walking for 30 minutes?
By the Compendium METs, a 60 kg person burns about 114 kcal in 30 minutes of moderate walking (2.8 to 3.4 mph, 3.8 METs) and about 144 kcal at a brisk pace (3.5 to 3.9 mph, 4.8 METs). At 70 kg the same walks come to about 133 and 168 kcal (our arithmetic: MET x kg x 0.5 hours). Your own number depends on your weight, pace and ground. This is general information, not medical advice.
How many calories does skipping burn?
At the Compendium's moderate rope-jumping row (100 to 120 skips a minute, 11.8 METs), a 60 kg person burns about 354 kcal in 30 minutes. 500 skips take 4.2 to 5 minutes at that rate, so about 49 to 59 kcal, and 1,000 skips about 98 to 118 kcal (our arithmetic: 11.8 x 60 kg x minutes / 60). Skipping is a vigorous activity in ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (PDF p. 87). This is general information, not medical advice.
How many calories does 1 hour of yoga burn?
By the Compendium, a 60 kg person burns about 138 kcal in an hour of hatha yoga (2.3 METs), about 210 kcal in an hour of Surya Namaskar (3.5 METs) and about 240 kcal in an hour of power yoga (4.0 METs) (our arithmetic: MET x kg x hours). Yoga styles differ a lot, so check which row matches your class. This is general information, not medical advice.
How many calories does cycling for 30 minutes burn?
By the Compendium, a 60 kg person burns about 120 kcal in 30 minutes of leisure cycling under 10 mph (4.0 METs), about 204 kcal at 10 to 11.9 mph with light effort (6.8 METs) and about 240 kcal at 12 to 13.9 mph with moderate effort (8.0 METs) (our arithmetic: MET x kg x 0.5 hours). This is general information, not medical advice.
How many calories does swimming burn in 30 minutes?
By the Compendium, a 60 kg person burns about 174 kcal in 30 minutes of slow recreational freestyle laps (5.8 METs), about 159 kcal of recreational breaststroke (5.3 METs) and about 315 kcal of fast crawl (10.5 METs) (our arithmetic: MET x kg x 0.5 hours). This is general information, not medical advice.
Is a calories-burned number exact?
No. Compendium METs are average energy costs for adults doing an activity, so your own burn changes with your weight, fitness, pace, technique and the ground, and fitness trackers use their own methods and can differ from this table. Treat any figure as an estimate, not a measurement. This is general information, not medical advice.
Sources
- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, pacompendium.com, read live on 4 November 2026: METs and the MET definition (1 kcal/kg/hour). Rows used, with code and MET: Walking 17152 (2.8), 17190 (3.8), 17200 (4.8), 17220 (5.5); Sports 15550 (12.3), 15551 (11.8), 15552 (8.3); Bicycling 01010 (4.0), 01020 (6.8), 01030 (8.0), 01200 (6.8); Conditioning exercise 02150 (2.3), 02160 (4.0), 02180 (3.5); Water activities 18240 (5.8), 18265 (5.3), 18280 (10.5), 18310 (6.0). Citation: Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al., 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities, Journal of Sport and Health Science 2024;13(1):6-12.
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, Guideline 10 (PDF pp. 86 to 88; printed pages 69 to 71): activity intensity categories and the adult physical activity recommendation (PDF p. 87).
- nyus.in, the NYUS landing page, for the statements in the NYUS section and the trial and price line.
Every kcal figure on this page is NYUS's own arithmetic on the Compendium METs (MET x kg x hours, rounded to the nearest kcal); the speeds in km/h, the skips-per-minute ranges used for 500 and 1,000 skips, the per-kilometre speeds and the reading notes are our conversion, assumption or opinion. No food is used on this page, so no IFCT 2017 or USDA FoodData Central row is cited.