How to Use the 30-Minute Exercise Calorie Comparison Calculator
The same 30 minutes can burn very different amounts of calories depending on the exercise. Enter your body weight to compare 10 common exercises — walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, jump rope, and more — ranked from highest to lowest calorie burn over a 30-minute session.
The calculation is based on MET (metabolic equivalent of task), a measure of how many times more energy an activity uses compared to resting. Multiplying MET by your body weight (kg) and duration (hours) gives an estimate of actual calories burned. High-MET activities like jump rope and running burn far more calories in the same time.
That said, don't choose your exercise on calorie burn alone — joint impact and long-term sustainability matter too. An activity that burns fewer calories but that you can stick with consistently can be more effective for weight management over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's based on MET (metabolic equivalent of task), multiplied by your body weight in kg and the exercise duration in hours. A higher MET means a more intense exercise that burns more calories in the same time.
Yes. Doing the same exercise for the same duration requires more energy to move a heavier body, so calorie burn increases with weight. This calculator factors in your entered weight to give a personalized estimate.
Not necessarily — consider joint impact, sustainability, and personal preference alongside calorie burn. An exercise that burns fewer calories but that you can stick with consistently often produces better results long-term.