15 minutes of
aerobic
134 kcal 15 minutes of aerobic burns approximately 134 calories for a 70 kg adult, based on a MET value of 7.3. Heavier bodies burn proportionally more: 172 kcal at 90 kg, 211 kcal at 110 kg.
SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·REVIEWED JUL 2026
MET 7.3 × 3.5 × 70 kg ÷ 200 = 8.94 kcal/min × 15 min = 134 kcal
Source—2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities—code 02001—ACSM energy equation—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Take the MET value for aerobic from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: MET 7.3, the median of its 4 measured variations (MET 5.5–9).
- Convert MET to a rate using the ACSM relationship: multiply by 3.5, then by body mass in kilograms, then divide by 200. That gives kilocalories per minute.
- Multiply the rate by the number of minutes actually spent.
- Round to whole kilocalories. Nothing else is applied — no age factor, no sex factor, no proprietary adjustment, because the underlying data does not support one.
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × mass(kg) ÷ 200 kcal = kcal/min × minutes 7.3 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 8.94 kcal/min 8.94 × 15 min = 134 kcal
15 minutes of aerobic, by body weight
| Body weight | 15 minutes | Per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 96 | 6.4 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 115 | 7.7 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 134 | 8.9 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 153 | 10.2 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 172 | 11.5 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 192 | 12.8 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 211 | 14.1 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 230 | 15.3 |
SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Questions
How many calories does 15 minutes of aerobic burn?
About 134 kcal for a 70 kg adult at MET 7.3. At 60 kg it is 115 kcal and at 100 kg it is 192 kcal.
Is 15 minutes of aerobic a good workout?
At MET 7.3 this is vigorous activity. Adults are advised to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, so 15 minutes is 20% of a week's target at that intensity.
A number this clean is a model. It does not know your gradient, your gear, the wind, or how hard you were actually trying.
MET from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.
