Active vs Total Calories: What's the Difference?

When you track your daily exercise, it’s important to keep an eye on active calories versus total calories. They let you know how many calories burned come from exercise and how many come from resting. With this information, you can easily adjust your routine to make sure you keep closing those rings. Learn the difference between active and total calories.

Jump To:

• What’s the Difference between Active Calories & Total Calories?
• How Are Apple Watch Total Calories Calculated & Are They Accurate?
• FAQ

What’s the Difference between Active Calories & Total Calories?

What are active calories? Active calories come from physical activity. When you run, walk, or swim, your body burns calories faster than when you’re resting. But sitting on the couch, chewing gum, and even sleeping also burns calories. This is why total calories include those burned through physical activity plus the ones your body burns just by doing its natural processes.

What Are Active Calories on the Apple Watch?

Active calories tell you how much energy you’ve burned through exercise. To help you reach your health and fitness goals, this information is easy to find on your Apple Watch:

Discover your iPhone's hidden features

Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.

1. Launch your Activity app.
   
   
2. Swipe or scroll down using the Digital Crown. The Move section shows the number of active calories burned out of your daily active calorie goal.
   
   

What Are Total Calories on the Apple Fitness App?

Total calories are the sum of active and passive calories burned throughout the day. So, the difference between active and total calories is active calories are only what you burn through activity, while total calories include the active calories and also what are burned passively. This information is not available to view on your watch, but it’s available on your iPhone. For more ways to maximize your Apple devices, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

1. Launch the Fitness app on your iPhone.
   
   
2. On the Summary screen, tap on your Activity section.
   
   
3. The Move section shows active calories burned right below your rings.
   
   
4. Total calories burned appear at the left bottom corner of the Move section.
   
   

How Does Apple Watch Calculate Calories Burned & Are They Accurate?

To calculate your total calories burned, your Apple Watch uses the personal information you provide in your Health app profile. This includes age, sex, height, weight, and mobility data. For the most accurate calculations, including making sure you get credit for the right number of exercise minutes, here’s how to make sure your information is up to date:

1. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
   
   
2. On the My Watch screen, scroll down and tap on Health.
   
   
3. Select Health Details.
   
   
4. In the Health Details screen, tap Edit to change any information you wish to update. Tap Done when you’ve finished updating your personal information.
   
   

With up to date personal information, your Apple Watch calculates your body’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This calculates the average calories burned per day. It then adds the active calories from exercise to give you an accurate estimate of the total calories you burn during the day. To learn more, check out our article on how accurate Apple Watch calories are and how to improve their accuracy. 

By breaking down total calories vs active calories, the Apple Watch provides accurate data to help you reach your health and fitness goals. With this information, you can make better decisions regarding exercise and see faster results. Next, read about Apple Watch activity badges and challenges!