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Calories Burned Walking | Calculator & Formula

LAST UPDATE: September 24th, 2020

The number of calories burned walking will depend on your weight, the distance and speed you walk, and the type and level of terrain.

An estimate is that a 200 pound person burns 286 calories per hour walking 2.5mph (a normal speed for walking a dog) on a firm, level surface. A 140 pound person burns 200 calories in the same scenario.

For more styles of walking see our pages on calories burned while running, jogging, on a treadmill, nordic walking, and water walking.

Calculator

How many calories are burned walking?

Formula

Calories burned per minute = (MET x body weight in Kg x 3.5) ÷ 200

“MET” is a measurement of the energy cost of physical activity for a period of time. You can find an activity’s MET on the chart above.

A task with a MET of 1 is roughly equal to a person’s energy expenditure from sitting still at room temperature not actively digesting food.

A task with a MET of 2 uses twice as much energy as a task with a MET of 1. A task with a MET of 10 uses 10 times as much energy as a task with a MET of 1.

MET values “do not estimate the energy cost of physical activity in individuals in ways that account for differences in body mass, adiposity, age, sex, efficiency of movement, geographic and environmental conditions in which the activities are performed. Thus, individual differences in energy expenditure for the same activity can be large and the true energy cost for an individual may or may not be close to the stated mean MET level as presented in the Compendium.” (as quoted from the main page of the Compendium of Physical Activities).

Example

A person weighs 180 pounds (81.65kg) and walks at 3 mph uphill on a 10% grade (a task that has a MET value of 8.0) for 1 hour (60 minutes).

Calories Burned from walking uphill at a 10% grade (per minute) = (8.0 x 81.65 x 3.5) ÷ 200 = 11.431

Calories Burned from walking uphill at a 10% grade (for 60 minutes) = 11.431 x 60 = 686

Calories burned walking table

This table compares shows the number of calories burned walking over time for different weights.

How many calories are burned walking over different distances?

The further you walk, the more calories you’ll burn. This chart shows the number of calories you can expect to burn over different distances.

Does walking faster burn more calories?

Yes, walking faster burns more calories per minute.

How long does it talk to burn 1000 calories walking?

Most people will burn 1000 calories in 2-5 hours of walking. A 200-pound (90.7kg) person walking at 4mph (a brisk walk) will burn 1,000 calories in 2 hours. A 140-pound (63.5kg) person walking at 2.5mph will take 5 hours to burn 1,000 calories.

FAQ

How many calories do you burn in a 30 minute walk?

In 30 minutes, a 140 pound (63.5kg) person will burn 100 calories walking 2.5mph (4kph) and 167 calories walking 4mph (6.4kph). 
In 30 minutes, a 200 pound (90.7kg) person will burn 143 calories walking 2.5mph (4kph) and 239 calories walking 4mph (6.4kph).

How many calories are burned walking 10,000 steps?

Assuming: 1) 10,000 steps is 5 miles, and 2) an average pace of 2.5mph (total of 2 hours walking), a 140 pound (63.5kg) person will burn 401 calories and a 200 pound (90.7kg) person will burn 573 calories in this time.

How long do I have to walk to burn 1,000 calories?

A 140 pound (63.5kg) person will burn 1,000 calories in 5 hours walking on level, firm surface at 2.5mph (4kph). On the same surface at 4mph (6.4kph), they will burn 1,000 calories in 3 hours.
A 200 pound (90.7kg) person will burn 1,000 calories in 3 hours and 30 minutes walking on a level, firm surface at 2.5mph (4kph). On the same surface at 4mph (6.4kph), they will burn 1,000 calories in 2 hours and 6 minutes.

Sources and External Resources