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
- Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, Meckes N, Bassett Jr DR, Tudor-Locke C, Greer JL, Vezina J, Whitt-Glover MC, Leon AS. The Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide. Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University. Retrieved May 11, 2015, from the World Wide Web.
https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/ - Arizona State University Healthy Lifestyles Research Center – Compendium of Physical Activities – Walking provides MET values for different walking activities.
- Learn about “MET” and the compendium of physical activities from Arizona State University, University or South Carolina, and Wikipedia. There is a summary of general physical activities defined by intensity from the CDC and the Harvard School of Public Health.
- Recommendations on physical activity for health from the Harvard School of Public Health and the WHO.
- Learn about the benefits of walking with “Walking: your steps to health” from Harvard Health Publications, “Benefits of Walking” by Tommy Boone of How Stuff Works, and “Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health” from the Mayo Clinic.
- Find resources for walking with “Walking for Health” from the NHS (UK).
- Learn about walking for specific health reasons with “Walking A Step in the Right Direction!” from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “The epidemiology of walking for physical activity in the United States” by Eyler, Brownson, Bacak, and Housemann, “Women Walking for Health and Fitness – How Much is Enough?” by Duncan, Gordon, & Scott, and “The importance of walking to public health” by Lee & Butcher.