How Many Calories Does Walking Burn? A Complete Guide by Weight and Speed

A 155-pound (70 kg) person burns approximately 150 calories per 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace of 3.5 mph. A 200-pound person burns closer to 190 calories for the same walk, while a 125-pound person burns about 120 calories. Your exact calorie burn depends on your weight, speed, terrain, and walking intensity.

Walking is the most popular form of exercise in the world — and for good reason. It requires no equipment, no gym membership, and no special skills. But if you're trying to lose weight, you've probably wondered exactly how much those daily walks are actually contributing to your calorie deficit. The answer is more nuanced than most fitness apps suggest.

What Is a MET and How Does It Measure Walking Calories?

MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task, and it's the standard unit researchers use to estimate the energy cost of physical activities. One MET equals the energy you burn at rest — roughly 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. Walking at a moderate pace of 3.0 mph has a MET value of about 3.5, meaning it burns 3.5 times more energy than sitting still.

The formula used by exercise scientists to calculate calories burned is: Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours). This is the same formula used by the American College of Sports Medicine and most fitness trackers. While it's not perfectly precise for every individual, it provides a reliable estimate that's far more accurate than generic "calories burned" numbers.

How Many Calories Does Walking Burn by Weight and Speed?

The table below shows estimated calories burned during a 30-minute walk at different speeds and body weights, based on MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities:

As you can see, body weight makes a significant difference. A 215-pound person burns nearly double what a 125-pound person burns at the same speed. This is because moving a heavier body requires more energy, regardless of fitness level.

How Many Calories Does 10,000 Steps Burn?

The popular 10,000-step goal equates to roughly 4 to 5 miles of walking, depending on your stride length. For most adults, this burns between 300 and 500 calories. A 155-pound person walking 10,000 steps at a moderate pace burns approximately 370-400 calories. A 200-pound person doing the same burns closer to 475-500 calories.

It's worth noting that the 10,000-step target isn't a magic number backed by rigorous science — it originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer. However, research from Harvard Medical School published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that even 4,400 steps per day significantly reduced mortality risk compared to 2,700 steps. More steps are better, but you don't need to hit exactly 10,000 to benefit.

Does Walking Uphill Burn More Calories?

Yes — walking on an incline significantly increases calorie burn. A 5% grade (a moderate hill) increases calorie expenditure by roughly 30-40% compared to flat terrain. A steep 10% grade can increase burn by 50-60%. For a 155-pound person, walking at 3.5 mph on flat ground burns about 150 calories in 30 minutes, but that same walk on a moderate incline burns closer to 200-210 calories.

This is why treadmill incline walking has become so popular. Setting the treadmill to a 10-12% incline at 3.0 mph (often called the "12-3-30" workout) can burn as many calories as a slow jog while being much easier on your joints. If you're looking to maximize your calorie deficit without high-impact exercise, understanding your calorie target alongside incline walking is a powerful combination.

Walking vs Running: How Do the Calories Compare?

Running burns roughly twice as many calories per minute as walking. A 155-pound person running at 6 mph burns about 372 calories in 30 minutes, compared to 149 calories walking at 3.5 mph. However, the comparison isn't quite that simple.

When you compare calories burned per mile rather than per minute, the gap narrows considerably. Walking a mile burns about 80-100 calories for most people, while running a mile burns about 100-130 calories. The reason running burns more per mile is partly due to the higher impact and the energy cost of the "flight phase" where both feet leave the ground. But mile for mile, walking captures about 60-80% of running's calorie burn with far less injury risk.

How to Burn More Calories While Walking

If you want to increase your calorie burn without breaking into a run, here are proven strategies ranked by effectiveness:

1. Walk uphill or use an incline — Adding even a moderate 5% incline boosts calorie burn by 30-40%. Seek out hilly routes or use the treadmill incline setting.
2. Pick up the pace — Increasing from 3.0 to 4.0 mph raises calorie burn by about 40%. A brisk walk where you can talk but not sing is the sweet spot.
3. Add a weighted vest or backpack — Carrying extra weight forces your body to work harder. Start with 5-10% of your body weight. Avoid ankle or hand weights, which can alter your gait and cause injury.
4. Walk on varied terrain — Sand, grass, gravel, or trails burn more calories than pavement because your muscles work harder to stabilize on uneven surfaces.
5. Try interval walking — Alternate between 2 minutes of brisk walking (4.0+ mph) and 1 minute of easy walking. This raises your average heart rate and calorie burn without exhausting you.
6. Walk longer, not just faster — Extending a 30-minute walk to 45 or 60 minutes adds 50-100% more calorie burn. Duration is often easier to increase than intensity.

Can You Lose Weight by Walking Alone?

Yes, but it depends on your diet. Walking creates a modest calorie deficit — typically 100-300 calories per session. To lose one pound of fat per week, you need a total deficit of about 3,500 calories, or 500 calories per day. Walking alone can contribute 20-60% of that daily deficit, but you'll likely need to manage your food intake for the rest.

This is where calorie tracking becomes essential. A 30-minute walk might burn 150 calories, but a single tablespoon of peanut butter contains about 95 calories. Without knowing what you're consuming alongside your walks, it's easy to accidentally eat back everything you burned — and then some. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that diet changes account for roughly 80% of weight loss results, with exercise contributing the remaining 20%. Walking is a powerful complement to a calorie deficit, not a replacement for one.

How Much Should I Walk Per Day to Lose Weight?

For weight loss, most experts recommend 30-60 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week, which translates to roughly 7,000-10,000 steps. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, which breaks down to about 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week.

However, the "best" amount of walking is the amount you can do consistently. Starting with 15-minute walks and gradually increasing is far more effective than committing to an hour a day and burning out after a week. Consistency trumps intensity — walking 20 minutes every day for a year burns roughly 36,000 more calories than walking 60 minutes a day for two months then stopping. As we discuss in our guide on breaking through weight loss plateaus, sustainable habits beat aggressive short-term pushes every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Kalo Helps You Track Walking and Nutrition Together

Knowing how many calories you burn from walking is only half the equation. The other half — and arguably the more important half — is knowing what you're eating. Most people overestimate their exercise calories and underestimate their food intake, which is why the scale often doesn't move despite regular walks.

With Kalo's AI-powered photo tracking, you can instantly log your meals by snapping a photo. Kalo analyzes your food and gives you an accurate calorie and macro breakdown in seconds — no searching databases or guessing portion sizes. When you pair that data with your daily step count, you get a clear, honest picture of whether you're truly in a calorie deficit.

Sources

• Compendium of Physical Activities — Arizona State University
• Association of Step Volume and Intensity With All-Cause Mortality — JAMA Internal Medicine (2019)
• Steps per Day and All-Cause Mortality — JAMA (2020)
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans — CDC
• Accuracy of Wearable Devices for Estimating Energy Expenditure — Stanford University (2017)