Calories Burned Walking
Went for a walk? Enter your weight, how long you walked, and your pace to see what it was worth.
Pace matters more than you think
The jump from a 2 mph stroll (2.8 METs) to a 4.5 mph power walk (7.0 METs) is a 2.5× increase in calorie burn for the same minutes on the clock. If you are short on time, walking faster — or adding hills — is the cheapest upgrade in fitness.
Make it a daily habit
One walk is a workout; a daily step habit is a transformation. Use the Weight Loss Planner to see what your everyday steps add up to over weeks and months.
Calories burned in a 30-minute walk, by pace
| Pace | 150 lb (68 kg) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 200 lb (91 kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy stroll · 2 mph (2.8 METs) | ~100 kcal | ~120 kcal | ~133 kcal |
| Casual · 3 mph (3.5 METs) | ~125 kcal | ~150 kcal | ~167 kcal |
| Brisk · 3.5 mph (4.3 METs) | ~154 kcal | ~184 kcal | ~205 kcal |
| Fast · 4 mph (5.0 METs) | ~179 kcal | ~214 kcal | ~238 kcal |
| Power walk · 4.5 mph (7.0 METs) | ~250 kcal | ~300 kcal | ~333 kcal |
Standard MET equation (kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200) with Compendium MET values. Double the numbers for a 60-minute walk. Hills and rough terrain burn more.
Walking and calorie burn, answered
How many calories does a 30-minute walk burn?
A 30-minute casual walk (3 mph) burns about 125 kcal at 150 lb (68 kg), 150 kcal at 180 lb (82 kg), and 167 kcal at 200 lb (91 kg). Pick up the pace to a 4.5 mph power walk and the same 30 minutes burns 250–333 kcal.
How many calories does walking for 1 hour burn?
One hour of casual walking (3 mph) burns roughly 250 kcal at 150 lb, 300 kcal at 180 lb, and 333 kcal at 200 lb. A brisk 3.5 mph pace raises that to about 307–410 kcal, and a 4.5 mph power walk burns 500–667 kcal per hour.
Does walking faster really burn that many more calories?
Yes — the relationship is steep. An easy 2 mph stroll costs 2.8 METs while a 4.5 mph power walk costs 7.0 METs, a 2.5× difference in calorie burn for the same minutes. Speeding up (or adding hills) is the most time-efficient upgrade in walking.
Is walking as effective as running for burning calories?
Per minute, running burns roughly twice as many calories as brisk walking. Per mile, the gap is smaller — running burns about 20–30% more. Walking's advantage is sustainability: it is low-impact, easy to recover from, and easier to do every single day, which is what drives long-term results.
Sources & methodology
- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — Walking — the published MET values for each walking pace used in this calculator (2.8–7.0 METs).
- World Health Organization — Physical activity fact sheet — recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (like brisk walking) per week.