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Walking Calorie Calculator

Work out how many calories your walk burned, from your step count or from distance and time. Results show gross and net calories, and every number in the method is on this page.

Formula shown on the pageMetric, US and UK unitsNo sign-up, no data stored

Your walk

Sample values. Change them to yours.
Sex
steps
Estimated stride: —. Enter your own if you know it (same units as height).

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Calories burned (gross)
—calories
Net (above resting): — calories · MET —
—
Distance
—
Time
—
Average speed

. Use net calories if you add walks on top of your TDEE in a food log.

Written by Updated Sources listed at the end

How the walking calorie calculator works

  1. Speed. In distance mode, speed is distance ÷ time. In step mode, steps × stride length gives distance, and your chosen pace gives speed and time.
  2. MET value. Speed is matched to a MET (metabolic equivalent) from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. 1 MET is roughly your energy use at rest.
  3. Calories. Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200.
Gross calories = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × minutes
Net calories = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × minutes
Stride (estimate) = height × 0.415 (men) or × 0.413 (women)

Most walking calculators show one number without saying which. We show both, because the difference matters if you track food against your TDEE.

MET values for walking

PaceOutdoors (MET)Treadmill (MET)70 kg, 60 min (gross)
2.0–2.4 mph (3.2–3.9 km/h)2.83.0206 cal
2.5 mph (4.0 km/h)3.03.5221 cal
2.8–3.4 mph (4.5–5.5 km/h)3.83.8279 cal
3.5–3.9 mph (5.6–6.3 km/h)4.84.8353 cal
4.0–4.4 mph (6.4–7.1 km/h)5.55.8404 cal

Outdoor values are for level, firm ground. The 70 kg column uses the outdoor value. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.

Worked examples

10,000 steps, 75 kg man, 175 cm, moderate paceEstimated stride: 175 × 0.415 = 72.6 cm, so 10,000 steps ≈ 7.26 km (4.5 miles). At 3 mph that takes about 90 minutes. MET 3.8 → 3.8 × 3.5 × 75 ÷ 200 = 5.0 calories a minute → about 450 calories gross, about 330 net.
30-minute walk, 75 kg, 3 mph5.0 calories a minute × 30 = about 150 calories gross, 110 net.

How many steps a day?

A 2022 meta-analysis of 15 studies in The Lancet Public Health found that more daily steps were linked with lower risk of death, with the benefit levelling off at about 6,000–8,000 steps a day for adults aged 60 and over, and about 8,000–10,000 for younger adults. You do not need 10,000 steps for walking to be worthwhile.

Walking and your TDEE

Regular walking belongs in your activity level. A desk worker who walks an hour a day may fit Light rather than Sedentary. If you set your activity level that way, don't also add walks from your tracker, or you will count them twice. How to choose your activity level has examples, and the maintenance calculator shows your calories at every level.

Related

Choosing your activity levelWhere walking fits in.TDEE calculatorDaily calories for your goal.Best way to burn belly fatWhy walking helps.

Sources

  1. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci. 2024;13(1):6–12. pacompendium.com
  2. Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(3):e219–e228. PubMed 35247352

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does walking 10,000 steps burn?
It depends mostly on your weight and pace. For a 75 kg, 175 cm man at 3 mph, 10,000 steps is about 7.3 km (4.5 miles), taking about 90 minutes, and burns roughly 450 calories in total, or about 330 above resting. Lighter people burn less; heavier people burn more.
How many calories does walking a mile burn?
At a steady 3 mph, roughly 80 calories for a 60 kg person, 106 for 80 kg and 133 for 100 kg (gross). Speed matters less per mile than per hour, because a faster pace also finishes the mile sooner.
What is the difference between gross and net calories?
Gross calories include the energy you would have burned anyway at rest during that time. Net calories are only the extra energy the walk cost. If you are adding walking to a food log on top of your TDEE, use net calories to avoid counting resting energy twice.
Does walking count in my TDEE activity level?
Yes, if you walk regularly. Your activity level should reflect your normal week, walking included. If you then also log walks in a tracker, you may count them twice. See how to choose your activity level.
How accurate is a walking calorie calculator?
It is an estimate. MET values are averages from research, and real burn varies with fitness, terrain, wind and how you walk. Treat results as within about 10–20% for most people.