Walking is an incredibly accessible and effective form of exercise. It’s one of my favorite ways to get fit. You don’t need any special equipment – just a comfortable pair of walking shoes or trainers. Plus, unlike running, walking isn’t scary or intimidating. But how effective is it? And how many calories do you burn walking a mile?
Walking has so many physical and mental health benefits – not just burning calories. This site is full of information to help you get the most out of your walking sessions. If you’re new to walking follow the tips in this post: How to start a walking plan.
What Affects Calories Burned Walking?
The average person burns 80 calories per mile at a typical walking pace but if you’re overweight or in the obese category, calories burned per mile will increase significantly.
These are the main factors affecting calories burned walking:
#1 Body Weight
As a general rule, the more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn. It’s the biggest factor affecting calories burned. This is because your body has to work harder to move a heavier mass. So, if you weigh more, you’ll burn more calories per mile. For example, a person who weighs 150 pounds might burn around 90 calories per mile at a typical walking pace, while someone who weighs 200 pounds could burn up to 110 calories.
#2 Walking Speed
Walking faster burns more calories. Your body works harder maintaining a fast pace than walking at a slower pace. So, if you want to increase your calories burned, try walking faster!
But make sure it’s a pace you can maintain and don’t push too hard too soon. Aim for a brisk pace where you can still talk and walk but you’re getting a little out of breath and making a sustained effort to keep up the pace.
Don’t worry about how fast other people walk. A slow pace for one person may be a fast pace for another. It’s the effort that matters.
#3 Terrain
Walking uphill or on uneven surfaces forces your body to engage more muscles and work harder. In turn, this leads to more calories burned. So, if you want to push yourself and mix things up – seek out some adventurous trails or hilly neighborhoods instead of walking on a flat surface!
#4 Age, Gender, and Fitness Level
Everyone is unique and factors such as age, gender, and fitness level will also influence how many calories you burn walking.
When you’re walking for weight loss, keep a note of the time you spend walking and your walking speed. If your weight loss is on track – keep doing what’s working.
If not, look at ways to increase the calories burned from your walking workout, such as walking at a brisk pace, walking uphill, or combining walking with other activities.
#5 How Far You Walk
The further you walk the more calories you burn – obvious really! If you want to lose weight, try and increase your walking distance. Find out how many calories burned walking 2 miles, 3 miles, 4 miles or more…
Related post: Why You’re Not Losing Weight Walking
How Many Calories Does Walking Burn?
There’s an easy way to calculate calories burned walking – just use my calories burned walking calculator!
Use the calories burned walking calculator below to find calories burned walking at different paces and different time durations. Select your pace based on miles per hour or kilometers per hour.
Enter your body weight and the duration of your walk into the calorie calculator to find your calorie burn.
Walking Calorie Calculator
How To Calculate Calories Burned Walking
The above calculator uses the popular Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) formula. It’s a simple way to calculate how many calories you burn.
Here’s how it works:
1 MET (metabolic equivalent of task), represents the amount of oxygen consumed while sitting at rest and is equal to 3.5 ml O2 per kg body weight x min.
Every physical activity has a MET value relative to this baseline. Most MET values can be found in the Compendium of Physical Activities, or take a look at this post to find MET values for common activities.
#1 Determine your walking MET value.
The first step to calculate how many calories are burned walking is to find your MET value.
A leisurely walk (2.5 mph) has a MET value of 3, while brisk walking (3.5 mph) has a MET value of 4.3.
#2 Calculate how many calories burned:
Next, plug your MET value, body weight, and exercise duration into the following equation to estimate how many calories burned walking:
Calories Burned = 1.05 * MET value * body weight (in kg) * exercise duration (in hours)
For example, if you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg) and walk at a pace of 3.5 mph for one mile, your calculation would be:
1.05 * 4.3 (MET value) * 68 kg * exercise duration = 307 *(60/(3.5*60)) = 88 calories per mile
Reference: Calories Burned Calculator
This is just an estimate. To find out exactly how many calories, you need to calculate VO2 max in a lab.
Metabolic equivalents use weight to account for differences in fitness levels. It’s a very big assumption to assume heavy people are less fit!
Age and body composition such as muscle mass are some of the other factors affecting the accuracy of MET calculations and the amount of calories burned.
Related post: Weight Loss Calculator – How Much Should I Walk According To My BMI?
How Walking Can Help You Lose Weight
Exercise is just one part of the walking for weight loss process. You can burn calories by walking at a brisk pace or even a moderate pace.
In theory, losing one pound of body fat is equivalent to burning 3500 calories.
By walking around 35 miles per week, you can expect to lose about one pound every week. Use the walking calorie calculator to check the calories you burn walking.
But there’s one big factor you can’t ignore when it comes to weight loss: diet. You will only lose weight if walking creates a calorie deficit – if calories consumed are less than your energy expenditure: the calories your body needs to power your walking and maintain its current weight.
Start eating more food or reach for high-calorie food such as high-fat sugary treats, and you’ll undo all the good work from walking.
For best results combine walking with improvements to your diet – aim to eat slightly fewer calories by swapping high-calorie food for healthier alternatives. Follow these tips to eat better.
Related post: Is Diet More Important Than Exercise? (When You Want To Lose Weight)
Making the Most of Your Walk
Now that we know how to estimate the calories burned during a walk, let’s make the most of your walking sessions!
Set achievable goals
Start by setting realistic and attainable goals for yourself. Consider factors such as your current fitness level, the amount of time available, and personal preferences. As you progress, you can gradually increase your walking distance, speed, or frequency to continue challenging yourself.
Related post: How much walking for weight loss?
Walk with friends or family
Walking with friends or family members can make your walks even more enjoyable and motivating. Plus, having a walking buddy is a great way to keep you accountable and committed to your walking routine.
Stay accountable and track progress
Keeping track of your walking sessions can help you stay motivated and see your progress over time. You can use a physical notebook, a smartphone app, or even a wearable fitness tracker to log your walks. Be sure to celebrate your milestones and accomplishments along the way!
Related post: Fitness Goals And How To Achieve Them
Add variety to your walking routine
To keep things fresh and exciting, consider adding some variety to your walking routine. Try interval training to burn extra calories, where you alternate between periods of faster and slower walking. Or, explore new walking routes to discover different scenery and terrains. The options are endless!
Related post: Why Your Weight Loss Is Slow (And What To Do About It)
Additional Benefits of Walking
Aside from calorie burn, a brisk walk offers a myriad of other physical and mental health benefits. Regular walking can boost your heart rate and help improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve balance and coordination. Moreover, walking can also help reduce stress, boost mood, and enhance overall mental well-being.
Walking is also an incredibly accessible and convenient form of exercise. You don’t need any fancy equipment or a gym membership to start burning calories – just a comfortable pair of shoes and the great outdoors! Plus, walking is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint while staying active. leave the car at home and just walk!
Related post: Walking An Hour A Day: Health Benefits And Weight Loss
Thoughts From Love Life Be Fit
I hope this blog post inspires you to lace up your sneakers and start walking more. Adding walking to your daily routine is one of the easiest ways to lose weight.
Be patient at the start of your fitness journey. It’s better to walk a little every day than go all out from the word from Day 1 – walk too far and too fast and you will just end up exhausted. Start by walking 2 miles or walking 3 miles a day.
Take it slow and enjoy the journey. Even walking a mile a day can improve your health. Walking can often be seen as an underrated form of exercise, but don’t underestimate it – with some dedication and consistency, you can reap its many benefits in no time!
Remember, the number of calories you burn while walking will depend on factors such as your weight, walking speed, terrain, and starting fitness level. Dig into the tips on this site to get the most out of walking for weight loss.
NOTE: If it’s a long time since you last exercised or you suffer from any medical conditions, it’s best to get a check-up from your doctor before starting an exercise program.