Walking guide

Calories burned walking

A 30-minute walk burns about 110 to 275 calories for most adults, depending on your weight and pace. A 150 lb (68 kg) person burns about 136 calories walking at a moderate 3 mph and about 171 calories at a brisk 3.5–3.9 mph. Heavier walkers and faster paces burn more.

The calories burned by walking depend mainly on your body weight, pace, terrain, and time. Use the calculator for your own estimate, or start with the quick reference chart below.

Calculate your walking calories

Quick reference

Walking calorie chart

A reference chart for 30 minutes and 1 hour at six walking paces and five body weights, each with its 2024 Compendium code. The calculator offers easy and brisk walking; the steps calculator also has moderate and very brisk paces.

Calories burned walking for 30 minutes, by pace and body weight. Estimates of total energy used (MET × 3.5 × kg × minutes ÷ 200), with MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Level, firm surface.
PaceCompendium code · MET	120 lb54 kg	150 lb68 kg	180 lb82 kg	210 lb95 kg	240 lb109 kg
Slow, 2.0–2.4 mph17152 · MET 2.8	80 kcal	100 kcal	120 kcal	140 kcal	160 kcal
2.5 mph17170 · MET 3.0	86 kcal	107 kcal	129 kcal	150 kcal	171 kcal
Moderate, 2.8–3.4 mph17190 · MET 3.8	109 kcal	136 kcal	163 kcal	190 kcal	217 kcal
Brisk, 3.5–3.9 mph17200 · MET 4.8	137 kcal	171 kcal	206 kcal	240 kcal	274 kcal
Very brisk, 4.0–4.4 mph17220 · MET 5.5	157 kcal	196 kcal	236 kcal	275 kcal	314 kcal
Very, very brisk, 4.5–4.9 mph17230 · MET 7.0	200 kcal	250 kcal	300 kcal	350 kcal	400 kcal

Calories burned walking for 1 hour

Calories burned walking for 1 hour. Same method and MET values as the 30-minute chart. Level, firm surface.
PaceCompendium code · MET	120 lb54 kg	150 lb68 kg	180 lb82 kg	210 lb95 kg	240 lb109 kg
Slow, 2.0–2.4 mph17152 · MET 2.8	160 kcal	200 kcal	240 kcal	280 kcal	320 kcal
2.5 mph17170 · MET 3.0	171 kcal	214 kcal	257 kcal	300 kcal	343 kcal
Moderate, 2.8–3.4 mph17190 · MET 3.8	217 kcal	271 kcal	326 kcal	380 kcal	434 kcal
Brisk, 3.5–3.9 mph17200 · MET 4.8	274 kcal	343 kcal	411 kcal	480 kcal	549 kcal
Very brisk, 4.0–4.4 mph17220 · MET 5.5	314 kcal	393 kcal	472 kcal	550 kcal	629 kcal
Very, very brisk, 4.5–4.9 mph17230 · MET 7.0	400 kcal	500 kcal	600 kcal	700 kcal	800 kcal

Body weights in kg are rounded. Enter your own weight in lb or kg in the calculator for a personal estimate.

Counting steps? Convert steps to calories. Prefer the bike? Cycling calories.

What changes calories burned from walking?

A faster pace generally raises the energy cost per minute. Hills, stairs, soft ground, carrying a load, and strong wind can also make the same amount of walking more demanding. Body weight matters because moving a heavier body usually requires more energy.

Pace

Brisk walking burns more per minute than an easy stroll.

Body weight

The same walk produces a different estimate for each person.

Time

Doubling the duration roughly doubles the calculated calories.

Easy walking vs. brisk walking

Easy walking feels comfortable and keeps breathing close to normal. Brisk walking feels purposeful: your breathing is faster, but you can still speak in sentences. The difference matters because calculators assign a higher MET value to the brisk pace.

If your pace changes during the walk, choose the intensity that best represents most of the session. A calorie estimate does not need to be perfect to be useful—consistency is usually more valuable than chasing an exact number.

No walk today? Marching in place and side steps at home can reach the same brisk effort. Try this 15-minute low-impact cardio routine with three levels.

How the walking calculation works

The calculator combines a MET value for the activity with your weight and duration. MET values are standardized estimates of an activity’s energy cost. Our MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.

Example: for a 75 kg person, 30 minutes of brisk walking produces an estimate of about 189 kcal. Fitness, technique, terrain, and weather can move the real number up or down.

Want to check the math yourself? See how to calculate calories burned, the formula step by step with worked examples.

Sources: MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. Journal of Sport and Health Science 2024;13(1):6–12, doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010; activity codes at pacompendium.com (walking codes: pacompendium.com/walking). For comparison, Harvard Health Publishing lists 30-minute estimates for three body weights in Calories burned in 30 minutes of leisure and routine activities. Its figures come from other sources and differ slightly from ours.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does a 30-minute walk burn?+

About 110–275 calories for most adults. For a 150 lb (68 kg) person it is about 136 calories at a moderate 3 mph pace and about 171 calories at a brisk 3.5–3.9 mph pace (2024 Compendium codes 17190 and 17200).

Does walking uphill burn more calories?+

Usually, yes. An incline increases effort, so a hiking or uphill-walking estimate is more appropriate than a level walking estimate.

Are smartwatch calories exact?+

No. Watches and formula-based calculators both estimate energy use. Treat either as a consistent guide rather than an exact measurement.