How many calories does walking burn?
Walking burns about MET × body weight in kg × hours. Using MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, a 150 lb (68 kg) person burns about 129 calories in 30 minutes at a moderate pace and about 163 calories at a brisk 3.5 to 3.9 mph pace. Heavier people and faster walkers burn more.
Picture it. You just got back from a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood, and your head feels clearer. Then the question pops up: was that walk worth 50 calories or 250? One short formula answers it, or you can plug your walk into our calories burned calculator.
What is the formula for calories burned walking?
The formula is calories burned ≈ MET × your weight in kg × hours. A MET is a simple measure of how hard an activity is.
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. The Compendium of Physical Activities defines 1 MET as 1 calorie per kg of body weight per hour. That is roughly the energy you use sitting quietly.
So an activity rated 4 METs costs about four times what sitting does.
To get your weight in kg, multiply pounds by 0.4536. So 150 lb is about 68 kg.
What are the MET values for walking?
Walking ranges from 3.0 METs for a slow stroll to 5.5 METs for a very brisk pace. Hiking and stairs rate higher still.
These values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, published by Herrmann and colleagues in the Journal of Sport and Health Science. It lists 1,114 activities, and 912 of them are based on measured values. Its authors describe it as useful for research, public health, and consumer health technology.
| Type of walking | Speed | METs |
|---|---|---|
| Slow walk | 2.5 mph (4.0 km/h) | 3.0 |
| Moderate pace | 2.8 to 3.4 mph (4.5 to 5.5 km/h) | 3.8 |
| Brisk pace | 3.5 to 3.9 mph (5.6 to 6.3 km/h) | 4.8 |
| Very brisk | 4.0 to 4.4 mph (6.4 to 7.1 km/h) | 5.5 |
| Walking the dog | varies | 3.0 |
| Hiking | varies | 6.0 |
| Climbing stairs | general | 6.8 |
Notice how fast the numbers climb. Going from a moderate pace to a brisk one bumps the MET value from 3.8 to 4.8. That is about 26% more.
How many calories does a 30-minute brisk walk burn?
A 150 lb (68 kg) person burns about 163 calories in a 30-minute brisk walk. Here is the math, step by step:
- MET for brisk walking = 4.8
- Weight = 68 kg
- Time = 30 minutes = 0.5 hours
- 4.8 × 68 × 0.5 = about 163 calories
That's it. Once you do this once, you can do it for any walk.
How many calories does walking burn by weight and speed?
In 30 minutes, the burn runs from 88 calories (130 lb, slow) to 249 calories (200 lb, very brisk). For a 1-hour walk, just double the number.
| Body weight | Slow (3.0 METs) | Moderate (3.8 METs) | Brisk (4.8 METs) | Very brisk (5.5 METs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130 lb (59 kg) | 88 | 112 | 142 | 162 |
| 150 lb (68 kg) | 102 | 129 | 163 | 187 |
| 200 lb (90.7 kg) | 136 | 172 | 218 | 249 |
Two things jump out:
- Weight matters. A 200 lb (90.7 kg) person burns about a third more than a 150 lb (68 kg) person at the same pace. The formula scales directly with body weight.
- Speed matters. A brisk walk burns about 60% more than a slow stroll in the same 30 minutes.
Do hiking, stairs, and dog walks burn more?
Hiking and stairs burn more than a flat walk. Walking the dog burns about the same as a slow walk. Here is what a 150 lb (68 kg) person might burn:
- Walking the dog, 30 minutes: 3.0 × 68 × 0.5 = about 102 calories
- Hiking, 1 hour: 6.0 × 68 × 1 = about 408 calories
- Climbing stairs, 10 minutes: 6.8 × 68 × (10 ÷ 60) = about 77 calories
Stairs pack a lot into a short time. Ten minutes of stairs burns close to half of what a 30-minute brisk walk does.
How many of those calories are "extra"?
A bit fewer than the formula shows. Because 1 MET is roughly your burn while sitting, the formula counts calories you would have burned anyway, even on the couch.
For just the extra calories from the walk, subtract 1 from the MET value:
- Brisk walk, 150 lb (68 kg), 30 minutes: (4.8 - 1) × 68 × 0.5 = about 129 extra calories
That is still a solid number. It is just a bit more honest than the headline figure. Keep it in mind when you log a walk against your food.
How can you tell your walking speed?
Time yourself over a known distance. You don't need a gadget.
- 1 mile (1.6 km) in 20 minutes = 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h), a moderate pace
- 1 mile (1.6 km) in about 17 minutes = about 3.5 mph (5.6 km/h), the start of brisk
A school track, a park loop with mile markers, or a mapping app can give you the distance.
Are these numbers right if you're over 60?
They are a rough estimate for people over 60. The 2024 Adult Compendium was built for adults aged 19 to 59.
The authors removed data from people 60 and older. The Compendium team has released a separate Older Adult Compendium for people 60 and up. The numbers here are still great for comparing one walk to another and tracking your progress.
The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It also recommends at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity, plus activities to improve balance.
Our guide for adults 50 and older and our article on protein after 50 pair well with a walking habit. Protein and exercise work together to help keep muscle.
If you have heart, lung, or joint problems, or you are just starting out, ask your doctor what kind of activity is safe for you.
What does a weekly walking habit add up to?
For a 150 lb (68 kg) person, 150 minutes of brisk walking burns about 816 calories a week. That is the CDC's weekly goal for moderate activity.
The CDC suggests, for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The math looks like this:
- 4.8 × 68 × 2.5 hours = about 816 calories a week
That won't replace a sensible eating plan. But it is a real, steady boost to your daily burn. If weight loss is your goal, our guide on how to calculate a calorie deficit shows how walking and food fit together.
What should you do with these numbers?
Walk a little faster, add some hills, and think in weeks rather than single walks.
- Pick up the pace when you can. Moving from moderate to brisk is the easiest way to burn more in the same time.
- Add hills or stairs. Short bursts on stairs make a big difference.
- Think in weeks, not walks. A single walk is modest. Five walks a week add up.
- Log the extra calories if you track food. Subtract 1 from the MET for a more honest number.
My take
Based on what I've seen in the research, walking is underrated. It needs no gym and no gear beyond decent shoes. And it counts toward the CDC's weekly goal.
The calorie numbers aren't huge per walk. But few habits are this easy to keep for years. That, in my view, is where the real payoff lives.
The bottom line
For a 150 lb (68 kg) person, walking burns roughly 100 to 190 calories per 30 minutes, depending on speed. Heavier people and faster walkers burn more.
Use MET × kg × hours for any walk, or let our calories burned calculator do the math for you. Then lace up your shoes and enjoy the next one.