Pace is the biggest lever. Going from a moderate 3 mph to a brisk 3.7 mph raises the intensity by about a quarter, and adding a hill raises it more. A brisk pace is one where you can talk but would not want to sing.
Calories burned walking a mile
Per mile, walking speed matters less than you might think, because walking faster also gets the mile done sooner. A useful rule of thumb is that a mile of walking burns somewhere around 0.5 to 0.7 calories per pound of body weight on flat ground, more on hills. To get a number for your weight, set the minutes to how long a mile takes you: about 20 minutes at 3 mph, 17 at 3.5 mph or 15 at 4 mph.
How to burn more calories walking
- Add hills or a treadmill incline. A gentle 1 to 5% grade raises the intensity about as much as walking half a mile an hour faster, and steeper grades raise it much more.
- Walk longer rather than harder if your joints complain. Total minutes count more than any single session.
- Use poles. Nordic walking brings in your arms and raises the burn at the same speed.
- Carry a light daypack on hikes, building up the weight gradually.
Total vs net calories
Your body burns calories all day just to keep running, roughly 1 MET. The total figure includes those calories. The net figure subtracts them, leaving only the extra energy the activity cost. Net is the more honest number if you are thinking about how much a workout adds to a calorie deficit.
Don't count the same calories twice
If you set a calorie target with our TDEE calculator and chose an activity level that includes your usual workouts, those workouts are already in your target. Adding exercise calories on top would count them twice. Use these numbers for workouts beyond your normal routine, or to compare activities.
How accurate is this?
MET values are averages measured in groups of adults aged 19 to 59. Your real burn can differ by 10 to 20% or more because of fitness, technique, body composition and how hard you actually worked. Adults over 60 often burn somewhat less than these estimates; a separate Compendium for older adults exists for that reason. Treat the result as a solid estimate rather than an exact count. Fitness trackers are no more precise; see how accurate fitness trackers are for calories.
Questions people ask
How many calories does walking for 30 minutes burn?
For a 155 lb person, a brisk 30 minute walk at 3.5 to 3.9 mph burns about 175 calories in total, about 140 of them above resting. The table on this page shows the numbers for other weights and paces.
Is walking good for weight loss?
Walking burns fewer calories per minute than running, but it is easy to do daily and easy on the joints, so it adds up. Most of weight loss still comes from how much you eat. Walking helps most by making a small calorie deficit easier to keep.
Does walking uphill burn more calories?
Yes, a lot more. Walking up a 6 to 10% grade at a moderate to brisk pace is rated about 7 METs, compared with about 4.8 for brisk walking on flat ground.
How many calories does an hour of walking burn?
For a 155 lb person, an hour of brisk walking burns about 354 calories in total. A 15 minute brisk walk burns about 89. The tables on this page show other times and weights.
How many calories does walking 4 miles burn?
At a brisk pace, a 155 lb person burns about 383 calories walking 4 miles, or roughly 96 per mile. Heavier people burn more per mile.
Sources
- Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024;13(1):6–12. pacompendium.com