Walking Calorie Calculator

About the Walking Calorie Calculator

Walking is the most popular form of exercise in the world. It needs no equipment, suits almost every age and fitness level, and can be fitted into daily life — to work, to the shops, with the dog. But how many calories does it actually burn? That depends on your weight, your speed and, above all, whether you are walking on the flat or uphill.

This walking calorie calculator uses the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) walking equation, the standard formula used by exercise physiologists, to estimate the calories burned from your weight, walking speed, incline and either the time walked or the distance. It shows total and net calories, calories per kilometre and per mile, and the effort in METs.

How to Use the Walking Calorie Calculator

Choose By time or By distance.

Enter your body weight in kg or lb.

Enter your walking speed in km/h or mph. About 5 km/h (3.1 mph) is a typical pace; 6 km/h or more is brisk.

Enter the time in minutes, or the distance in the same units as the speed.

Optionally, enter the incline as a percentage, for hills or a treadmill.

The ACSM Walking Equation

  VO₂ (ml/kg/min) = 0.1 × v + 1.8 × v × grade + 3.5

  v     = speed in metres per minute   (5 km/h = 83.3 m/min)
  grade = incline as a decimal         (5% = 0.05)
  3.5   = resting oxygen use (1 MET)

  kcal per minute = VO₂ × weight (kg) ÷ 1000 × 5

Each litre of oxygen used releases about 5 kcal. The first term is the cost of moving horizontally, the second of lifting the body uphill, and the third of simply being alive.

Step-by-Step Example

A 70 kg person walking at 5 km/h for 60 minutes on the flat.

  v = 5,000 ÷ 60 = 83.33 m/min
  VO₂ = 0.1 × 83.33 + 0 + 3.5 = 11.83 ml/kg/min  (about 3.4 METs)
  kcal/min = 11.83 × 70 ÷ 1000 × 5 = 4.14
  Total: 4.14 × 60 = 249 kcal
  Net (without the 3.5): 175 kcal
  Distance 5 km → about 50 kcal per km, 80 kcal per mile

The same walk on a 5% incline.

  VO₂ = 8.33 + 1.8 × 83.33 × 0.05 + 3.5 = 19.33
  Total: 19.33 × 70 ÷ 1000 × 5 × 60 = 406 kcal

The incline increases the calories burned by more than 60%.

The Power of Incline

Walking uphill is one of the most effective ways to raise calorie burn without running. In the ACSM equation, the vertical term is 18 times the horizontal term per unit of grade: at 5 km/h, every 1% of incline adds about 1.5 ml/kg/min of oxygen use. Treadmill workouts such as walking at 12% incline and about 5 km/h for 30 minutes have become popular for exactly this reason — the effort approaches that of slow running, with much less impact on the joints.

Speed and Calories

Walking faster burns more calories per minute, but the effect per kilometre is smaller, because you cover the distance more quickly. In the ACSM equation, net calories per kilometre on the flat are constant for a given weight: about 35 kcal per km for a 70 kg person at any walking speed in the equation's range. Total calories per kilometre fall slightly at higher speeds, because less resting energy is included. Real walking becomes less efficient above about 6.5 km/h, so very fast walking costs somewhat more than the equation suggests.

Walking Versus Running

Running at 10 km/h uses roughly twice as much energy per minute as walking at 5 km/h, and somewhat more per kilometre. But walking can be kept up for much longer and suits far more people, so over a week a regular walker can easily burn as many calories as an occasional runner. The best exercise for calorie burning is the one you will actually do consistently.

When the Equation Applies

The ACSM walking equation is designed for speeds of about 50 to 100 metres per minute (3 to 6 km/h, or 1.9 to 3.7 mph). Above that, many people naturally break into a run; the calculator accepts speeds up to 10 km/h, but results above 6.5 km/h are rough. It also assumes a firm, even surface; walking on sand, snow or rough trails can use considerably more energy, and carrying a load such as a backpack adds more still.

Walking for Weight Management

Because walking is easy to repeat, small amounts add up. Walking an extra 30 minutes a day at 5 km/h burns about 88 kcal net for a 70 kg person — roughly 620 kcal a week, or about 4 kg over a year by the common 7,700 kcal per kg rule, if nothing else changes. In reality the body adapts and appetite can rise, so the effect is usually smaller, but regular walking still has large benefits for heart health, blood sugar and mood.

Understanding Your Result

The headline gives total calories burned.

The net line gives calories above resting.

The walk line summarises the distance, time, speed and incline.

The per distance line gives calories per kilometre and per mile.

The effort line gives the oxygen use and the equivalent METs.

When Should You Use This Calculator?

Use it to estimate calories for daily walks and commutes.

Use it to plan treadmill incline walking workouts.

Use it to compare walking routes with different hills.

Use it to track exercise as part of a weight management plan.

Common Mistakes

Ignoring hills. Incline has a bigger effect than speed.

Using running speeds. The equation is for walking.

Adding total instead of net calories to a food diary. Net avoids double counting.

Forgetting to include your full weight. Include what you carry for loaded walks.

Expecting the equation to cover rough ground. Sand, snow and steep trails cost more energy than the flat, firm surface the equation assumes.