Calories Burned Walking Calculator

Walking Calories Burned

Weight in Pound
Walking Hrs
Walking Min

Benefits of walking

Walking is a great and relaxing form of physical activity for all ages. It is a low-impact, easy form of exercise that can help you achieve your fitness goals.  It is also a great way to get outside and explore the outdoors.

Walking promotes good health and wellbeing in a variety of ways, including:

  • Maintaining and losing weight
  • Building up bone density, as walking is a weight bearing exercise
  • Strengthening your muscles
  • Lowering your risk for certain chronic conditions such as heart disease, blood pressure, high blood sugar, and cancer
  • Managing your appetite
  • Burning plenty of calories
  • Decreasing stiffness and pain

In addition to the physical benefits of walking, there are also many mental health advantages. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Boosting your mood
  • Reducing stress and calming anxiety
  • Lowering your risk of depression
  • Improving sensory perception
  • Changing up your scenery

Outside of these benefits, walking can also:

  • Provide social interaction if walking with a buddy
  • Improve self-esteem
  • Allow you to explore new areas
  • Help you unplug from technology1,2

Why should you use a walking calculator?

Now that you are ready to go on a walk, it is a good idea to determine how to meet your fitness goals while doing so. Walking is a great form of exercise and an excellent way to burn calories. In order to sustain physical capacity and control energy expenditure, it is important that you track your calories burned. These calculations will help you to track progress and provide your body with enough fuel.

Knowing your caloric expenditure can aid in optimizing your walk and meeting your goals. Additionally, there are several different variables at play when walking and burning calories. Using our calculator can help you adjust certain aspects of your walk to achieve your desired fitness goals.

Calculating your calories burned can be tricky, as there are various factors to consider. This calculator aims to simplify the variables and the math. After entering just a few numbers and checking a few boxes, you can have a strong estimate of your calorie expenditure during a walk.

How to use our calculator

Using our calculator to determine your calories burned while walking is relatively easy. Just input some personal information and walk-specific factors to generate a calories burned estimate. The list below includes step-by-step instructions on how to plug in your information.

Step 1: Select your desired unit of measurement. Imperial refers to measurements described as pounds, hours, and minutes. Metric refers to measurements described as kilograms, hours, and minutes.

Step 2: Enter your weight in the unit of measurement selected above.

Step 3: Enter the number of hours you walked or plan to walk. For example, if you are walking for 1 hour and 15 minutes, type “1” in the box.

Step 4: Enter the number of minutes that you walked or plan to walk. For example, if you are walking for one hour and 15 minutes, enter in the number “15”.

Step 5: Click the speed at which you are walking. The options include slow, normal, fast, and fastest.

Step 6: Click “Calculate”.

Understanding the results

After inputting your information, our calculator will provide you with the number of calories that you burned or will burn doing that walk you described. Happy with your results? That’s great! If you would like to burn more calories than what was output from the calculator, try adjusting certain aspects. For example, you could increase your time spent walking to increase the number of calories that you would burn. Playing around with the calculator can help you to tailor your walk to match your fitness goals.

Explaining related information

Now that you know how many calories you may burn during a walk, it is important to understand how certain parts of your walk can increase or decrease your caloric expenditure. Knowing these details can help you to adjust your walk to reach your fitness goals or sustain your energy. We outline below how certain walk factors can influence your burn rate.

Body Weight

Weight is a critical factor to consider when estimating how many calories you burn during a walk. The general rule of thumb for body weight indicates that the heavier you are, the more calories that you burn. For example, take two men that both walk the same 3-mile route. One is 190 pounds, and one is 150 pounds. The individual who weighs 190 pounds will burn more calories than the individual who weighs 150 pounds.

Why does this happen? Well, a calorie is a measurement of how much energy we use. Someone who weighs 190 pounds is going to require more energy to make the same bodily movement as someone who weighs 150 pounds. Think of it like a car; a larger car typically guzzles up more gas than a smaller car. This is because heavier and larger cars require more fuel to move the same distance as a smaller car3.

Walking Time

How long you walk is another important factor in determining how many calories you burn on a walk. The longer you walk, the more calories you will expend. An individual who weighs 150 pounds will burn roughly 313 calories when walking for 1 hour and 15 minutes at a normal rate. However, if they were to walk for 1 hour and 45 minutes at the same rate, they would burn 438 calories3.

Walking speed

Another factor in determining your energy expenditure is how fast you walk. For example, let’s say a 150-pound individual walks for 45 minutes. Walking for 45 minutes at a normal rate (3 miles per hour) would burn 188 calories. If the same person walked for 45 minutes at a fast pace (3.5 miles per hour), they would burn 230 calories.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does walking compare to running?

Walking and running are both great forms of exercise, but how are the advantages and disadvantages of both different? Surprisingly, both forms of physical activity can lead to the same health benefits. One study found that when energy expenditure is the same between both activities, individuals have the same risk reductions for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and congenital heart disease. What this means, though, is that you would need to walk the same distance as a runner to achieve the same results.

Walking is better than running in terms of impact on the body. When you are running, there are times when both of your feet can be off the ground. Therefore, your body hits the ground with a greater impact than walking. During a walk, however, there is always at least one foot on the ground. This lessens the impact on your body and decreases your risk of injury4,5.

How do I start walking as a beginner?

Here are a few tips if you are looking to get started walking but have never walked seriously before:

  • Before starting your workout, make sure that you have a good warm up. A warm-up will include a proper stretch and will last five to ten minutes. This will get your muscles working and your blood flowing. It will also reduce your risk of injury during your walk.
  • Incorporate a “cool down” into your walking routine. This should include walking slower for a few minutes. You should also do some cool down stretches to ease your breathing and heart rate back down to normal.
  • When walking, make sure that your heel is the first part of your foot to hit the ground. From there, roll your body weight forward onto the ball of your foot.
  • Ensure you are drinking plenty of fluids during your workout. You should drink water before, during, and after your walk to keep yourself hydrated. Consider bringing a water bottle on your walk.
  • Walk with proper form. Proper form will include good posture, walking with your head and chest up and keeping your shoulders down. Engage your abdominal muscles to support your lower back. Allow your arms to swing comfortably at your side.
  • Pick an appropriate walking route. To decrease your risk of injury, pick a route that is flat and grassy. Avoid surfaces that are too hard or loose (such as sand).
  • Try not to walk near roads, especially if you have certain pre-existing conditions, like asthma. Exhaust from cars can elevate your risk of certain respiratory or cardiovascular complications. Additionally, try not to walk during peak rush hours. This will lessen your chances of inhaling fumes from motor vehicles. Instead, try walking in the early morning or evening.
  • Dress in layers to adjust your outfit to your changing internal and external temperature.
  • Wear sunscreen that is SPF 50+ on exposed skin to avoid sunburn.
  • Always listen to your body. If anything is uncomfortable or in pain, stop immediately.
  • Wear appropriate walking shoes that offer both support and comfort 2.

What shoes are the best for walking?

You can’t just wear any old sneakers to go walking. Poorly fitted, worn-out shoes can cause injury and be detrimental to your body. If you are serious about walking, consider getting fitted by and getting recommendations from an expert. Shoes should be flexible and bend easily. They should also be comfortable and have a shock-absorbing structure in the heel. This is important as your shoes should be able to sustain the impact of your body and feet hitting the ground. Additionally, the fit should not be too snug or too roomy. When you are shopping for walking shoes, wear the socks that you plan to use while walking. Some more tips for finding walking shoes include:

  • If your shoes are not comfortable at the store, it may not “break in” even after wearing them for a while
  • Make sure your heel stays in place and does not slip in your shoes
  • Always try on both shoes
  • Make sure you can wiggle all your toes comfortably at the front of the shoe
  • Test out the shoes on different surfaces, such as a carpet and a hardwood floor

How can I stay motivated when I start to walk?

When starting to walk, it can be difficult to maintain motivation and keep up a routine. Here are our tips to keep up your motivation:

  • Set goals and make them realistic
  • Find a workout buddy to go on walks with you and get in some socialization
  • Keep a log of your walks to track your progress and calorie expenditure
  • Mix up your route and routine to keep things exciting and explore new areas
  • Listen to uplifting and upbeat music that you enjoy
  • Also consider listening to podcasts and audiobooks
  • Plan out your routes beforehand6

What else should I consider when starting to walk?

  • Try not to eat right before you go for a walk. This can make walking difficult, upset your stomach, or cause cramping.
  • Ensure you are eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet to support your caloric and energy needs.
  • Make sure you are keeping hydrated and drinking enough water throughout your workout.
  • Keep your phone on you in case of emergencies.
  • If you are using ear buds or a headset for music, do not have the volume too high. It is important to maintain awareness of your surroundings and be alert.
  • Try not to walk during the hottest part of the day during the summer months.
  • If you experience an injury while walking, stop walking right away. Do not keep walking, as this can worsen an injury.
  • Make sure your shoes fit comfortably.
  • If you are walking in the dark, wear reflective materials so that you are easily spotted by vehicles. If possible, walk in a well-lit and populated area.
  • Wear loose and comfortable clothing.
  • Consider incorporating other low-impact activities into your workout routine in addition to walks. Low-impact activities include things such as swimming.
  • Always let someone know if you are going to go on a walk, where you will walk, and when you are expecting to be back2.

More Calorie Calculators:

Conclusion

It is no secret that walking is beneficial to your health and wellness. Whether your goals are to get outside, get in shape, or spend time with loved ones, walking is sure to meet your physical and mental needs. Particularly, if your hope is to burn calories and start losing weight, you may want to start by utilizing a calorie calculator. Our calculator considers the numerous factors that can affect your energy expenditure including weight, pace, and time spent walking. Using a calculator will help you to meet your exercise and weight loss goals quickly and efficiently.

References

  1. Running and jogging—Health benefits—Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/running-and-jogging-health-benefits
  2. Benefits of walking. (n.d.). Penn State Extension. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://extension.psu.edu/benefits-of-walking
  3. Calories burned in 30 minutes of leisure and routine activities. (2004, July 1). Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights
  4. Health benefits of walking vs. Running. (2013, November 8). Sather Health. https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~sather/health-benefits-of-walking-vs-running/
  5. Williams, P. T., & Thompson, P. D. (2013). Walking vs running for hypertension, cholesterol, & diabetes risk reduction. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 33(5), 1085–1091. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300878
  6. Ways to burn more calories every day: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2021, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000894.htm

 

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