How many calories does your body burn while walking? Amazing Data!

Medically reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josue Alvarez M.D.

Are you walking to burn calories? Walking may seem simple, but it sure does a lot of good for your body. How many calories does your body burn while walking? Walking can be a ridiculously good workout. Not only does it burn calories and increase circulation, but it’s also a great way to prevent chronic disease and improve heart health.

A 155 to 200-pound man can burn 185 calories with only half an hour of walking at an average to brisk pace. If he weighs 200-240 pounds, then 214 calories. If his weight is 240-285 pounds, he will burn 245 calories. These calorie counts also depend on your age and overall physical condition.

Walking an additional 2,000 to 10,000 steps per day was associated with a 10% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a 2019 study published by the American College of Sports Medicine.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises people to walk for at least 150 minutes at a moderate intensity each week. 

How many calories do you burn per hour while walking?

A person who walks briskly for an hour and weighs 155-200 pounds can burn 370 calories. If the person weighs 200-240 pounds, they can burn 430 calories. If the person weighs 240-285 pounds, they can burn 485 calories. These figures are averages; caloric expenditure will also depend on the person’s metabolism and age.

How long do you have to walk to lose weight?

The American College of Sports Medicine says that, to lose weight, it is recommended to walk at a moderate to vigorous pace for 150 to 250 minutes per week. This physical activity will generate an energy expenditure equivalent to 1200 to 2000 kcal each week. 

Here is the calories breakdown based on both your weight and the pace at which you walk:

Calories burned if you weigh between 155-200 pounds

Walking at a moderate pace (5 Km/h)

15 minutes	50 calories
30 minutes	100 calories
1 hour	200 calories

Walking at a brisk pace (7.5 Km/h)

15 minutes	95 calories
30 minutes	185 calories
1 hour	370 calories

Walking uphill

15 minutes	90 calories
30 minutes	180 calories
1 hour	355 calories

Climbing stairs

15 minutes	120 calories
30 minutes	240 calories
1 hour	275 calories

Walking downhill

15 minutes	40 calories
30 minutes	85 calories
1 hour	165 calories

Calories burned if you weigh between 200-240 pounds 

Walking at a moderate pace (5 Km/h)

15 minutes	60 calories
30 minutes	112 calories
1 hour	225 calories

Walking at a brisk pace (7.5 Km/h)

15 minutes	100 calories
30 minutes	214 calories
1 hour	430 calories

Walking uphill

15 minutes	102 calories
30 minutes	204 calories
1 hour	408 calories

Climbing stairs

15 minutes	130 calories
30 minutes	275 calories
1 hour	545 calories

Walking downhill

15 minutes	50 calories
30 minutes	95 calories
1 hour	190 calories

Calories burned if you weigh between 240-285 pounds 

Walking at a moderate pace (5 Km/h)

15 minutes	65 calories
30 minutes	127 calories
1 hour	255 calories

Walking at a brisk pace (7.5 Km/h)

15 minutes	120 calories
30 minutes	245 calories
1 hour	485 calories

Walking uphill

15 minutes	115 calories
30 minutes	230 calories
1 hour	465 calories

Climbing stairs

15 minutes	155 calories
30 minutes	310 calories
1 hour	620 calories

Walking downhill

15 minutes	54 calories
30 minutes	110 calories
1 hour	215 calories

You now have averages of the potential calories you can burn by walking. If you want an exact calculation of the calories you spend, use this calorie-burning calculator.

How to burn more calories walking?

Do you want to feel the burn during your next walk? Here are some easy ways to shed extra calories on your walk.

Add some weights

Whether on your ankles or your hands, adding weight to your walk can help you lose a few extra pounds. And you’ll also notice some muscle definition in your arms!

I do not recommend carrying dumbbells in your hands. It is better to bear weight on your wrists or ankles. Improper weight bearing can cause stress on the joints.

I always recommend considering a weighted vest. With this vest, you are carrying an extra load that your body can handle well because it does not unbalance your steps.

You may be interested in “How can I get a defined body? 10 Essential tips.”

Walk at intervals

If you get bored with your rhythm, change things by doing speed intervals. For example, alternate one minute of fast walking with two minutes of moderate walking.

There is an enjoyable way to walk at intervals. I’ll explain one method:

• Walk down the street at a steady pace, e.g., from one streetlight to the next. 
• Once you get to that light, you will accelerate your pace, move your arms, and walk faster. 
• At the next street light, return to your initial pace.

When you accelerate your pace, you should not make your stride any longer. Just try to pick up the pace. I want you to actually walk faster because, if you simply lengthen your stride, you will end up carrying a messy step and ruining your gait. That can lead to muscle imbalances and possibly injuries.

If you want to sweat, add some hills and stairs to your walking routine as well. Your walk won’t be boring anymore.

Look for slopes with at least a 10-degree incline

Another way to burn more calories while walking is to climb some hills or slopes in the area around you. 

If you don’t have any steep slopes, don’t give up. You should get on a treadmill and increase the incline to 10 degrees. Yes, 10; you must challenge your body as you walk up. 

Every time you enter a slope or climb a hill, you are demanding more effort from your body. That is a good thing, because your body will also involve different muscle groups.

When you go up a hill of at least 10 degrees incline, you’re going to involve mostly your hamstrings. That is where our femoral biceps and buttocks kick in. These two muscles are strong, and demand a lot of energy every time you start to incorporate them into an exercise.

Work the upper body

When you walk, you are working mainly on your lower body, your legs, and on your core.

But, what we want to do is create more calorie-burning by incorporating some movements in the upper body.

Whenever you are walking, you can find a park bench or even a wall to lean on and do some push-ups. 

• Lean on the back of the bench or the wall.
• Bend over, supporting your body weight with your arms.
• Go down slowly, without dropping your body weight. 
• Come back up slowly, concentrating on using your chest muscles.
• Complete ten repetitions.
• When you finish, do ten jumping jacks.
• Repeat this sequence three times, and walk again. 

This superseries will be useful to raise your heart rate and burn more calories during your walk. 

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Change your environment

Get outside and explore; exchange the treadmill for an outdoor walk from time to time. This way, your muscles will work differently.

If you have access to a beach, that’s even better. If you have been walking on a flat surface, walking on sand will challenge your body differently. This change will allow you to burn more calories.

If you like hiking, that’s great too. By walking up and down hills and mountains, your body must cope with all the different terrains. Practicing this type of walking will challenge your body differently than flat surfaces.

If you have access to a different kind of terrain, take advantage of it; don’t always rely on the treadmill. 

Find a partner

Another way to burn more calories is to recruit a walking partner. It would be good to have a friend, or even a pet (preferably a dog), to walk with you. 

When looking for a partner, make sure you are not just walking at a leisurely pace and talking non-stop. You have to push one another to walk at a lively pace, and challenge each other to burn more calories.

It’s okay to chat a little while you walk, but don’t lose a moderate pace, nor forget to mix in the intervals we talked about before. 

When you start the brisk walking interval with your friend, you shouldn’t be able to carry on a conversation. 

You must walk hard, walk as if you have a mission to accomplish. You should feel like you have to go retrieve a hundred million dollars or euros in an hour.

When you finish that part of the interval, you can resume the moderate pace and the previous conversation. That way, you can get the benefits of socializing and losing weight at the same time.

Try different routes and directions

Try to mix up your walking directions when you can. What this means is that you should not always walk in a straight line. Change the path you walk: step forward, walk backward, walk sideways. You have to try different methods of walking.

Doing this will keep your body and mind occupied. You will use your muscles more effectively, and that will help you burn more calories.

Maintain good posture

You should always walk with good posture. You should stand straight up, keeping your abdominals and arms engaged. 

All of these body parts will contribute to a higher caloric burn than if you walked while hunched over. The better posture you carry while walking, the more muscles you will involve, and the more calories you will burn.

Challenge yourself

Do you have a step counter or an exercise bracelet? Every time you go for a walk, try to exceed the number of steps you had before. You will be breaking your records in no time.

Stop and do static exercises

Okay, it’s not a water break. But, if you want to see results all over your body, take a break halfway through your walk to do some squats, strides, sit-ups, and push-ups.

If you want more information to improve your physique, don’t hesitate to visit our training section.

Conclusion

I hope this guide to calorie-burning walks is useful to you. My final recommendation is that when you start walking, don’t give up. Perseverance is the key to success.