Calories Burned Walking — By Weight, Speed and Distance (2026)

How Many Calories Does Walking Burn?

Walking burns approximately 60–100 calories per kilometre for most adults, depending primarily on body weight. Heavier people burn more calories for the same distance because they are moving more mass. Speed matters less than distance — a slow 5 km walk burns nearly as many calories as a brisk 5 km walk.

Key formula: Calories burned walking ≈ 0.57 × weight (lb) per mile, or 0.71 × weight (kg) per km. This is the MET (Metabolic Equivalent Task) based calculation used in research.

Calories Burned Walking by Weight and Distance

Body Weight	Per 1 km	Per 5 km	Per 10 km	10,000 Steps (~8 km)
55 kg (121 lb)	39 kcal	195 kcal	390 kcal	312 kcal
65 kg (143 lb)	46 kcal	230 kcal	460 kcal	368 kcal
75 kg (165 lb)	53 kcal	265 kcal	530 kcal	424 kcal
85 kg (187 lb)	60 kcal	300 kcal	600 kcal	480 kcal
100 kg (220 lb)	71 kcal	355 kcal	710 kcal	568 kcal

Based on MET value of 3.5 for moderate walking pace (~5 km/h). Values are approximate.

Calories Burned Walking by Speed

Pace	Speed	MET	Calories/Hour (70 kg)
Slow stroll	3 km/h	2.5	175 kcal
Moderate walk	4.8 km/h	3.5	245 kcal
Brisk walk	6 km/h	5.0	350 kcal
Fast walk	7 km/h	6.3	441 kcal
Power walk / Race walk	8+ km/h	8.0	560 kcal

Brisk walking (6 km/h) burns 40% more calories per hour than a moderate walk — making pace the most effective lever for maximising calorie burn when time is limited.

Does Walking Burn Enough Calories to Lose Weight?

Walking alone is unlikely to produce rapid weight loss, but it is a highly effective long-term strategy when combined with a calorie-controlled diet. A 75 kg person walking 10,000 steps daily (approximately 8 km) burns an extra 400–450 calories per day — equivalent to about 0.4 kg of fat loss per week if diet is held constant.

The advantage of walking for weight loss is sustainability. It requires no equipment, has minimal injury risk, and can be built into daily routine (commuting, lunch breaks). Use our TDEE calculator to see your total daily energy expenditure including walking activity.

~400

Calories burned by 10,000 steps for a 75 kg person

~0.4 kg

Weekly fat loss if walking is only change made

51%

Lower all-cause mortality at 8,000+ steps vs 4,000

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Frequently Asked Questions

Walking 10,000 steps burns approximately 300–500 calories depending on your body weight and walking pace. For a 70 kg person at moderate pace, 10,000 steps (roughly 7–8 km) burns about 350–420 calories. Heavier individuals and those walking at a brisk pace burn toward the higher end of this range.

Running burns more calories per unit of time — roughly 2× more per minute than walking. However, walking burns almost the same calories per kilometre as running (because you cover the same distance, just more slowly). For weight loss, total calorie expenditure matters most. If you can walk for twice as long as you can run, the calorie burn can be comparable. Walking also has much lower injury risk, making it more sustainable long-term.

Yes, but less than most people think. Doubling your walking speed from 3 km/h to 6 km/h roughly doubles calories burned per hour. However, because you cover twice the distance in the same time, the calories-per-kilometre increases only modestly (about 25–30% more at brisk vs moderate pace). Distance is the primary driver of total calorie burn from walking; speed matters mainly when your time is limited.