Calories burned
walking
294 kcal / hour Walking burns approximately 294 calories per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, and 147 calories in 30 minutes. Across the normal adult weight range the hourly figure runs from about 210 to 504 kcal.
It carries a MET value of 4 in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which lists 59 measured variations of this activity from MET 1.5 to 12.3.
Calories burned walking by body weight
Energy cost scales with the mass you move, so body weight changes the answer more than anything else.
| Body weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 53 | 105 | 158 | 210 | 315 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 63 | 126 | 189 | 252 | 378 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 74 | 147 | 221 | 294 | 441 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 84 | 168 | 252 | 336 | 504 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 95 | 189 | 284 | 378 | 567 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 105 | 210 | 315 | 420 | 630 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 116 | 231 | 347 | 462 | 693 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 126 | 252 | 378 | 504 | 756 |
Figures in kilocalories (the "calories" on food labels). The highlighted row is the 70 kg reference adult used in the headline figure; the highlighted column is one hour.
Every official intensity of walking
The Compendium lists 59 separate walking entries, each with its own measured MET value — from 1.5 to 12.3. Most calculators collapse all of this into one number. Pick the row that matches what you actually did.
| Variation | MET | kcal/hr at 70 kg | kcal/hr at 90 kg | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| with a walker or step-to gait on treadmill, 0.7 mph (1.1 km/h), 0% grade | 1.5 | 110 | 142 | 17492 |
| less than 2.0 mph, very slow | 2 | 147 | 189 | 20036 |
| treadmill, less than 1.0 mph, 0% grade | 2.1 | 154 | 198 | 17340 |
| household | 2.3 | 169 | 217 | 17150 |
| less than 2.0 mph, level, strolling, very slow | 2.3 | 169 | 217 | 17151 |
| treadmill, 1.0 mph, 0% grade | 2.3 | 169 | 217 | 17343 |
| less than 2.0 mph, very slow | 2.3 | 169 | 217 | 21040 |
| to and from an outhouse | 2.5 | 184 | 236 | 17280 |
| 2.0 to 2.4 mph, level, slow pace, firm surface | 2.8 | 206 | 265 | 17152 |
| treadmill, 1.2 to 1.9 mph, 0% grade (1.9 to 3.0 km/h) | 2.8 | 206 | 265 | 17346 |
| applying fertilizer or seeding a lawn, push applicator | 3 | 221 | 284 | 08220 |
| gathering gardening tools | 3 | 221 | 284 | 08251 |
| gathering things at work, ready to leave | 3 | 221 | 284 | — |
| 2.5 mph, firm, level surface | 3 | 221 | 284 | 17170 |
| treadmill, 2.0 to 2.4 mph (3.2 to 3.9 km/h), 0% grade | 3 | 221 | 284 | 17349 |
| 2.5 mph, downhill | 3.3 | 243 | 312 | 17180 |
| treadmill, downhill (-3% to -12% grade), 2.8 to 3.1 mph | 3.3 | 243 | 312 | 17382 |
| treadmill, downhill (-5% to -25% grade), 2.8 mph, with Nordic Poles | 3.3 | 243 | 312 | 17412 |
| moderate effort tasks, non-cleaning (readying to leave, shut/lock doors, close windows, etc. | 3.5 | 257 | 331 | 05185 |
| for pleasure, work break (Taylor Code xxx) | 3.5 | 257 | 331 | 17250 |
| Putey walk, Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks | 3.5 | 257 | 331 | 17332 |
| treadmill, 2.5 to 2.9 mph (4.0 to 4.7 km/h), 0% grade | 3.5 | 257 | 331 | 17352 |
| 2.5 mph slowly and carrying objects less than 25 pounds | 3.5 | 257 | 331 | 21055 |
| 2.5 mph, slow speed, carrying heavy objects more than 25 lbs | 3.8 | 279 | 359 | 11797 |
| pushing a wheelchair | 3.8 | 279 | 359 | 11805 |
| 2.8 to 3.4 mph, level, moderate pace, firm surface | 3.8 | 279 | 359 | 17190 |
| treadmill, 3.0 to 3.4 mph (4.8 to 5.5 km/h), 0% grade | 3.8 | 279 | 359 | 17355 |
| 2.8 to 3.4 mph, moderate speed, not carrying anything | 3.8 | 279 | 359 | 20037 |
| 2.8 to 3.4 mph, moderate speed, not carrying anything | 3.8 | 279 | 359 | 21045 |
| self-selected speed, indoor track or outdoors, firm surface | 4 | 294 | 378 | 17255 |
| to work or class | 4 | 294 | 378 | 17270 |
| for exercise, 2.5 to 3.5 mph (4.0 to 5.6 km/h), with ski poles, Nordic walking, level, moderate pace | 4.3 | 316 | 406 | 17302 |
| 3.0 mph, moderately and carrying light objects less than 25 lbs | 4.5 | 331 | 425 | 11800 |
| 3.5 mph, briskly and carrying objects less than 25 lbs | 4.5 | 331 | 425 | 11810 |
| normal pace, plowed field or sand | 4.5 | 331 | 425 | 17262 |
| 3.0 mph moderately and carrying objects less than 25 pounds, pushing something | 4.5 | 331 | 425 | 21060 |
| 3.5 mph, briskly and carrying objects less than 25 pounds | 4.5 | 331 | 425 | 21065 |
| 3.5 to 3.9 mph, level, brisk, firm surface, walking for exercise | 4.8 | 353 | 454 | 17200 |
| grass track | 4.8 | 353 | 454 | 17260 |
| treadmill, 3.5 to 3.9 mph (5.6 to 6.3 km/h), 0% grade | 4.8 | 353 | 454 | 17358 |
| treadmill, 2.5 mph, 0% grade, 5 to 20 degrees C, 40 lb (18.2 kg) load | 4.8 | 353 | 454 | 17434 |
| 3.5 to 3.9 mph, brisk speed, not carrying anything | 4.8 | 353 | 454 | 20038 |
| 3.5 to 3.9 mph, brisk speed, not carrying anything | 4.8 | 353 | 454 | 21050 |
| for exercise, 3.6 to 4.4 mph (5.8 to 7.1 km/h), with ski poles, Nordic walking, level, moderate pace | 5.3 | 390 | 501 | 17304 |
| 4.0 to 4.4 mph (6.4 to 7.0 km/h), level, firm surface, very brisk pace | 5.5 | 404 | 520 | 17220 |
| treadmill, 4.0 to 4.4 mph (6.4 to 7.1 km/h), 0% grade | 5.8 | 426 | 548 | 17361 |
| treadmill, 2.5 mph, 0% grade, -10 to 0 degrees C, 40 lb (18.2 kg) load | 5.8 | 426 | 548 | 17438 |
| backward, 3.5 mph, level | 6 | 441 | 567 | 17320 |
| treadmill, 4.5 to 4.9 mph (7.2 to 7.9 km/h), 0% grade | 6.8 | 500 | 643 | 17364 |
| 4.5 to 4.9 mph, level, firm surface, very, very brisk | 7 | 515 | 662 | 17230 |
| backward, 3.5 mph, uphill, 5% grade | 7.8 | 573 | 737 | 17325 |
| Teabag walk, Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks | 8 | 588 | 756 | 17330 |
| treadmill, 5.0 to 5.5 mph (8.0 to 8.9 km/h), 0% grade | 8.3 | 610 | 784 | 17367 |
| Curved treadmill, 3.0 to 5.0 mph, brisk pace | 8.3 | 610 | 784 | 17455 |
| 5.0 to 5.5 mph (8.8 to 8.9 km/h), level, firm surface | 8.5 | 625 | 803 | 17231 |
| for exercise, 4.5 to 5.0 mph, with ski poles, Nordic walking, level, fast pace | 8.5 | 625 | 803 | 17305 |
| for exercise, with ski poles, Nordic walking, uphill, moderate pace | 8.8 | 647 | 832 | 17310 |
| for exercise, with ski poles, Nordic walking, level ground, carrying 20 to 30 lb load (9.0 to 15.0 kg) | 10.8 | 794 | 1,021 | 17313 |
| for exercise, with ski poles, Nordic walking, uphill, carrying 20 to 30 lb load (9.0 to 15.0 kg) | 12.3 | 904 | 1,162 | 17315 |
Codes are 2024 Adult Compendium activity codes. A dash means the code could not be read unambiguously from the published table, so it is left blank rather than guessed — the MET value and description are unaffected.
What 294 calories an hour actually means
At MET 4, walking counts as moderate activity — it uses about 4 times the energy your body burns sitting still. For a 70 kg adult that works out to roughly 5 kcal per minute, or 294 kcal across a full hour.
Within home activities, that ranks 12th of 58 activities by energy cost, a little below polishing floors (MET 4.5) and above standing, packing/unpacking boxes (MET 3.8).
On the food side, a plain bagel (about 245 kcal) takes roughly 50 minutes of walking to offset at that body weight. That framing is useful for scale, but it is worth saying plainly: exercise and diet are not a ledger that cancels neatly, and appetite tends to rise with activity.
Questions
How many calories does walking burn per hour?
About 294 kcal per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, using the Compendium MET value of 4. A 90 kg adult burns closer to 378 kcal in the same hour, because energy cost scales almost directly with body mass.
How many calories does 30 minutes of walking burn?
Roughly 147 kcal at 70 kg, 126 kcal at 60 kg and 210 kcal at 100 kg. Halving the time halves the calories — the relationship is linear.
What is the MET value of walking?
4, taken as the median of the 59 walking entries in the 2024 Adult Compendium, which range from 1.5 to 12.3 depending on intensity. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, so MET 4 means 4 times that rate.
Is this an exact number of calories?
No, and no calculator can give you one. MET values are population averages measured in laboratory conditions; your own figure varies with fitness, technique, terrain, temperature and body composition. Treat these numbers as a solid estimate for planning, not a precise measurement — and treat any device or site claiming three-digit precision with suspicion.
Related activities
Three more from home activities, and three with a similar energy cost from elsewhere in the Compendium.
MET value from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (activity code 17492). Calories computed as MET × 3.5 × weight kg ÷ 200 per minute. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.