What the number is built from
A MET is how much energy an activity uses compared with sitting still. A casual 3 mph walk is about 3 METs — three times resting — and a brisk 3.5 mph walk is around 3.6. Because weight is in the formula, a heavier person burns more for the same walk, and because time is in it, a longer walk beats a faster short one.
Calories per mile by body weight
Distance, not speed, is what mostly sets the calorie cost of a walk. These are the rough calories burned per mile at an easy-to-brisk pace.
Kilocalories per mile walked. A 155 lb person burns about 100 kcal a mile — so a 3-mile walk is roughly 300 kcal regardless of how briskly it is done.
Three things that surprise people
- Faster is not more per mile. A quicker pace burns about the same calories per mile — it just covers more miles in the same time, so the total for a fixed duration goes up.
- Hills change everything. A 5% incline at brisk pace adds roughly 40–50% to the burn; 10% nearly doubles it. This is why treadmill incline and uphill routes are so effective.
- Watches run high. Wrist trackers tend to overstate calorie burn by 15–40%, so treat any single figure as a ballpark, not a budget.
Pace, in MET terms
| Pace | Speed | MET | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stroll | 2.5 mph · 4.0 km/h | 2.8 | window-shopping |
| Casual | 3.0 mph · 4.8 km/h | 3.0 | easy, can chat |
| Brisk | 3.5 mph · 5.6 km/h | 3.5 | purposeful, slightly warm |
| Fast | 4.5 mph · 7.2 km/h | 6.3 | almost a jog |
Around 2,000 steps make up a mile, so 10,000 steps is roughly 5 miles — about 350–450 kcal for most people.
Common questions
How many calories does an hour of walking burn?
It depends on weight and pace. A 155 lb person at a brisk 3.5 mph burns roughly 260 to 280 kcal an hour; a 200 lb person around 340. Hills can add 40 to 90% on top.
How many calories is 10,000 steps?
About 350 to 450 kcal for an average adult. Ten thousand steps is close to 5 miles, or 60 to 80 minutes of walking, so the exact figure moves with your weight and route.
Does walking burn as many calories as running?
Per mile they are close, with running about 20 to 30% higher. Per minute running wins clearly, burning roughly twice as much — but walking is far gentler on the joints, so it is easier to keep up for years.
