Walking Calorie Calculator
Estimate calories burned walking from distance, speed, incline and body weight.
About the Walking Calorie Calculator
This uses the American College of Sports Medicine's walking equation, which predicts oxygen use from speed and grade. Each litre of oxygen burns about 5 kcal. Walking uphill raises the cost sharply.
The formula
VO₂ = 0.1·S + 1.8·S·G + 3.5
- S
- speed in metres per minute
- G
- grade as a decimal (5% = 0.05)
- kcal/min
- VO₂ × kg ÷ 1000 × 5
Worked example
Example: Calories burned = 331 kcal
- Inputs: Units: lb / ft; Weight: 180 lb; Distance: 6 km; Speed: 6 km/h; Incline: 0%.
- Formula: VO₂ = 0.1·S + 1.8·S·G + 3.5
- Result: Calories burned = 331 kcal
- Net (above resting): 245 kcal
- Per km: 55 kcal
- VO₂: 13.5 mL/kg/min
Things to keep in mind
- The walking equation is valid from about 50 to 100 m/min (3–6 km/h).
Questions people ask
Does walking faster burn more per km?
Somewhat, especially above about 6 km/h.
How much does an incline add?
Each 1% of grade adds about 18% of the flat-ground net cost at typical speeds.