How many calories does walking a mile burn?

About 100 calories for a 180-pound person at an ordinary pace, or roughly 75 more than sitting for those 20 minutes. Heavier people burn more and lighter people less. A mile run costs more than a mile walked, about half again as much over sitting: around 115 against 75 at 180 pounds.

It’s easy to assume speed is what burns calories. Faster walking does burn more per minute, but it also finishes the mile sooner. At 180 pounds, a brisk mile at 3.7 mph costs about 85 calories over sitting, against 75 at 3 mph. The distance and your weight set most of the bill.

The simple version

A mile is a fixed job: carry your body that far. The bigger the load, the bigger the bill, and hurrying changes it less than you’d think.

The numbers

The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities rates walking at 2.8 to 3.4 mph at 3.8 METs, running at 6 mph at 9.3, and sitting quietly at 1.0. A MET is about 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour.

A daily 2-mile walk at 180 pounds is about 150 calories above sitting. By the old rule of 3,500 calories a pound, that’s about a pound every three to four weeks, if nothing else changes.

What to do

• Count your walking in your daily steps, and pick your activity level from them on the calories from your steps calculator.
• Pick the walk you’ll do every day over the run you’ll skip. The daily total is what moves your burn.