Medically reviewed in July 2021
Updated on March 4, 2022
If you’re looking to lose weight, walking can help. But how many calories you torch on a walk depends on your weight and your walking pace. The heavier you are and the faster you go, the more calories you'll burn. Walking for longer, up hills, on sand or uneven terrain, or in especially cold or warm weather will also use up additional calories.
A pound of body weight is equal to 3,500 calories. If you weigh 150 pounds and take a brisk one-hour walk each day, you can burn through 3500 calories in under two weeks. That means those walks could help you subtract a pound of body weight—assuming you don’t take in extra calories to make up for what you’re burning. That means it’s important to follow healthy overall eating patterns when you’re home.
Here are some estimates of the calories you’re likely to expend, based on your weight and pace.
Weight: 120 pounds
Pace and calories burned per hour:
- Walking while pushing a stroller: 109
- Walking a dog: 164
- Walking briskly: 218
Weight: 150 pounds
Pace and calories burned per hour:
- Walking while pushing a stroller: 139
- Walking a dog: 205
- Walking briskly: 273
Weight: 200 pounds
Pace and calories burned per hour:
- Walking while pushing a stroller: 139
- Walking a dog: 205
- Walking briskly: 364
Weight: 250 pounds
Pace and calories burned per hour:
- Walking while pushing a stroller: 227
- Walking a dog: 341
- Walking briskly: 455
Weight: 300 pounds
Pace and calories burned per hour:
- Walking while pushing a stroller: 273
- Walking a dog: 409
- Walking briskly: 545
With this data in hand—plus a good accounting of the calories you’re taking in each day—you can be more informed about how to meet your weight management goals.
