Walking burns roughly 150–250 calories in 30 minutes for most people. Here's what drives the number and how to get more from each walk.
A brisk 30-minute walk burns roughly 150–250 calories for most adults, depending mainly on body weight and pace. The estimate comes from the MET method: calories = METs × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes. Moderate walking is about 3.5 METs; a brisk 4 mph walk is around 5 METs.
Three levers matter most: body weight (heavier bodies burn more moving the same distance), pace and incline (faster walking and hills raise the MET value), and duration. Terrain, carrying a load, and fitness level nudge the number too, but weight and intensity dominate.
At a brisk 4 mph pace (about 5 METs) for 30 minutes:
| Body weight | Calories burned |
|---|---|
| 130 lb | ~155 |
| 160 lb | ~191 |
| 190 lb | ~226 |
| 220 lb | ~262 |
Walk for an hour and you roughly double these figures. Use the calories burned calculator for your exact weight and pace.
Add hills or an incline, pick up the pace in intervals, extend your time, or add a weighted vest for a modest bump. But remember weight management is mostly about total calorie balance — walking is a great, low-impact way to add to your daily burn, not a licence to ignore diet.