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How many calories does walking burn?How to use the walking calorie calculator?Is it really worth it? YES! Benefits of walking.FAQsWalking is one of the most accessible yet most underrated forms of physical activity. You've probably heard the famous "10,000 steps a day will make you thinner and healthier" sentiment a thousand times. But we have to admit — the slogan's popularity is well deserved! Although the whole 10k thing might be a bit of an overkill for some, it is true that walking at least 7,000–8,000 steps a day has several health benefits, with the extra advantage of being a cheap, accessible and a convenient form of physical exercise! 🚶 💪
At Omni Calculator, we're all about accessibility and convenience, hence the creation of this Walking Calorie Calculator. The tool will take you through your walking habits and, based on them, estimate the number of calories burned in the process, as well as the weight lost this translates to. You'll also find information about the most important benefits of walking and, hopefully, get motivated to give it a go!
You can use this calculator in two ways: either to estimate the treadmill calorie loss or the calories burned walking (for example, when you walk your dog). As the calculator considers the surface inclination, you can be sure that the result will be as precise as possible.
Make sure to take a look at our BMI calculator and the body fat calculator, too!
Prefer watching rather than reading? We made a video for you! Check it out below:
How many calories does walking burn?
Each time you perform any exercise, such as walking or running, you burn some calories. The amount depends on a few factors: your speed, the duration of exercising, your weight, and the slope. Intuitively, if the grade is negative (you're on a decline), you burn fewer calories than if it is positive. For extreme slopes, use our hiking calculator instead.
This walking calorie calculator uses equations based on data presented in the "Energy Cost of Running" study by R. Margaria, P. Cerretelli, P. Aghemo, and G. Sassi. Equations were derived by shapesense.com.
How to use the walking calorie calculator?
- Enter your current weight. Don't cheat! 😉
- Enter the slope of the walking surface in percents. If you were walking uphill, the slope should be positive. If you were walking downhill — negative.
- Enter two of the following values: the distance of your walk, the time it took you, or the average speed. The walking calorie calculator will automatically calculate the third on its own.
- That's all the data you need — the treadmill calorie calculator will show the number of calories burned walking for you, too!
- The last value that the calculator finds is the weight you would lose if you burn that many calories. It is simply the number of kilocalories divided by 7700 (when kilograms are used).
Is it really worth it? YES! Benefits of walking.
The health benefits of walking are pretty extensive. This simple activity can change quite a lot in your life — from something as simple as helping your joints work better to something as big as reducing the risk of developing many potentially life-threatening conditions. If you need more motivation to start walking more, here are a bunch of examples you might find inspiring.
According to a 2019 study, as little as 4,400 steps a day can significantly lower mortality rates over four years of follow-up in older women 👵. Next time you go for a walk, make sure to take your mom or grandma with you!
A study published in 2018 found that people who walk around 10,000 steps a day are more likely to noticeably lose weight than those whose max is 4,000. It pays off!
Research accumulated over the years shows that in general, walking might play an essential part in cardiovascular disease prevention ❤️ — no matter the age and gender.
It appears that walking can be an essential aid in dealing with diabetes, as it is the perfect exercise to lower blood sugar levels, especially in type 2 patients.
Walking does wonders in reducing anxiety. It's a surprisingly simple yet effective mechanism. The part of the brain most typically responsible for anxious behavior, the amygdala, can't focus on more than one activity. When you focus on walking, your mind is likely to refocus from the anxious thoughts easily. Walking is beneficial not only for your physical but also mental health!
Last but not least, albeit quite obviously, walking improves your endurance and muscle strength in the long run. This gives you several further benefits, most notably lowering the risk of experiencing joint pain but reducing the strain put on them.
And let's not forget — walking can be an excellent group activity! Take a friend, parent, and even a dog, and enjoy the experience of taking care of your health together.
How many calories does walking 10,000 steps burn?
On average, we can say that walking 10,000 steps when being an average man (weighting ~75 kg or 165 lb) burns around 500 kilocalories. If you're a petite woman (~50 kg), the value is around 290 kcal.
The number of burnt calories depends on many factors:
- Your weight and sex;
- The slope that you walked on – going downhill (negative slope) burns fewer calories than walking uphill (positive slope);
- The distance you walked – the length of a step is an individual feature; if you usually stride and your steps are longer, you'll walk farther, and you'll burn more calories; and
- Your speed – going faster is more intensive, so it takes more of your energy.
Is it necessary to take 10k steps a day?
The short answer is: no. You don't have to walk 10,000 steps every single day, either if you're doing it for weight loss or health benefits.
However, there's evidence suggesting that setting your goal at 7,500-8,000 steps is a good idea. This level reduces your cardiovascular disease risk, and your overall mortality.
If you are trying to lose those extra pounds by walking, 10k steps or more might be a good idea. Keep an eye on your step counter if you sit a lot on a daily basis. Also, it is better to move few times a day for a shorter time than do the one long 15k steps walk in the morning and spend the rest of the day laying in bed!
Does walking barefoot have health benefits?
Walking barefoot does have some health benefits:
- It gives your feet an utterly new stimulus. This results in the strengthening the foot muscles (yes, they are there!).
- Walking on uneven ground also strengthens muscles of the legs, hips, and butt. Strong lower body = goodbye lower back pain!
- Barefoot walks are a balance challenge. Mastering those, you will get a strong core and excellent proprioception (deep feeling of your own body).
How many miles do I have to walk every day?
First of all, there's no such thing as 'having to walk'. It is beneficial, and we will encourage you to walk every day, but in the end – it's up to you. 😀
It depends on the goal in mind. If you want to keep the body healthy and the cardiovascular risk low, aim for about 4 miles a day, or, in other words – 8,000 steps.
If you want to lose weight, you should focus on walking more than you walk now. Walking more will result in burning more calories, which results to you shedding pounds. Good luck!
How many calories do I burn walking an hour?
If you want to know how many calories you burn walking for an hour, there are few things to consider. First, it depends on your weight. It's not about being under-or overweight; it's about physics: bigger objects (humans) need more energy to move.
Then, pay attention to the distance you covered, A.K.A. your pace. Marching burns more calories than promenading. The third factor is the slope – negative slope (walking downhill) doesn't consume as much energy as climbing.
To sum it up, it is tough to estimate the number of calories that you burn in an hour without any additional data. However, we can say that for an average person, the number of calories burned in an hour of walking ranges from 200-500 kcal.
You can use this calculator to estimate the calories burned while using a treadmill or while walking outside (even up or downhill) 🚶
Between -5% (decline) and 5% (incline)
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