Articles · Moving
How many calories do your steps burn?
A simple way to work out what a walk is worth in energy, why your weight changes the answer, and why a walk still matters when the number looks small.
· 4 min read
You've walked 8,000 steps today. Does that "earn" you a slice of cake? Watches and apps are happy to give you a number of calories, but where does it come from, and how far can you trust it?
A rule of thumb you can do in your head
Walking on the flat at an ordinary pace, the body spends roughly half a kilocalorie for every kilogram of body weight, for every kilometre walked, on top of what it would have used sitting still.
And 1,000 steps are roughly three-quarters of a kilometre for most adults (a step of about 70–80 cm). Put together:
- A 60 kg person burns about 20–25 kcal extra per 1,000 steps.
- A 70 kg person, about 25–30 kcal.
- A 90 kg person, about 35 kcal.
So 10,000 steps come to roughly 220–350 kcal for most adults. Apps often show a higher figure because they count the energy you'd have used anyway, sitting on the sofa, as part of the walk.
Think about it: Look at the calories your watch or app gave you for today's walk. Does it count the energy you'd have burnt at rest, or only the extra? Many don't say.
What changes the number?
- Your weight. Carrying more weight takes more energy, which is why the same walk costs a heavier person more.
- Hills and stairs. Going uphill costs much more than walking on the flat, and stairs are among the most demanding everyday climbs.
- Speed. A brisk walk burns more per minute than a stroll, mostly because you cover more ground in that minute.
- Carrying things. Shopping bags, a backpack or a child on your hip all add to the cost.
Walking and food, side by side
A few rough comparisons for a 70 kg adult (each at an ordinary pace, on the flat):
- A medium banana (about 105 kcal): around 4,000 steps.
- A large latte (about 200 kcal): around 7,500 steps.
- A slice of cake (about 350 kcal): around 13,000 steps.
Seeing it this way surprises most people: food adds energy far faster than walking uses it up. That isn't a reason to skip the walk. It's a reason not to treat steps as a way to "pay back" food.
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Georges Seurat, 1884–1886, Art Institute of Chicago. Parisians spending a Sunday by the Seine, some sitting, some strolling. Seurat built the whole scene from tiny dots of colour, and spent about two years on it. How many of them do you think walked home? Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsWhy walk, if the calories are modest?
Because calories are the least interesting thing walking does. People who walk more have lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and early death, and a short walk after a meal lowers the rise in blood sugar that follows it. Walking also lifts mood, helps sleep and costs nothing. Over a year, 2,000 extra steps a day add up to around 550 km: that's a lot of benefit for no equipment.
Try this: Rather than counting calories burnt, count minutes on your feet. It's easier to track, and it's what the health benefits follow most closely.
Think about it: If you added a 15-minute walk after dinner, which evening habit would it replace?
Quick quiz
About how many kilocalories does a 70 kg adult burn per 1,000 steps on the flat, over and above resting?
Roughly 25–30 kcal. It's about half a kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per kilometre, and 1,000 steps are about three-quarters of a kilometre.
Why does your watch often show more calories than the rule of thumb?
Many apps count the total energy used during the walk, including what your body would have burnt anyway at rest.
Which costs more energy: 1,000 steps on the flat or 1,000 steps uphill?
Uphill, by a lot. Climbing is one of the most demanding everyday activities.
Sources
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask a doctor or dietitian what is right for you.