How many calories should I burn walking 3 miles? If you were wondering how many calories you should be burning while walking three miles, this guide will tell you just that. The calories burned calculator takes into account your weight, height, and gender when calculating how many calories you burn through physical activity.
How to Track Walking Calories
You can measure your walking calories using different types of data. For example, you might use your distance, workout duration, or pace to figure out how many calories you burned and how hard you worked.
Calories Per Mile
If you know how far you have walked and want to find the calories burned, you can use a calculator or reference a chart. You can use the calculator below to enter your weight, approximate pace, and distance walked to calculate how many walking calories you have burned
Calories Per Minute
To understand how many calories you burn based on time, you’ll see the number varies based on factors including your weight and the pace at which you walk.
For example, a 140-pound person burns about four calories per minute while walking three miles per hour. So, in about 30 minutes, she would burn roughly 112 calories. But a 200-pound person burns about 5 calories per minute or about 159 calories per thirty-minute interval.
Check this article to see how many calories you burn walking for one minute, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, 90 minutes, or two hours depending on your weight and pace. You can also follow the link to a calculator to enter your weight, pace, and minutes to calculate the distance walked and walking calories burned.
Remember that these numbers are estimates and do not consider gender, incline, or wind resistance factors.
Calories Based on Step Count
Using a pedometer or fitness on your walking workouts, you can see how many calories you burn based on your step count. This calculation considers your weight and height (to get an estimate of stride length).
For example, a 160-pound person who is 5′ 4″ tall would burn about 181 calories walking 5000 steps. But a taller person (5′ 10 tall) who weighs the same amount would burn 198 calories walking the same number of steps.
You can follow this link to tables to look up your step total, steps per mile, and weight to estimate your walking calories burned. The results in these first three calorie charts and calculators are based on metabolic equivalents for task (MET) research of various activities.
Walking Pace
Many exercise experts recommend walking at a moderate pace.1 You might wonder whether your walking pace is fast, moderate, or easy. There are different ways to measure your pace based on miles or kilometers traveled.
Based on your walking intensity, you can estimate how long it will take for you to walk different distances. This information can help you to plan routes and walking workouts.
Use these charts to convert miles and kilometers and see how long it will take you to walk that distance at three different paces. You can see conversions from miles to kilometers and kilometers to miles. You can also follow the link to an online calculator.
To burn more calories while you walk, you can try a few techniques. The most straightforward way to boost calorie burn is to increase your walking pace. Faster walking burns more calories than a slower pace, but you may not be able to walk as long as you usually do due to the increased intensity. You can try doing intervals of faster walking mixed with your regular pace as well.
Another method is to walk up hills or use an incline on a treadmill. You can burn about 50 additional calories per mile while walking on a hill. There are specific workouts you can do on the treadmill that take advantage of the incline setting as well such as the 12-3-30 workout.
You can also try getting more of your body involved to boost the calorie burn such as adding an arm swing, which will also help you walk faster, or by using walking poles.
How Many Calories Does Walking Burn?
Use a calculator or charts by weight, distance, and pace to check calorie burn
If you walk for exercise, you likely want to know how many calories are burned walking one mile, two miles, or more. Your weight and the distance you walk are the biggest factors in how many calories you burn while walking.
A rule of thumb is that you burn about 100 calories per mile for a 180-pound person and 65 calories per mile for a 120-pound person. Your walking speed matters less. To burn 1000 calories then, you’d need to walk for 10 miles as a 180-pound person.
Use these charts to learn how many calories you are burning on your walk, depending on your weight and pace for various distances from one mile to the marathon distance of 26.2 miles.
First, take a look at the calories you would burn per mile at a typical walking pace you’d enjoy while taking a healthy walk or walking your dog. This pace is the natural one you’d assume when just going for a walk without attempting to walk fast.
Calories Burned Per Mile
Now see the effects of taking your walking speed up to brisk walking paces of 4 mph or more. You will burn more calories per mile as you increase your speed, but the most significant factor will still be how much you weigh.
One benefit of walking faster is walking farther in the same amount of time. Walking for a set amount of time will mean burning more calories during an exercise session.
| Calories Burned Walking 4.0 mph by Miles and Weight (Pace of 15 Minutes per Mile or 9 Minutes per Kilometer) |
|---|
| eight (lbs) | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 250 | 275 | 300 |
| Mile 1 | 57 cal. | 68 | 80 | 91 | 102 | 114 | 125 | 142 | 156 | 171 |
| Mile 2 | 114 | 136 | 159 | 182 | 205 | 227 | 250 | 284 | 313 | 341 |
| Mile 3 | 170 | 205 | 239 | 273 | 307 | 341 | 375 | 426 | 469 | 512 |
| Mile 4 | 227 | 273 | 318 | 364 | 409 | 454 | 500 | 568 | 625 | 682 |
| Mile 5 | 284 | 341 | 398 | 455 | 512 | 568 | 625 | 710 | 782 | 853 |
| Mile 6 | 341 | 409 | 477 | 545 | 614 | 682 | 750 | 852 | 938 | 1023 |
| Mile 7 | 398 | 477 | 557 | 636 | 716 | 795 | 875 | 994 | 1094 | 1194 |
| Mile 8 | 454 | 546 | 636 | 727 | 818 | 909 | 1000 | 1136 | 1250 | 1364 |
| Mile 9 | 511 | 614 | 716 | 818 | 921 | 1022 | 1125 | 1278 | 1407 | 1535 |
| Mile 10 | 568 | 682 | 795 | 909 | 1023 | 1136 | 1250 | 1420 | 1563 | 1705 |
| Mile 13.1 | 744 | 893 | 1041 | 1191 | 1340 | 1488 | 1638 | 1860 | 2048 | 2234 |
| Mile 26.2 | 1488 | 1787 | 2083 | 2382 | 2680 | 2976 | 3275 | 3720 | 4095 | 4467 |
| Calories Burned Walking 4.5 mph by Miles and Weight (Pace of 13.3 Minutes per Mile or 8 Minutes per Kilometer) |
|---|
| Weight (lbs) | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 250 | 275 | 300 |
| Mile 1 | 64 cal. | 76 | 89 | 102 | 115 | 127 | 140 | 159 | 175 | 191 |
| Mile 2 | 127 | 153 | 178 | 204 | 229 | 255 | 280 | 318 | 350 | 382 |
| Mile 3 | 191 | 229 | 267 | 305 | 344 | 382 | 420 | 477 | 525 | 573 |
| Mile 4 | 254 | 306 | 356 | 407 | 458 | 509 | 560 | 636 | 700 | 764 |
| Mile 5 | 318 | 382 | 446 | 509 | 573 | 637 | 700 | 796 | 875 | 955 |
| Mile 6 | 382 | 458 | 535 | 611 | 687 | 764 | 840 | 955 | 1050 | 1145 |
| Mile 7 | 445 | 535 | 624 | 713 | 802 | 891 | 980 | 1114 | 1225 | 1336 |
| Mile 8 | 509 | 611 | 713 | 814 | 916 | 1018 | 1120 | 1273 | 1400 | 1527 |
| Mile 9 | 572 | 688 | 802 | 916 | 1031 | 1146 | 1260 | 1432 | 1575 | 1718 |
| Mile 10 | 636 | 764 | 891 | 1018 | 1145 | 1273 | 1400 | 1591 | 1750 | 1909 |
| Mile 13.1 | 833 | 1001 | 1167 | 1334 | 1500 | 1668 | 1834 | 2084 | 2293 | 2501 |
| Mile 26.2 | 1666 | 2002 | 2334 | 2667 | 3000 | 3335 | 3668 | 4168 | 4585 | 5002 |
| Calories Burned Walking 5.0 mph by Miles and Weight (Pace of 12 Minutes per Mile or 7.5 Minutes per Kilometer) |
|---|
| Weight (lbs) | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 250 | 275 | 300 |
| Mile 1 | 73 cal. | 87 | 102 | 116 | 131 | 146 | 160 | 182 | 200 | 218 |
| Mile 2 | 145 | 175 | 204 | 233 | 262 | 291 | 320 | 364 | 400 | 436 |
| Mile 3 | 218 | 262 | 305 | 349 | 393 | 437 | 480 | 545 | 600 | 655 |
| Mile 4 | 291 | 349 | 407 | 466 | 524 | 582 | 640 | 727 | 800 | 873 |
| Mile 5 | 364 | 437 | 509 | 582 | 655 | 728 | 800 | 909 | 1000 | 1091 |
| Mile 6 | 436 | 524 | 611 | 698 | 785 | 873 | 960 | 1091 | 1200 | 1309 |
| Mile 7 | 509 | 611 | 713 | 815 | 916 | 1019 | 1120 | 1273 | 1400 | 1527 |
| Mile 8 | 582 | 698 | 814 | 931 | 1047 | 1164 | 1280 | 1454 | 1600 | 1746 |
| Mile 9 | 654 | 786 | 916 | 1048 | 1178 | 1310 | 1440 | 1636 | 1800 | 1964 |
| Mile 10 | 727 | 873 | 1018 | 1164 | 1309 | 1455 | 1600 | 1818 | 2000 | 2182 |
| Mile 13.1 | 952 | 1144 | 1334 | 1525 | 1715 | 1906 | 2096 | 2382 | 2620 | 2858 |
| Mile 26.2 | 1905 | 2287 | 2667 | 3050 | 3430 | 3812 | 4192 | 4763 | 5240 | 5717 |
How to Manage Total Calories
Once you know how many calories you burned during your walking workout, you can include that number when you estimate your total calorie expenditure and energy balance (calories in and calories out).
Calories Per Day
Perhaps you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. The calories you burn on your walking workout are essential, but the calories you burn throughout the day walking in the office, in your home, and simply performing activities of daily living make a big difference.
A calorie calculator can help give you an estimate of the amount of energy you expend every day. Energy is measured in calories or units of heat.
Input your gender, age, height, weight, and whether you are sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, or very active. For weight loss, you can try to burn 300–500 more calories per day than the figure you get, so you achieve a negative energy balance. Your body then has to burn stored fat.2
Weight Loss Calorie Target
Tracking your calorie intake is one of the most successful ways to achieve a healthy weight. You can reach your goal weight without starving yourself or feeling deprived by making minor changes to your diet (such as eliminating sugary sodas or reducing portion sizes).
Use this calculator to find your calorie target based on your weight loss goals. You’ll input your gender, age, height, current weight, goal weight, goal date, and activity level.
Remember that a healthy rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week. Trying to lose weight faster often backfires and leads to weight regain.
Calories In and Out
Many fitness bands and pedometers will estimate your calories burned by exercise and the total calories burned per day. If you wear a Fitbit, you will see its reading of your total calorie burn, which includes your basic metabolic rate and exercise calories. This enables you to balance the calories you eat against the calories burned.
Diet-friendly fitness trackers such as Fitbit and Garmin include or link to a food log app where you can track what you eat to balance those calories with what you burned.
One common app that links to many fitness trackers is MyFitnessPal.com. The best apps allow you to save common foods and meals and analyze recipes for the calories and nutrition per serving. Many allow you to scan barcodes on the food you eat and include items from fast food and chain restaurants.
However, accuracy is always an issue with any calorie figure from fitness trackers. Calories shown on treadmills and other exercise machines may also be overestimated or underestimated. Be sure to input your correct weight as they often base the burn on that figure.
How many steps do I need to take to lose weight?
The average person has a stride that is 2.5 feet long. Using this stride length, there are roughly 2112 steps in the average person’s mile.
Each mile that a person walks burns roughly 100 calories. If a person was to commit to walking 4,500 extra steps per day, or roughly 3 extra miles, they would be burning an extra 300 calories a day (at least). Burning 300 calories each day leads to a weekly deficit of 2100 calories. After a month, that’s roughly 9000 cal burned, which equates to approximately 2.6 pounds lost. Keep it up for a year and you’re looking at over 31 pounds lost!
Accumulating those three extra miles a day could be as simple as making small changes such as parking further from the store that you’re visiting, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or pacing while you’re talking on the phone. Even if you were to do the 3 miles in one fell swoop, it would only take an extra 45 minutes out of your day.
How many miles a day do YOU need to walk to lose weight?
The number of miles per day that you need to walk to lose weight really depends on your starting point. As mentioned above, it’s important to find out what your starting point is in terms of your activity level, the number of calories you’re currently burning in the day, and the distance that you are covering on average. Once you have an idea of what these figures are for your personal habits and activities, you’ll get a good idea of how many additional steps you need to take each day to see results.
Remember, it’s all a simple math equation.
Here are the basic numbers;
1 Mile = 2112 steps
1 Mile walked = 100 calories burned
1 Pound = 3500 calories
2 Pound weight loss per week = 7000 cal, or a 500 cal deficit per day
1 Pound weight loss per week just by walking = 5 extra miles walked per day – or 10,560 extra steps (in addition to the distance that you are currently covering while maintaining weight)
1 Pound weight loss per week with diet changes and walking combined = 2.5 extra miles walked per day (5280 extra steps), and 250 calories less consumed per day, for a total daily caloric deficit of 500 calories.
Again: If you are trying to lose weight, make sure that you are also doing strength training – people who are trying to lose weight often think that strength training will make them bulky or that they should wait until they lose the extra weight before they “begin to tone”. In fact, the longer you avoid strength training, the longer you are putting off easier weight loss and maintenance. Strength training is absolutely essential to losing weight, keeping a fast metabolism and a healthy body, and it can be modified to challenge anyone, from beginner to advanced. Strength training is healthy for people ages 3-110; as long as the training is smart (good form is emphasized and an appropriately challenging weight is selected), the health benefits are bountiful.