Discover how many calories does a 1-hour walk can burn and how walking can be an effective part of your weight loss journey. Perfect for all ages and fitness levels
Creating a walking routine that suits you is one of the simplest steps to live an active and healthy life. Walking can easily be included in a weight loss program and, with regular practice, can deliver effective results. So, how much weight can you lose through walking, an activity that people of all ages and fitness levels can do? How many calories does a 1-hour walk burn? Find the answers in our content!
Average Calorie Burn from a 1-Hour Walk
Walking is a practical, low-effort way to stay fit, energetic, and healthy, especially for those who wish to maintain an active lifestyle. You can walk anytime without long preparations, expenses, previous sports experience, or intense effort. Even adding a minimum of 20 minutes of walking to your daily routine is beneficial for a healthy and fit appearance. However, developing a habit of walking for 1 hour can bring numerous benefits, including aiding weight loss.
When discussing the average calorie burn for a 1-hour walk, factors like personal metabolic characteristics, walking speed, and terrain can influence the results. The main determinants of how many calories you burn while walking are your body weight and walking speed.
So, how many calories does a 1-hour walk burn? A moderate walking pace is approximately 2.8-3.2 miles per hour, which translates to about 1 mile in 20 minutes or 3 miles per hour. Increasing your walking speed will lead to a higher calorie burn. Below are average calorie burn estimates for a 1-hour walk at different body weights and walking speeds:
- A person weighing around 45 kg burns approximately 159 calories at a moderate pace and about 199.5 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 55 kg burns approximately 192 calories at a moderate pace and about 238 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 64 kg burns approximately 222 calories at a moderate pace and about 280 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 73 kg burns approximately 255 calories at a moderate pace and about 318.5 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 87 kg burns approximately 288 calories at a moderate pace and about 357 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 91 kg burns approximately 318 calories at a moderate pace and about 399 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 100 kg burns approximately 351 calories at a moderate pace and about 437.5 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 113.5 kg burns approximately 399 calories at a moderate pace and about 497 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 125 kg burns approximately 438 calories at a moderate pace and about 546 calories at a brisk pace.
- A person weighing around 136 kg burns approximately 480 calories at a moderate pace and about 598.5 calories at a brisk pace.
*The moderate walking speed is calculated at 3 miles per hour (5.6 km/h), and the brisk walking speed at 3.5 miles per hour.
*Values provided are averages and may vary between individuals.
How Many Grams of Fat Does a 1-Hour Walk Burn?
If your goal is to lose weight, it’s essential to focus not only on burning calories but also on burning fat. Calorie burn reflects the total energy expenditure, while fat burn is crucial for balanced, healthy, and long-term weight management.
So, how many grams of fat can you burn during a walk? Although results vary based on personal factors, exercise intensity, duration, and walking speed, here are some average values:
- 300 calories = 33 grams of fat
- 450 calories = 50 grams of fat
- 600 calories = 65 grams of fat
- 750 calories = 80 grams of fat
- 900 calories = 100 grams of fat
*Therefore, it’s possible to burn an average of 30-45 grams of fat during a 1-hour walk. Increasing your speed or workout intensity can help you burn even more fat.
*As you increase your speed, you’re likely to sweat more, which means you’ll burn more fat compared to someone walking at a slower pace.
How Many Steps Does an Hour of Walking Equal?
When walking at an average speed (3 miles or 5.6 km per hour), you can take approximately 6,000 steps in an hour. If you walk at a slightly faster pace (4 miles or 6.4 km per hour), the number of steps you take in an hour increases to around 8,000. At a speed of 5 miles or 8 km per hour (a brisk walk or light jogging pace), you can complete 10,000 steps in an hour.
Can Walking Reduce Belly Fat?
Research has shown that walking can effectively help reduce belly fat. Studies indicate that individuals who walk for 1 hour daily alongside a good nutrition plan burn more fat from their waistline and overall body compared to those who rely solely on diet.
In addition to regular walking, a balanced diet and cardio workouts often play a crucial role in targeting belly fat.
The Impact of Walking on Healthy Weight Loss
Healthy weight loss isn’t just about following a diet plan. To achieve sustainable and healthy weight management, it’s essential to turn lifestyle changes into long-term habits. Incorporating healthy eating habits and regular exercise into your daily life can make a significant difference.
The Health Benefits of Walking
In the weight loss process, following extreme diets or engaging in intense workouts for quick results can be harmful. For a sustainable and healthy approach to weight loss, consider setting long-term goals and aiming to lose around 1-2 kilos per week. Effective weight loss is supported by stress management, healthy eating habits, and regular exercise.
Walking usually does not lead to rapid weight loss. However, by walking at least 1 hour daily, 5 days a week, you can develop an exercise habit and build a healthy lifestyle that promotes steady weight control. This approach increases the likelihood of losing weight in a balanced and healthy way.
Walking is suitable for people of almost all ages and conditions. Everyone can create a personalized walking program suited to their fitness level. Regular walking can make weight loss easier. Naturally, increasing the frequency, speed, or intensity of your walks can lead to greater weight loss. However, balance is key—excessive walking can lead to injuries, fatigue, or burnout.
It’s always beneficial to consult with a doctor and a fitness trainer before starting any exercise program.
How Many Calories Does Walking 1 Hour on an Empty Stomach Burn?
According to many studies, exercising on an empty stomach (before breakfast) is more effective for fat burning. Morning walks kickstart metabolism and aid in more efficient fat burning throughout the day. By walking in the morning on an empty stomach, you can increase the calories and fat burned. Depending on your walking speed and intensity, a 1-hour morning walk on an empty stomach can burn approximately 250-400 calories.
How Often and at What Speed Should I Walk?
Experts generally recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or at least 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week. Establishing a walking routine that fits your level and lifestyle is one of the most practical ways to maintain this plan. If you’re new to walking, start with lower intensity and frequency, such as walking for 20-30 minutes instead of an hour, 3-4 days a week.
Supporting Weight Loss by Making Walking a Habit
As you begin to make walking a habit, gradually increasing the pace and frequency of your exercise will support your healthy weight loss goals. After the adjustment period, you can extend your walks to 1 hour, aiming for at least 5 days per week. Additionally, to allow your muscles to repair and to refresh your energy, be sure to rest at least one day per week.
Benefits of Walking 1 Hour Daily
Walking for 1 hour each day brings numerous mental, physical, and emotional benefits. Here are the advantages of a 1-hour daily walk:
- Burns Calories and Facilitates Weight Loss: Walking helps you burn calories and lose weight. Factors such as walking speed, duration, body weight, exercise intensity, and terrain (walking on inclined surfaces burns more calories) determine the amount of calories burned.
- Improves Heart Health: Walking 1 hour, at least 5 days a week, positively impacts heart health. It strengthens your heart and can reduce the risk of heart attack by 19%.
- Helps Regulate Blood Sugar: Walking helps balance blood sugar levels, which can be beneficial for overall health.
- Supports Joint Strength: Walking strengthens joints, including knees and hips, by promoting the development and lubrication of muscles supporting the joints.
- Boosts Immunity: Regular walking strengthens the immune system, making you more resilient to illnesses like the common cold and flu.
- Increases Energy Levels: If you’re tired, a walk can increase your energy. Walking boosts levels of oxygen and hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, which are associated with energy.
- Improves Mental Health: Walking helps improve mental health and can alleviate negative moods like anxiety and depression.
- Reduces Risk of Severe Illness: Walking at a moderate to brisk pace can reduce the risk of death from conditions like heart disease and cancer by 20-24%.
- Strengthens Leg Muscles: Walking strengthens your leg muscles. Walking on slopes, inclined treadmills, or stairs provides additional benefits.
- Enhances Creativity and Mental Clarity: Walking helps calm the mind, improve focus, and increase creative thinking abilities.
Incorporating daily walking into your routine not only promotes a healthy body but also contributes to a balanced mind and emotional well-being.
The Relationship Between Walking Speed and Calorie Burn
Walking can indeed help with weight loss, but walking speed is one of the most crucial factors for burning calories. The faster you walk, the more calories you burn in direct proportion. Rather than focusing solely on the distance walked, the speed at which you walk has a more significant impact on weight loss.
As your heart rate increases, you sweat more, which in turn leads to higher calorie burn. Additionally, during the first 30 minutes of walking, your body primarily uses carbohydrates for energy. After 30-40 minutes, however, it begins to rely more actively on fat stores for fuel.
Calorie Burn Based on Walking Speed
Other Tips for Burning More Calories While Walking
The key to burning more calories while walking is to keep up a brisk pace. Additionally, if you weigh more, you’ll burn more calories since your body requires more energy. Here are some additional methods to increase calorie burn, aside from walking speed and body weight:
- Incorporate Inclines and Hills: Adding inclines, stairs, or hilly areas to your route increases calorie burn compared to walking on flat surfaces. Increasing the incline on a treadmill is another option.
- Extend Your Walking Time and Distance: Increasing the duration and distance of your walk enhances overall calorie burn.
- Include Intervals: Add short bursts of jogging or high-speed walking lasting 15-30 seconds to your normal pace, then return to your regular pace. Interval walking not only aids fat burning but is also an excellent way to gradually increase your walking speed.
- Avoid Carrying Weights: Carrying weights while walking isn’t generally recommended, as it can put extra strain on your joints and legs.
Regular exercise and a balanced diet are the most effective ways to achieve a fit appearance and maintain an energetic lifestyle. Walking is undoubtedly one of the most practical and enjoyable forms of exercise. Regardless of your age or fitness level, you can easily create a walking routine that suits you. Walking offers flexibility compared to many other types of exercise, allowing you to choose routes that work best for you—whether it’s hilly trails, the beach, nature walks, or treadmill walking.
Incorporating a 1-hour walk into your daily exercise routine makes weight loss and weight management easier. Moderate to brisk-paced walks help burn even more calories, and combining daily walks with a healthy diet plan can support a balanced approach to achieving your fitness goals.