We all know it’s great exercise, but how many calories does walking burn? Read on to learn more about walking calories from your friends at Jack City Fitness — we’re experts!

Are Calories Burned by Walking?

For most of us, walking is a daily activity, whether it’s around the house, around town, or as a form of exercise. If you are interested in fitness, you might wonder about calories burned from walking and whether walking itself has any benefits. 

We have great news for you: walking is a fantastic way to get your blood flowing and even clear your head. It’s also a great way to promote joint health and leg strength. And while it’s less intensive than some forms of exercise (like running or HIIT), it’s a bonafide calorie burner! 

That said, walking is not a “one size fits all” type of workout. The number of calories you burn on a walk will depend on many factors, like your own body weight, the pace or speed you maintain, and the amount of time or distance spent moving. Specific stats, like calories burned per mile walking, will depend on these factors.

Time and Activity: How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking?

As we mentioned above, there is not just one answer to the question. Everybody has different paces and circumstances that affect their calorie-burning rate while walking. However, you can find a ballpark number if you crunch a few numbers; there are lots of apps and athletic calculators that show how many calories you burn on a miles-per-hour basis. Your fitness coach will also be able to help you figure this out. 

In the meantime, consider the following example as a guideline:

Let’s say you weigh 140 pounds. You go for a three-mile walk to your friend’s house and it takes you an hour. You’ll burn four calories a minute during this stroll, or 224 in an hour. However, that same walk would burn more calories if you weighed 200 pounds. In that case, at five calories per minute, you’d burn upwards of 300 by the time you got to your friend’s place. 

How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking a Mile?

So, how many calories can you burn walking a mile? 

As with determining your walking calories per hour, the rate at which you burn while walking will depend on your weight and pace. It’s also important to remember that outdoor walks vary greatly in terms of terrain and weather! An hour’s walk through the hilly streets of San Francisco will use far more calories than a level stroll through downtown Denver, just like trekking upwind through the snow against a heavy wind is going to be a much more physical experience than an hour at the mall. All of these elements make an enormous difference to calories burned by walking a mile. 

Curious about how to learn your exact number? If you downloaded an app to calculate your overall calorie-burning rate, you can use that to determine a general rate per mile. And remember, if you have any questions, we’re here to help!

Does Walking in Place Burn Calories?

With all this talk of mileage, it makes sense that many athletes wonder whether they can burn calories while walking in place, like on a treadmill or elliptical machine. After all, not everybody loves the unpredictable nature of outdoor exercise—especially during the height of a humid summer or icy winter! 

Fear not—while outdoor walks are great tools for calorie burning, they aren’t the only ways. Plenty of athletes prefer to do their walking indoors on a piece of equipment or utilize a combination of the two.

A few reasons why so many athletes prefer indoor walking (or a hybrid):

• Consistency

Several external elements affect calories burned from walking. By walking on a piece of fitness equipment rather than outdoors, you are giving yourself a more controlled environment to work out and burn calories. Things like wind and weather, incline, or type of terrain won’t play into the experience, making it easier for you to create a solid routine with results you can count on. 

• Customizability 

An enormous plus of workout machines: they’re machines! Unlike rugged outdoor terrain, workout machines were designed to suit thousands of different athletic abilities and needs. Most walking machines, like the treadmill or elliptical, allow athletes to enter their weight, choose a difficulty level, or even input their heart rate using sensors. These options allow athletes to create a workout experience that suits their own unique needs. 

• Climate Control

Indoor exercise is weatherproof—and that suits most athletes. Sure, some diehard runners or walkers will happily hit the road during a thunderstorm, heatwave, or blizzard. However, many of us don’t feel that way—and that’s okay! Inclement weather is a perfectly valid reason for not wanting to take a walk outside. Indoor walking machines like treadmills give athletes another option, even if their go-to is generally outside.  

What’s The Most Effective Piece of Equipment for Peak Walking Calories?

While much of this still comes down to specific circumstances, we can’t write a whole article about walking calories without mentioning our personal favorite: the Woodway treadmill. Benefits of this particular machine, known for its unique curved shape, are tenfold: 

• It Burns Extra Calories 

How many calories can you burn walking on a Woodway treadmill? According to its creators, a lot! They report that their treadmill helps athletes burn up to 30% more calories than they would on similar pieces of equipment. This is due to the intense, full-body workout its curved bottom offers. 

• It Promotes Better Form

As we mentioned above, the Woodway features a special curved design. This unique shape both encourages proper form for walking and running too. In fact, some physical therapy centers use these machines for rehabilitation. 

• It Works With You at Your Level

One of the coolest things about the Woodway treadmill is that you don’t need to press any buttons or choose any complicated programs. Instead, the machine works with the athlete; the belt will slow down if your pace does, and it will ramp up if you go faster. That means it grows with you as your athletic prowess soars!

• It’s a HIIT Superhero

If you’re hoping to burn some extra calories, High-Intensity Interval Training activities, or HIIT, might be a way to reach your goals. The Woodway can help with this! Its ability to match athletic speed makes it a great choice for the short, intense bursts of exercise that define HIIT. 

• It’s Eco-Friendly

Just because you want to work out inside doesn’t mean you don’t love nature. If you care about keeping green, the Woodway is a great piece of equipment to use. After all, it doesn’t require any electricity!

Are There Any Boise Gyms With Woodway Treadmills?

You bet! At Jack City Fitness, Woodway treadmills are among the many innovative and popular pieces of workout equipment on offer. We know our athletes deserve the very best. 

Will I Lose Weight from Walking?

Sure. However, for healthy and long lasting weight loss, it’s important to think of things on a “long-term” scale. The best way to do this? By developing and keeping healthy changes to your lifestyle: exercise, nutrition, the whole shebang! We recommend working with a dedicated fitness coach and/or nutritional counselor to find the appropriate tools for your unique goals, fitness level, and background. A professional will help you stay accountable, safe, and confident as you move forward with your fitness journey. 

Ready to start that fitness journey? We’re waiting for you at Jack City Fitness! We’d love to have you over for a FREE fitness consultation—and we’re more than happy to let you jump onto one of our Woodways to see what the fuss is all about. While you’re here, you’re also welcome to peek into one of our classes, chat with our coaches, and ask us any questions. We have everything that a Boise athlete needs to succeed and meet their goals, whether it’s more calories burned from walking, a new outlook on nutrition, accountability buddies, or first-class equipment!

To get started, call us at (208) 999-1111. We can’t wait to show you our gym and help you smash those goals!