How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking a Mile?

Find out how many calories you burn while walking a mile. (Photo via Arek Adeoye/Unsplash)
Find out how many calories you burn while walking a mile. (Photo via Arek Adeoye/Unsplash)

If you’ve ever wondered how many calories you can burn if you’re walking a mile, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we will analyze the reasons why everyone’s calories burned are not the same.

However, before we go deeper, let’s understand the approximate number of calories you can burn when you walk a mile. Ideally, you should be able to burn somewhere between 60 and 100 calories, but that’s a big difference. Unfortunately, the numbers only get trickier from this point onwards.

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Do Everyone Walking a Mile burn Same Number of Calories?

As mentioned above, two people walking the same mile will not burn the same number of calories. There are various reasons for that.

First, two individuals are seldom of the same weight. If their body weight differs, the number of calories burned will differ too. However, even if their bodyweight is the same, they will likely not have the same height, muscle mass, body fat percentage, etc.

Whenever the numbers in those respects vary, you will not burn the same number of calories even if you’re walking a mile.

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Second, the speed at which you walk the mile will determine how many calories you’re burning. Therefore, two individuals with the exact body statistics will burn different numbers of calories if they’re walking at different speeds.

Third, the inclination of the mile plays a role in the number of calories burned too. For example, if two individuals with the same body statistics begin walking a mile, but one is walking at a 15-degree incline and the other at 3-degree incline, the number of calories burned will differ. That's because the one walking at 15-degree incline has to put in more effort than the one walking at three degrees.

Fourth, the fitness level of every individual walking a mile matters in the number of calories burned. If you have a lean physique with muscles, you will probably burn more calories due to your metabolism.

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There are online calculators that can help you determine the approximate number of calories you can burn when you walk a mile. It takes into account your BMR, METs (exercise intensity), and exercise time.

The equation usually followed for calories burned is: BMR x METS/24 x hour


What to Keep in Mind When You Decide to Start Walking?

If walking wasn’t a part of your fitness routine before, and you’ve decided to incorporate it, you must keep the following in mind:

Always wear comfortable shoes. Your walk will become a pain instead of boosting your fitness if you wear uncomfortable shoes. Ideally, you should purchase a pair of walking shoes that can help your ankles absorb the pressure with ease.

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Always hydrate yourself. There can be times when you’re not feeling thirsty, but that shouldn't stop you from hydrating yourself constantly.

Take a few rest days. While it’s great to incorporate walking into your routine, you shouldn’t overdo it. It’s important to take rest days, and allow the muscles and joints to recover.


Bottom Line

Walking a mile to burn calories is a great idea, but you must have a calorie deficit as well. If you’re putting in the effort to burn calories, you shouldn’t consume calories that make up for the effort. Try to stay within a 500-700 calorie deficit.

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Edited by Bhargav
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