Walking, 3 mph — Calories Burned Calculator
A steady moderate pace — about 20 minutes per mile — that most people can sustain while talking in full sentences. Uphill grades, soft surfaces and walking poles all raise the cost above this level-ground value. The Compendium of Physical Activities lists Walking, 3 mph (moderate pace) at 3.5 METs: at 154 lb (70 kg) that is about 128 kcal in 30 minutes, 92 kcal of it above rest.
Walking, 3 mph — Calories Burned Calculator reference last updated · reference source
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Dated static reference; no live data is fetched. Verify current source values and assumptions before relying on results.
What this tool does
A steady moderate pace — about 20 minutes per mile — that most people can sustain while talking in full sentences. Uphill grades, soft surfaces and walking poles all raise the cost above this level-ground value. The Compendium of Physical Activities lists Walking, 3 mph (moderate pace) at 3.5 METs: at 154 lb (70 kg) that is about 128 kcal in 30 minutes, 92 kcal of it above rest.
How to use the Walking, 3 mph — Calories Burned Calculator
- Check Activity (Compendium MET): 3.5.
- Review the Walking, 3 mph — Calories Burned Calculator result and its exact-value comparison table.
- Verify assumptions before applying the result.
Formula
gross kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight kg / 200 × minutes; net above-rest kcal = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × kg / 200 × minutes (Compendium of Physical Activities)
- met
- Activity (Compendium MET)
- weight
- Body weight (lb, before metric conversion)
- minutes
- Activity minutes
MET values are Compendium general-activity values (Ainsworth et al.); individual speed, grade, technique and physiology change actual energy use. The §C preset activity pages reuse this same MET table.
Worked example
Walking, 3 mph — Calories Burned Calculator: Activity (Compendium MET) = 3.5. A steady moderate pace — about 20 minutes per mile — that most people can sustain while talking in full sentences. Uphill grades, soft surfaces and walking poles all raise the cost above this level-ground value. The Compendium of Physical Activities lists Walking, 3 mph (moderate pace) at 3.5 METs: at 154 lb (70 kg) that is about 128 kcal in 30 minutes, 92 kcal of it above rest.
Inputs
- Activity (Compendium MET)Walking, 3 mph (moderate pace) — MET 3.5
- Body weight154 lb
- Activity minutes30
Result
- Estimated gross calories (kcal)128.36
- Estimated net calories above rest (kcal)91.68
Walking, 3 mph calories by duration at 154 lb (70 kg)
| Duration | Gross kcal | Net kcal above rest |
|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 64 | 46 |
| 30 min | 128 | 92 |
| 45 min | 193 | 138 |
| 60 min | 257 | 183 |
| 90 min | 385 | 275 |
| 120 min | 513 | 367 |
Results explained
- Estimated gross calories (kcal)
- Estimated gross calories (kcal) from the formula above. MET values are Compendium general-activity values (Ainsworth et al.); individual speed, grade, technique and physiology change actual energy use. The §C preset activity pages reuse this same MET table.
- Estimated net calories above rest (kcal)
- Estimated net calories above rest (kcal) from the formula above. MET values are Compendium general-activity values (Ainsworth et al.); individual speed, grade, technique and physiology change actual energy use. The §C preset activity pages reuse this same MET table.
Frequently asked questions
About 128 kcal gross at 154 lb (70 kg) using the Compendium value of 3.5 METs — 92 kcal above what you would burn resting.
About 257 kcal per hour at 154 lb, or roughly 43 kcal every 10 minutes. Scale in proportion to your own body weight.
3.5 METs, the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.) value for "Walking, 3 mph (moderate pace)". One MET is resting energy use, so this activity costs about 3.5 times the resting rate.
About 117 minutes at 154 lb at the full 3.5 MET intensity. Rest breaks and lower-effort stretches extend the real time needed.
The formula scales with body weight: at 120 lb the same 30 minutes costs about 100 kcal and at 200 lb about 167 kcal. Technique, terrain and fitness shift the individual result further, typically by ±15–20%.