Keeping fit through daily walks does not require any training experience and can be done by anyone without restrictions. Find out more about this exercise and the number of calories it burns when you do it regularly.
Energy consumption when walking
Only a healthy and physically fit person can afford to actively engage in sports. Unlike strenuous, high-impact workouts, walking is less taxing on the body. Exercises help improve the functioning of the lungs and heart. Energy consumption when walking depends on the pace of movement and the athlete's metabolism. During a leisurely walk of 2-3 kilometers, up to 300 kilocalories are consumed. At a speed of 7 km/h you can burn up to 500 kcal. It is worth considering that without a properly selected diet, it will not be possible to achieve noticeable results.
How many calories are spent walking?
During leisurely walks, a minimal amount is consumed subcutaneous fat. However, taking into account properly organized nutrition and daily routine, you can spend about 250 kilocalories per hour of exercise. Remember that energy expenditure depends on the terrain in which the workout takes place. Thus, the calorie consumption when walking on smooth asphalt is significantly inferior to exercise in the forest, where the terrain requires active movement. For this reason, experts recommend training in nature.
How many calories are burned by walking in an hour?
Currently, there are special calculators that determine energy consumption for a particular type of load. On average, it is generally accepted that during a walk a person spends 3.2-3.8 kilocalories per kilogram of weight. Final result depends on many components. Thus, during exercise on rough terrain, up to 6.4 kcal is lost. More information about how many calories are burned per hour of walking can be found below:
- walk on a flat road – 200;
- uphill – 320;
- classes at an average pace - 335;
- climbing stairs – 500-700.
How many calories are burned when walking 1 km
Experts say that to lose weight you need to exercise regularly. It is important to cover a distance of at least 2-3 kilometers. Do not forget that before classes you need to do a short warm-up. This rule especially applies to athletes who prefer intensive training in nature. You can calculate the number of calories burned when walking 1 km using a special calculator. Experienced athletes claim that about 100 kcal are spent.
How many calories are burned when walking 5 km
Energy consumption depends on the speed of movement. So, while walking at a slow pace, 300 kilocalories are burned. Losses will be more serious if you include aids in the form of special weights or dumbbells. The calculator will help you calculate calories when walking more accurately, taking into account your weight, diet and training schedule. Remember that you need to start with short distance training. At first, you shouldn't be particularly interested in the number of calories burned when walking 5 km. Remember, such distances require preparation.
How many calories are burned when walking up the stairs?
It is known that you can quickly lose excess weight by climbing up. Moreover, to perform this exercise you do not need to look for a hill or mountain. So, going up to the 9th floor may well replace these natural objects. The amount of calories burned when walking up the stairs is 1300 kcal. Remember not to exercise immediately after eating. It is best to conduct classes in the morning. At this time, burning calories when walking up the stairs will be more effective. Do not forget about a short warm-up before the “ascent”.
How many calories are burned during Nordic walking?
When walking with poles, energy costs double. Calorie consumption at Nordic walking over rough terrain can reach 800 kcal. Moving at a speed of 90-100 steps per minute allows you to lose up to 1000 kcal per hour of training. Increased calorie expenditure when walking Scandinavian sticks carried out due to more advantageous load redistribution. So, during classes, the muscles of the arms, upper back, and legs are used. This reduces the load on the spine and hip joints.
Every day a person covers a certain distance on foot. This can be either regular walks or a way to get to work. When walking, the body expends a certain amount of energy.
Walking as a way to get rid of calories
The number of units of energy expended depends on several factors:
- Duration of the walk.
- Intensity of leg movement.
- Movement speed.
- Surface topography for walking
- Ambient air temperature.
- The altitude above sea level where pedestrian travel takes place.
The ideal choice for most is race walking at a distance of 1–2 kilometers every day. Such walks take little time, do not exhaust the body, burn calories, strengthen muscles, stimulate blood circulation and heart function.
Hiking on fresh air provide positive impact on the cells of the human body, saturating them with oxygen.
What energy costs when walking - review
In order to understand how many calories are burned when walking 1 km, you need to take into account your weight and speed of movement.
- A regular walk at a speed of 2-3 kilometers per hour will require 200 calories for the average body.
- Race walking requires greater speed and, accordingly, leads to more serious energy expenditure. At a speed of 5 km per hour, a person will spend 300-400 calories.
There is also the option of using different walking methods, which allow you to burn more calories and keep your body toned. This increases the overall physical development of the body.
Types of walking
Steps or climbs in the mountains will be useful. This technique perfectly develops the muscles of the body and burns much more calories. Required condition is monitoring your heartbeat.
Excessive strain on the heart can have a detrimental effect on your health.
Very popular now nordic walking. It implies the use special sticks, which must fully correspond to a person’s height. Nordic walking burns 40% more calories than regular walking and is the safest method for getting rid of excess weight.
To get maximum calorie burning efficiency, you must follow certain instructions:
- When walking, a person should walk about 10 kilometers a day.
- The efficiency of energy costs depends entirely on the chosen pace.
- The step should be medium and have a certain tact.
- The walk should last at least half an hour.
- The pace and load on the body should be increased gradually.
It is advisable to find a companion who will walk with you. All activities must take place outdoors. This approach will not only increase efficiency, but also improve health.
If you decide to take up walking, then pay attention to nutrition. It should not contain harmful or fatty foods. It is better to eat protein and plant foods.
Very important right choice shoes Poor quality or uncomfortable shoes can negatively affect the health of the body, especially the musculoskeletal system.
Contents [Show]
Hello my dear readers! Many people don't have enough time for sports. And not everyone is physically capable of jogging on the street or lifting weights in the gym. But if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then extra pounds won't leave you alone. Just don't despair. Better take up walking! How many calories are lost when walking? Let me tell you.
It turns out that walking is a wonderful sport. Yes, yes, walking is a sport. The benefits from it are special. After all, it trains all the same muscles as running. At the same time, it does not have a negative impact on knee joints. Plus it improves heart function and saturates our cells with oxygen. Everyone can walk: fat and thin, old and young.
Many people are concerned about the topic of weight loss. It is very difficult to fight the hated kilograms while sitting. Forcing yourself to play sports is even more difficult. But going for a walk in the evening after work is as easy as shelling pears!
- your weight;
- your age;
- level of physical fitness;
- pace;
- duration;
- almost running (8 km/h) 10 kcal;
3 km/h | 126 | 138 | 150 | 163 | 175 | 187 | 201 | 213 | 226 |
4 km/h | 160 | 177 | 192 | 209 | 224 | 240 | 257 | 272 | 288 |
5 km/h | 184 | 202 | 221 | 239 | 258 | 276 | 295 | 312 | 331 |
6 km/h | 217 | 238 | 262 | 283 | 304 | 326 | 349 | 369 | 392 |
7 km/h | 291 | 321 | 351 | 379 | 409 | 439 | 467 | 496 | 526 |
8 km/h | 374 | 410 | 449 | 487 | 523 | 562 | 598 | 636 | 673 |
9 km/h | 480 | 530 | 577 | 625 | 674 | 722 | 769 | 818 | 866 |
Although there are, of course, many applications on a smartphone - download it for free, install it and use it. They write that it counts the distance traveled, speed and number of calories lost. But is it really that convenient? No matter how many programs I tried, they produced a huge error. I walk 10 steps, and he counts 7 or doesn’t even understand that I’m walking. So you have a choice - toil with a free program, or purchase a specialized device.
You don’t need to immediately start walking quickly for 3 hours a day. Especially if you are no longer 20 years old and do not weigh 50 kg. Start with hour-long walks at a slow pace. Then increase the pace for 5 minutes, then for 10 minutes and so on. Gradually you will begin to walk for 1 hour at an average pace. Want to spend more energy? Then increase the pace again and add time.
The main rule is to walk for at least an hour. When walking, fat begins to be burned no earlier than forty minutes later. Our body is extremely thrifty and first spends available carbohydrates.
Also remember not to exercise immediately after eating. Optimal time for training, this is an hour after eating. And when you finish your classes, don't rush to eat. Drink some water. You can indulge in an apple or a banana smoothie.
While walking, remember to breathe. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. It is also important to quit smoking. It negatively affects breathing and cardiovascular system. Shortness of breath and even dizziness will appear.
Give yourself a nice gift. Buy a beautiful one sports uniform and comfortable sneakers. Better yet, buy special clothes which helps burn fat. For example, breeches for weight loss. They create a sauna effect and help you lose weight much faster.
There are several ways to increase the load. Race walking will make you sweat. But this is a super-effective way to get rid of extra centimeters. The tummy will be flat, and the buttocks will be a sight to behold.
To work through top part body, swing your arms. This will increase the load and walking speed.
Bend your elbows at an angle of 90° and make amplitude swings of your arms back and forth.
Is it easy for you to walk and don’t you get tired? Try adding weight. This will increase the intensity and challenge your muscles. Avoid wearing weights on your wrists and feet. They can change your gait and posture and increase your risk of injury.
Instead, grab a backpack or weighted vest. If you decide to wear a backpack, fill it with water, sand, or simple cat litter. This will distribute the weight evenly.
If the weather does not allow you to go outside, take the stairs or stay indoors. Do a short warm-up first. How many calories are spent during these types of training, read the article “training options for losing weight.”
Is one of the best ways increase the number of calories burned. It is suitable for all ages and skill levels. The result is incredible. Nordic walking uses 90% of the muscles in our body and increases calorie consumption by up to 46% compared to normal walking. Poles help reduce stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints.
I recently purchased these sticks myself. I noticed that the load on my legs doubled and the muscles of my arms and upper back became involved.
Girls, everything works, the main thing is not to be lazy. After training you feel like you have run several kilometers. Even my back with my osteochondrosis began to hurt less. I really recommend this walk to everyone. For more information on how many calories are spent and how to train correctly, read a separate article about Nordic walking with poles for weight loss.
If it is not possible to walk outside, then walking on a treadmill is the most optimal. On average, a person walks at a speed of 4-5 km per hour. To lose weight and get good physical fitness you need to increase the pace and walk from 5.5 to 6.5 km per hour. By increasing the pace, you burn about a third more calories. It’s just not worth increasing it any further, because... It will no longer be walking but running. And this is another story, which I wrote about in the article how many calories are lost when running 😉
Walk on uneven surfaces such as grass, paths, gravel, sand or snow. For example, walking in the snow increases calorie consumption by 2-3 times.
And with fins, even more effective training :)
You can also walk up the stairs or just uphill. You can walk backwards. Or change the pace. Maybe you know some other ways? Be sure to write comments. And subscribe to my blog. Bye bye!
Sincerely, Olga Sologub
PS: If you want variety and increased calorie consumption, I recommend finding out how many calories cycling burns :)
Excess weight is one of the most pressing problems that worries modern society. They are trying to solve it in different ways. Some people go on a diet, others take special medications to lose weight. There are also those who purchase products that promote weight loss, and others begin to visit gym. However, the most effective measures for losing weight are considered moderate physical activity and proper nutrition. Only this will help get rid of extra pounds without harm to the body. Please note that even regular walking is considered moderate physical activity. However, to increase efficiency from this exercise you need to know a few rules. Today we will find out how many calories are burned when walking in 1 hour and how we can improve this result.
You should know that this indicator will be individual for each person. It all depends on weight, age, health, metabolism, etc. We will only give the average value as a guide.
Please note that the data you will see below is calculated for 1 kg of weight, that is, you can calculate the indicator for yourself as follows. Take the number of kilocalories and multiply them by your weight. The result obtained will be your indicator.
- Walking on asphalt or a flat road at a speed of 4 km/h – 3.2 kcal per 1 kg of weight.
- Walking on asphalt or a flat road at a speed of 6 km/h – 4.5 kcal per 1 kg of weight.
- Walking on asphalt or a flat road at a speed of 8 km/h – 10 kcal per 1 kg of weight.
- Climbing uphill at a speed of 2 km/h – 6.4 kcal per 1 kg of weight.
- Walking in nature (for example, in the forest or on the beach) – 6.4 kcal per 1 kg of weight.
- Race walking – 6.8 kcal per 1 kg of weight.
To avoid buying devices to determine your own speed, you just need to count your steps while walking. If you take 50 steps per minute, the walking speed will be 3 km/h, 75 steps per minute will be a speed of 4.5 km/h, 100 steps per minute will be a speed of 6 km/h.
Burning calories while walking: an effective way to heal the body and safe descent body weight
To quickly achieve weight loss, it is recommended to engage in race walking. It will help you quickly get rid of extra pounds. The essence of it is to take small steps, placing your feet in a straight line. Your arms should be bent at the elbows. Such walking not only helps you lose weight, but also makes your legs slender, your stomach flat, and your buttocks toned. If you pick up dumbbells that weigh less than a kilogram, you will achieve the result much faster. In this case, you can perform the following exercises. When you put your right leg out, left hand you need to put it in front of you without bending it at the elbow. The same must be done in the other direction. This exercise is only performed halfway, and the second half should be performed with a simple athletic step.
In addition to race walking, other types of movement are also effective in losing weight.
- Walking in reverse. In this case we are talking about walking backwards. It will help tighten your buttocks and make flat stomach. The movement should start slowly, gradually increasing the pace. It's best to have someone nearby to help you avoid tripping.
- Climbing up. If you do not move on a flat surface, but begin to climb uphill or up stairs, you will achieve results much faster.
- Walking with tense buttocks and a straight back will increase efficiency and calories will be burned much faster.
- Nordic walking with poles. This type exercise is suitable even for older people. This walking increases calorie burning by 45%. It guarantees weight loss of an average of 3 kg per week.
It’s not enough to know how many calories are burned when walking in 1 hour; you also need to do the workout correctly to achieve maximum results.
- The training time should be at least half an hour. Only such walking will have an effect on weight loss.
- You don’t need to start training right away by choosing maximum quantity time, otherwise your muscles will not withstand the load and will be very sore. First sports walk should be 10 minutes, the second 15, etc., bringing it to the desired time.
- For training, you need to choose comfortable shoes and clothes that will not restrict your movements while walking.
- The foot should be placed from heel to toe.
- The walk should be taken away from the roadway.
- If you get tired and feel pain in your muscles, you need to take a break and then continue exercising.
- Do your workouts every day, otherwise they will be of no use.
Knowing how many calories are burned when walking in 1 hour, you can choose the optimal training time and load for yourself. Then with the help of this exercise you can easily and quickly get rid of excess weight.
Today it is necessary to be fit, cheerful and beautiful. Young people are going to the gym again, many are starting to run in the morning. This is a great trend and should definitely be supported. But today the topic of our article is slightly different. Not everyone can afford to go to the gym, and an untrained body cannot stand running, especially if there are a certain amount of extra pounds. An alternative can be simple walking. Today we want to take a closer look at how many calories walking burns. By answering this question, you can build a balanced diet to enhance the effect.
Of course, to lose weight it’s not enough to go shopping. How many calories are burned per hour of walking depends on:
- presence/absence of additional equipment (walking poles, weights);
- your weight;
- your age;
- level of physical fitness;
- pace;
- duration;
- roads (it’s harder to walk uphill);
- intensity of hand movement.
It is clear that if you walk quickly, you will burn more calories than if you walk at a slow pace. Plus, it is better to conduct classes in a park or forest. The load will immediately increase due to unevenness on the road.
In 1 hour of walking you can burn 200 kilocalories or more. You can independently calculate how many calories your body will burn.
For one kilogram of weight, each person spends an hour walking:
- at an average pace (4 km/h) 3.2 kcal;
- at a fast pace (6 km/h) 4.5 kcal;
- almost running (8 km/h) 10 kcal;
There is also a convenient sign where you can see how much you will spend depending on your body weight and walking speed.
3 km/h | 126 | 138 | 150 | 163 | 175 | 187 | 201 | 213 | 226 |
4 km/h | 160 | 177 | 192 | 209 | 224 | 240 | 257 | 272 | 288 |
5 km/h | 184 | 202 | 221 | 239 | 258 | 276 | 295 | 312 | 331 |
6 km/h | 217 | 238 | 262 | 283 | 304 | 326 | 349 | 369 | 392 |
7 km/h | 291 | 321 | 351 | 379 | 409 | 439 | 467 | 496 | 526 |
8 km/h | 374 | 410 | 449 | 487 | 523 | 562 | 598 | 636 | 673 |
9 km/h | 480 | 530 | 577 | 625 | 674 | 722 | 769 | 818 | 866 |
That is, with a weight of 55 kg and walking with average speed, in an hour you will lose 202 kcal.
It’s completely inconvenient to consider all this. After all, you still need to correctly estimate the speed. If you know exactly the distance traveled, calculating the speed is easy. What if not? Count steps per minute? This will make you more tired than walking itself!
I recommend using a fitness bracelet. You put it on your hand, and he counts how much time has passed. For me, this is a convenient and simple electronic pedometer.
The fitness bracelet has a built-in motion sensor – an accelerometer. The smartphone, on which a special application should be installed, receives sensor readings via the Bluetooth wireless network and converts them into steps. And then the steps are recalculated into kilometers and calories according to the user’s weight, height and age specified when launching the application. It is clear that in this case, the accuracy of estimating calories burned is very low.
An accelerometer can also be built into a smartphone, but here the error is even greater, since the smartphone should be worn in a place where the accelerometer can well sense the vibrations caused by walking, for example, in a trouser pocket. All such devices are designed for walking or running, and in fitness training mode their readings are even more unreliable.
There is nothing complicated about this: knowing a simple formula, you can always calculate your speed. This will help turn the abstract concept of “fast walking” into something more real. It’s easy to estimate how many calories you’ll burn if you count the number of steps. If you walk at a speed of 3 km per hour, you take 50 steps in one minute. A speed of 4.5 km/h will allow you to take 75 steps per minute, and 6 km/h will allow you to take 100 steps per minute. That is, if you take 125 steps per minute, you can easily count on losing 10 kcal per kilogram of weight. This is an impressive figure, considering that not every workout in gym will give you this result.
Currently, there are special calculators that determine energy consumption for a particular type of load. On average, it is generally accepted that during a walk a person spends 3.2-3.8 kilocalories per kilogram of weight. The final result depends on many components. Thus, during exercise on rough terrain, up to 6.4 kcal is lost.
More information about how many calories are burned per hour of walking can be found below:
- walk on a flat road – 200;
- uphill – 320;
- classes at an average pace - 335;
- climbing stairs – 500-700.
Experts say that to lose weight you need to exercise regularly. It is important to cover a distance of at least 2-3 kilometers. Do not forget that before classes you need to do a short warm-up. This rule especially applies to athletes who prefer intense training in nature.
When, how much and how you need to walk in order to lose weight, you need to decide only and you need to do this taking into account the state of your health. Some recommendations from experts:
- You need to walk at least 6 km a day, otherwise there will be no result.
- You need to walk at a fast pace, but do not run.
- Steps should be from heel to toe of medium size.
- You need to move your hands strictly to the beat.
- The minimum lesson time is 30 – 40 minutes.
- Try to make these walks a habit for you, then they will have noticeable benefits. The habit will develop in a few weeks and will stay with you forever.
- To make your walk successful, you must have the right equipment.
- Choose right place for classes. It should be with the least amount of transport.
- Increase the load gradually.
Let walking be an amazing and useful entertainment for you, which will help you lose those hated kilograms. Transform necessary activity for pleasure. Enjoy the beauty of the world around you and at the same time get rid of excess weight. Fill yourself with positive emotions and radiate light and warmth. Walking in the fresh air can give you all this.
What is better - running or walking for weight loss? Let's compare these types of physical activity.
Benefits of running for weight loss
- This sport will allow you to lose weight faster and more intensely due to greater activity and the ability to burn calories faster.
- To burn the same amount of calories, you will need to spend much more time walking.
- Running strengthens muscles better by putting more stress on them. Accordingly, the relief of the hips improves faster.
- This sport allows you to “escape” from depression and sad thoughts.
The benefits of walking for weight loss
- The main advantage of this type of load is that it has no contraindications. Walking can be freely practiced by people with musculoskeletal problems, heart disease and obesity.
- This method of losing weight is much less traumatic and will not harm ligaments and joints.
- For an untrained person, brisk walking is enough to reach the maximum permissible heart rate for useful cardio training. Only experienced athletes can run at the correct (low) heart rate.
- Walking promotes mental activity. Why not “reinvent the wheel” while walking?
How much energy is spent per week?
If you take daily two-hour walks, refuse the elevator and climb the stairs on foot, you can easily burn 2000 kcal in a week, which is comparable to one fasting fasting day or 200 g of subcutaneous fat. A very tempting prospect, isn’t it? But this is by no means all the advantages of walking.
Walking can be used to effectively and safely get rid of excess ballast on the body, since not every person can exercise active species sports
When walking, everyone selects the optimal load for themselves, so as not to feel “broken” later. Even with a sedentary lifestyle, a person moves on his feet a distance of 1-10 km per day without noticing it.
If you make walks in a green area the same distance more intense, you can improve your mood, replenish your cells with fresh oxygen, strengthen your heart muscle, blood vessels, improve lung function, and also lose weight by burning calories and develop endurance... while racing walking.
How many calories are burned when different types walking, you will find the answer to this question in our article.
It is this that, at a speed of 100 steps per minute, will allow you to break down fat in the subcutaneous tissue. You need to start with 10 minutes and gradually increase your daily walk at a sports pace to 40-45 minutes. Along with calories, you can get rid of extra centimeters on your waist and hips and in return get health, lightness and moral satisfaction.
You need to walk in a straight line, using small and frequent steps with your elbows bent and your buttocks tense.
To quickly tighten your buttocks, make your legs slender and remove belly fat It is recommended to take dumbbells up to 1 kg with you for a walk or wear weights on your hands. During the first half of the distance, the left hand with a weight is actively thrown out and right leg, then right hand and left leg.
When walking quickly over a distance of 1 km, a short person (1.5 m tall) weighing 45 kg burns approximately 0.88 kcal per 1 kg of body weight, and with a height of 1.8 m and a weight of 86 kg - 0.74 kcal. Then, for example, walking 5 km, the first will spend 4.4 kcal/kg (198 kcal in total), and the second - 3.7 kcal/kg (318.2 kcal in total).
When walking at a brisk pace, you can burn more calories than at a leisurely pace, as can be seen in the table.
By choosing race walking, you can spend up to 400 kcal/hour.
To walk properly and burn more calories, you need to:
- place your foot with the weight transferred from heel to toe;
- take comfortable short steps;
- keep your feet toned and not relax even when climbing uphill;
- don’t sway your hips like a model;
- squeeze your buttocks and keep your abs toned when standing on your heel;
- slightly spring in the knees to cushion the spine;
- clench your hands and swing them in time with your steps;
- turn your body slightly during steps;
- keep your spine straight;
- straighten your chest, but do not lift your chin high to exclude additional load on the neck.
Rules for walking for weight loss:
Before using sports or any other type of walking, you should consult your doctor.
During your walk, you can alternate between the following types of walking:
- Backward forward to improve posture and sense of balance, strengthen calf muscles, back and buttocks, training peripheral vision and developing thinking.
- Along the steps or uphill with a slope of 15-20%. The staircase should be chosen outside, since dirty staircases in high-rise buildings are not suitable for sports activities. In these cases, it is necessary to take into account the pulse and heart rate when choosing a load.
- For tense gluteal muscles at the moment of pushing your toes off the ground. In this case, the lower back should be relaxed.
- Scandinavian with sticks for people of different ages. Sticks are selected according to height. Their use allows you to lose weight up to 3 kg in 7 days and get rid of 45% more calories than during a regular walk. You can find out how to choose the right walking poles here.
- Skiing in winter.
Taking 100 steps backwards can burn the same amount of calories as taking 1,000 regular steps. In this case, you need to choose a flat road, without obstacles, move slowly at first and gradually speed up your pace. For correct technique you need to do:
- pull in the stomach;
- put your hands on your waist (belt);
- keep your back straight;
- do not lean forward.
If you have 70 kg, you can spend 192 kcal in 1 hour at a speed of 3 km/h, 288 kcal at a speed of 5 km/h and 336 kcal at a speed of 6 km/h.
More calories are burned when climbing slowly, stepping up each step, than stepping over one. When going up we spend 5-6 kcal/min, when going down the stairs - 3-4 kcal/min. When using the stairs for 35-40 minutes, you can use all the muscles and significantly reduce the size of your waist and hips.
You should start with 5-10 minute ascents and descents, which will replace 1 hour of sports exercises.
You can spend 550-750 kcal on the stairs within an hour.
To increase muscle endurance, you need to divide the 5-10 minute lift into 10-second loads and rests.
How to walk on stairs (video lesson):
The use of sticks allows this type of walking to be used by older people. A person's weight directly affects the number of calories burned, as well as the intensity of movement and arm work, as well as the duration of walks.
Weight 70 kg, speed 9 km/h within an hour you can lose 450 kcal, no more. On rough terrain and increasing time, this figure can increase by 150-200 kcal/hour.
To burn more fat, you should:
- follow a diagonal move: place opposite limbs in front and behind;
- keep your shoulders relaxed, without straining;
- Place the stick at the front of the leg, tilt the body slightly or keep it straight;
- start walking from the heel and move to the toe;
- hold the poles at an angle of 45°;
- When going up and down, shorten your steps and lean forward when taking steps uphill and back when taking steps downhill.
More information about the Nordic walking technique can be found here.
If a walk takes place in an urban area on pavement or asphalt, then fewer calories are spent than in a park area with hills and depressions. On average, you can get rid of 200-300 kcal per hour when using a fast pace. With a weight of 60 kg and a speed of 4 km/h, you can lose an average of 250 kcal, and at a speed of 6 km/h - 320 kcal.
- at a speed of 4 km/h on a flat road per 1 kg of weight in 1 hour - 3.2;
- at a speed of 6 km/h on a flat road - 4.5;
- at a speed of 8 km/h on a flat road - 10;
- at a speed of 2 km/h uphill - 6.4;
- during a regular walk in the park - 6.4;
- during race walking - 6.8 kcal.
- 3 km/h is 50 steps;
- 4.5 km/h is 75 steps;
- 6 km/h is approximately 100 steps.
Contents [Show]
Hello my dear readers! Many people don't have enough time for sports. And not everyone is physically capable of jogging on the street or lifting weights in the gym. But if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, the extra pounds will not leave you alone. Just don't despair. Better take up walking! How many calories are lost when walking? Let me tell you.
It turns out that walking is a wonderful sport. Yes, yes, walking is a sport. The benefits from it are special. After all, it trains all the same muscles as running. At the same time, it does not have a negative effect on the knee joints. Plus it improves heart function and saturates our cells with oxygen. Everyone can walk: fat and thin, old and young.
Many people are concerned about the topic of weight loss. It is very difficult to fight the hated kilograms while sitting. Forcing yourself to play sports is even more difficult. But going for a walk in the evening after work is as easy as shelling pears!
Of course, to lose weight it’s not enough to go shopping. How many calories are burned per hour of walking depends on:
- presence/absence of additional equipment (walking poles, weights);
- your weight;
- your age;
- level of physical fitness;
- pace;
- duration;
- roads (it’s harder to walk uphill);
- intensity of hand movement.
It is clear that if you walk quickly, you will burn more calories than if you walk at a slow pace. Plus, it is better to conduct classes in a park or forest. The load will immediately increase due to unevenness on the road.
In 1 hour of walking you can burn 200 kilocalories or more. You can independently calculate how many calories your body will burn.
For one kilogram of weight, each person spends an hour walking:
- at an average pace (4 km/h) 3.2 kcal;
- at a fast pace (6 km/h) 4.5 kcal;
- almost running (8 km/h) 10 kcal;
There is also a convenient sign where you can see how much you will spend depending on your body weight and walking speed.
3 km/h | 126 | 138 | 150 | 163 | 175 | 187 | 201 | 213 | 226 |
4 km/h | 160 | 177 | 192 | 209 | 224 | 240 | 257 | 272 | 288 |
5 km/h | 184 | 202 | 221 | 239 | 258 | 276 | 295 | 312 | 331 |
6 km/h | 217 | 238 | 262 | 283 | 304 | 326 | 349 | 369 | 392 |
7 km/h | 291 | 321 | 351 | 379 | 409 | 439 | 467 | 496 | 526 |
8 km/h | 374 | 410 | 449 | 487 | 523 | 562 | 598 | 636 | 673 |
9 km/h | 480 | 530 | 577 | 625 | 674 | 722 | 769 | 818 | 866 |
That is, if you weigh 55 kg and walk at an average speed, you will lose 202 kcal in an hour.
It’s completely inconvenient to consider all this. After all, you still need to correctly estimate the speed. If you know exactly the distance traveled, calculating the speed is easy. What if not? Count steps per minute? This will make you more tired than walking itself!
I recommend using a fitness bracelet. You put it on your hand, and he counts how much time has passed. For me, this is a convenient and simple electronic pedometer.
Although there are, of course, many applications on a smartphone - download it for free, install it and use it. They write that it counts the distance traveled, speed and number of calories lost. But is it really that convenient? No matter how many programs I tried, they produced a huge error. I walk 10 steps, and he counts 7 or doesn’t even understand that I’m walking. So you have a choice - toil with a free program, or purchase a specialized device.
You don’t need to immediately start walking quickly for 3 hours a day. Especially if you are no longer 20 years old and do not weigh 50 kg. Start with hour-long walks at a slow pace. Then increase the pace for 5 minutes, then for 10 minutes and so on. Gradually you will begin to walk for 1 hour at an average pace. Want to spend more energy? Then increase the pace again and add time.
The main rule is to walk for at least an hour. When walking, fat begins to be burned no earlier than forty minutes later. Our body is extremely thrifty and first spends available carbohydrates.
Also remember not to exercise immediately after eating. The optimal time for training is an hour after eating. And when you finish your classes, don't rush to eat. Drink some water. You can indulge in an apple or a banana smoothie.
While walking, remember to breathe. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. It is also important to quit smoking. It negatively affects breathing and the cardiovascular system. Shortness of breath and even dizziness will appear.
Give yourself a nice gift. Buy nice sportswear and comfortable sneakers. Better yet, buy special clothes that help burn fat. For example, breeches for weight loss. They create a sauna effect and help you lose weight much faster.
There are several ways to increase the load. Race walking will make you sweat. But this is a super-effective way to get rid of extra centimeters. The tummy will be flat, and the buttocks will be a sight to behold.
To work your upper body, swing your arms. This will increase the load and walking speed.
Bend your elbows at an angle of 90° and make amplitude swings of your arms back and forth.
Is it easy for you to walk and don’t you get tired? Try adding weight. This will increase the intensity and challenge your muscles. Avoid wearing weights on your wrists and feet. They can change your gait and posture and increase your risk of injury.
Instead, grab a backpack or weighted vest. If you decide to wear a backpack, fill it with water, sand, or simple cat litter. This will distribute the weight evenly.
If the weather does not allow you to go outside, take the stairs or stay indoors. Do a short warm-up first. How many calories are spent during these types of training, read the article “training options for losing weight.”
It is one of the best ways to increase the number of calories burned. It is suitable for all ages and skill levels. The result is incredible. Nordic walking uses 90% of the muscles in our body and increases calorie consumption by up to 46% compared to normal walking. Poles help reduce stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints.
I recently purchased these sticks myself. I noticed that the load on my legs doubled and the muscles of my arms and upper back became involved.
Girls, everything works, the main thing is not to be lazy. After training you feel like you have run several kilometers. Even my back with my osteochondrosis began to hurt less. I really recommend this walk to everyone. For more information on how many calories are spent and how to train correctly, read a separate article about Nordic walking with poles for weight loss.
If it is not possible to walk outside, then walking on a treadmill is the most optimal. On average, a person walks at a speed of 4-5 km per hour. To lose weight and get in good physical shape, you need to increase your pace and walk from 5.5 to 6.5 km per hour. By increasing the pace, you burn about a third more calories. It’s just not worth increasing it any further, because... It will no longer be walking but running. And this is another story, which I wrote about in the article how many calories are lost when running 😉
Walk on uneven surfaces such as grass, paths, gravel, sand or snow. For example, walking in the snow increases calorie consumption by 2-3 times.
And with fins, even more effective training :)
You can also walk up the stairs or just uphill. You can walk backwards. Or change the pace. Maybe you know some other ways? Be sure to write comments. And subscribe to my blog. Bye bye!
Sincerely, Olga Sologub
PS: If you want variety and increased calorie consumption, I recommend finding out how many calories cycling burns :)
Walking is one of the most effective and safest sports for health, which will help bring your weight back to normal. There is no risk of injury while walking. Many people cannot engage in more active sports, but they always want to keep their body in shape.
Nowadays it has become fashionable to communicate healthy image life and go to the gym, or just play sports on the street. Some people don’t want to exhaust themselves with diets, but go to sports club not everyone can afford it, so most prefer race walking. It can be performed in the fresh air and does not require additional funds.
Before you start exercising, you need to know how many calories are burned. According to research, it has become known: in order to have a healthy and beautiful body, you need to walk at least 10 kilometers a day.
Calorie burning per 1 km walk at different weights:
- 50 kg – 42 kcal;
- 55 kg – 46 kcal;
- 60 kg – 50 kcal;
- 65 kg – 54 kcal;
- 70 kg – 58 kcal;
- 75 kg – 62 kcal;
- 80 kg – 67 kcal;
- 85 kg – 72 kcal;
- 90 kg – 75 kcal.
Each person’s body is individual, so everyone has their own specific load. You need to learn to walk correctly. Only race walking will help you lose weight and always stay in shape.
The best option is 100 steps per minute. The load must be increased gradually. When the body is activated, it is necessary to walk for at least 40 minutes daily.
How many calories are burned when walking 1 km depends on your initial weight, as well as the duration of the workout and its intensity. For example, if you weigh 70 kg and walk 4 km per hour, you can lose about 50 kilocalories. To increase your energy burn, you need to increase your walking intensity and choose more challenging terrain. For example:
- If you go up and down stairs for one hour at a fast pace, you can burn up to 800 kcal.
- Race walking burns 400 kilocalories per hour.
Factors that affect calorie burning:
- use of an additional device (stick);
- initial weight;
- physical fitness and its level;
- training intensity;
- walking duration;
- nature of the area;
- hand movements.
At a fast pace, calories are burned more intensively than during moderate walking. The lesson should take place outdoors. This improves the quality of your workout. In one hour, approximately 200 calories are burned.
The average step length of a person is 80 cm. Based on these calculations, a person takes 1280 steps in 1 km. Approximately 70 calories are burned per kilometer walked. Respectively:
- walking 3 km burns 240 calories;
- 300 calories are spent for 5 km;
- 2100 calories are burned per week;
- for one month of constant training – 9000 calories.
This calculation indicates the loss of 1 kg of fat weight. In total, you can lose 12 kg in a year just by walking.
If you only walk one kilometer a day, then adding three more will not be a big deal. You can replace riding the elevator by walking up the stairs. Try to walk everywhere. From work to work, to the store, even when talking on the phone - go. It only takes an hour to walk 5 km.
There are approximately 1280 steps in one kilometer. If you walk 5 km a day, that’s 6250 steps. It is recommended to include in your training strength exercises at least 4 times a week. Exercises with dumbbells are useful - they will help tighten your muscles and abs.
Health benefits of walking:
- the risk of developing heart and kidney pathologies is reduced;
- blood pressure decreases;
- the percentage of cancer development decreases.
Combined use of walking, strength training, a balanced diet, counting calories will help you achieve good results and come to normal weight. Playing sports will help you maintain health and youth for many years. Even after walking 1 km a day, you can get rid of up to 40 kilocalories and lose weight, or allow yourself to eat a piece of chocolate.
Walking for weight loss on a straight surface or stairs, on the spot or on a treadmill equally helps to enhance the process of burning subcutaneous fat throughout the body - on the stomach and buttocks in particular. What are its benefits and how many calories does it burn?
Walking is a method of movement for a person, which he masters a year after birth. If a person is not seriously ill, he walks kilometers every day. However, few people think that the benefits of walking are the opportunity to lose weight in the most affordable and safe way.
A lot can be said about the benefits of walking (even in place) for the human body. She:
- stabilizes heart function;
- increases vascular tone;
- eliminates pain in knees and joints;
- removes fat accumulation on the buttocks;
- saturates body cells with oxygen;
- improves mood and general physical condition;
- and it burns within a day large number calories.
How to spend calories?
Sports or simple walking, like any other movement, burns energy. In this case, calorie expenditure should significantly exceed the amount of calories received. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce their consumption and intensify the combustion process. It's a simple and effective process. Oxygen, entering the tissues, reacts with fats, breaks down (burns) them, and the reaction products are excreted from the body in the form of sweat. It is this process that relieves a person of excess weight. With normal food intake and regular walking several kilometers a day, you can lose a couple of kilograms in 1 month.
- To lose weight by walking, you must walk at least 10 km a day. in a straight line or on stairs. It's not that hard to do. In the morning, leave 10-15 minutes earlier and walk at least one stop. Do the same on the way back.
- If you have the opportunity, then instead of evening gatherings in front of the TV, go for an hour-long walk. With daily walks, which total at least 2 hours a week, you will get rid of 200 grams of fat. Accordingly, 2000 calories (kcal) are spent.
- However, if you eat excessively, this method will not work. Completely eliminate flour, fatty foods, sweets, and smoked foods from your diet. Only in this case will walking really help you lose extra pounds and get rid of fat deposits on your stomach and buttocks.
Walking on your buttocks (to combat cellulite) and on your knees (a Taoist practice that promotes health and longevity) is also useful.
Among the factors influencing the speed and intensity of the weight loss process are the following:
- individual characteristics of a person;
- biological age (walking will not cause harm in any case);
- intensity of the body's metabolic processes;
- physical condition (for example, if you have pain in the knees, joints and buttocks, you need to walk slowly for the first days);
- body weight (the intensity of walking depends on it).
In addition, external factors that allow you to lose weight quickly:
- duration of walking on a flat surface or on stairs (number of kilometers walked per day);
- travel conditions (flat surface or rough terrain);
- intensity: walking (fast or slow), running.
Each of those who are going to lose weight in this way has a question about how many calories are burned when walking in a straight line and up stairs. To rephrase this, what distance do you need to cover in a day to achieve a truly noticeable result?
Calorie consumption (linear and staircase) is as follows:
Weight - 60 kg.
- at a speed of 4 km/h, 200 kcal are burned;
- at a speed of 6 km/h the consumption is 320 kcal;
- going down a slide or stairs - 3 kcal/min;
- climbing a slide or stairs - 5 kcal/min.
Weight - 70 kg.
- at a speed of 3 km/h, 195 kcal are burned;
- at a speed of 5 km/h the consumption is 290 kcal;
- at a speed of 6 km/h consumption - 340 kcal;
- going down a slide or stairs - 4 kcal/min;
- Climbing a hill or stairs requires 6 kcal/min.
The initial data is taken from the calculation of the average calorie consumption per kilogram of weight:
Walking on a flat surface
- at a speed of 4 km/h 3.2 kcal is burned;
- at a speed of 6 km/h consumption - 4.5 kcal;
- at a speed of 8 km/h consumption is 10 kcal.
Walking stairs for weight loss
- average pace of movement - 6.4 kcal;
- active walking - 6.8 kcal.
On average, fast walking for weight loss (including on the spot or on a treadmill) takes at least 200 calories (kcal) per hour. In total, on a four-hour walk you can lose up to 1 kg.
Rules for active walking
For weight loss, the benefits of walking in a straight line or on stairs are undeniable. However, there are rules active walking and walking in place, and to do everything correctly, you need to know them:
- You need to walk for at least 60 minutes. ¾ of this time the reserve of carbohydrates is burned, not subcutaneous fat. At the moment when glucose is completely broken down, the body begins to use up its reserves. After a walk, active metabolism remains active for some time.
- You need to walk before meals twice a day. After eating food, the stomach still digests it for a long time, there is weakness in the knees and a general inability to physical actions. Fast walking is a serious obstacle to the functioning of the digestive organs. Therefore you may have discomfort in the stomach, colic or belching.
- If you are really hungry after a walk, it is better to have something low-calorie snack. A fruit or vegetable is suitable for this. Women on a diet are not surprised by such a diet. You can drink low-calorie kefir or skim milk. Satisfy your hunger a little, and you can start eating 1 hour after your walk.
- If you decide to lead a healthy lifestyle, walk several kilometers a day and lose weight, then go all the way. The use of alcohol and tobacco is not recommended at this time. These substances have a destructive effect on the human nervous, vascular and bronchopulmonary systems.
- During the day you need to walk at least 7 km. Any time of year and weather conditions are suitable for such walks. The only exceptions may be natural disasters - hurricanes, heavy snowfalls and downpours. If you overexert yourself in the first days of walking, you have pain in your muscles, knees and buttocks, you can walk for a couple of days at a calm pace for a shorter distance (or temporarily switch to walking in place). In this case, you will strengthen not only your body and nervous system, but also boost your immunity.
- It is best to divide the number of kilometers into morning and evening. If you walk briskly for an hour in the morning and three hours in the evening, this is ideal for active weight loss, strengthening the abdominal muscles and buttocks.
- At first, try not to switch to quick step. For a day or two you just need to walk. This helps to accustom your body to the innovation and not provoke severe knee pain. Walk at a moderate pace, swing your arms evenly and move your legs, bending them slightly at the knees. The best way to prepare for outdoor walking is walking on a treadmill. In addition, with the help of the exercise machine you will remove fat from your buttocks. Knee pain will go away as soon as your body gets used to this routine.
- An important point is the correct choice of clothing. It should not be tight so that it does not rub or interfere with walking. It is preferable to wear sneakers on your feet.
- Breathe with your mouth slightly open, adjusting to the rhythm of your steps. To do this, you just need to listen to your body and movements. Leave your phone and best friend at home. Talk about how to lose weight by walking in a straight line or up stairs when you achieve certain results in this difficult task. It is better not to talk while walking so as not to shorten your breath.
- If you intend to go a long way, you can stock up on water. A small bottle or flask is required. This is especially recommended in the summer. The liquid should not be cold so as not to catch a cold. You can carry water and other necessary things in a small backpack on your back.
What is better - running or walking for weight loss? Let's compare these types of physical activity.
The benefits of walking
- The main advantage of this type of load is that it has no contraindications. Walking can be freely practiced by people with musculoskeletal problems, heart disease and obesity.
- This method of losing weight is much less traumatic and will not harm ligaments and joints.
- For an untrained person, brisk walking is enough to reach the maximum permissible heart rate for useful cardio training. Only experienced athletes can run at the correct (low) heart rate.
- Walking promotes mental activity. Why not “reinvent the wheel” while walking?
To approximately equalize the number of calories expended during these types of activities, you should walk with weights.
What is more effective: video research
From the point of view of common sense, such an activity should seem ineffective, but for people with extreme degrees of obesity, such a type physical activity may be the only acceptable one.
Calorie expenditure when walking
Walking will allow people who are unable to run due to health reasons to expend a certain amount of calories in excess of normal household and production costs. At the same time, walking can be combined with the road to work, the store, etc. You should not count on walking as an indispensable attribute of losing weight and, moreover, as a guarantee of indispensable weight loss.
Walking, as a means of losing weight, should be considered only in combination with a diet., while all types of energy expenditure (basal metabolism, industrial, household activity and walking) must ensure that the calories consumed exceed those received from food.
At the same time, in order to achieve stable and long-term weight loss, this excess, or imbalance (sometimes called a calorie deficit), should not exceed 400 kcal for women and 500 kcal for men (due to higher muscle mass).
Then any change in physical activity (including additional walking) should entail a corresponding increase in food consumption. This circumstance is usually perceived with distrust and even rejected, but these are the laws of physiology that cannot be argued with. Too much imbalance soon leads to a decrease in metabolic rate with a subsequent decrease in the rate of weight loss. As a result, there will be a lot of movement, little food, and no plumb lines.
However, walking will not be “superfluous” - more food will ensure the supply of sufficient nutrients, vitamins, macro- and microelements, dietary fiber, the enzyme system will work perfectly, you will be guaranteed excellent digestion.
Burning calories by walking: how does it work?
Let's look at what actually leads to energy consumption when walking. When a person lies motionless (but is awake), and yesterday’s food has already been digested, energy is spent only on vital processes (the work of the heart, liver, kidneys, muscles and other organs), and the consumption is close to the basal metabolic rate (BMR), about 1 kcal/kg/min (this means that for every kilogram of body weight per minute, energy expenditure is 1 kcal). At the same time, the pulse rate and breathing rate are minimal. When a person gets up, energy consumption increases and will exceed the BVR by 40% - additional energy is spent on pumping blood upward, keeping the body in balance, etc. This is accompanied by an increase in heart rate by about 15 beats per minute, frequency and depth of breathing to ensure increased air oxygen requirements.
And now attention - the person brings one leg forward and transfers his body weight to it (takes the first step). The height of the center of gravity (CG) of a person (located at the level of the II sacral vertebra) decreases. Anyone who has not forgotten school geometry remembers that the height of an isosceles triangle is always less than the length of two equal thighs. In our case, the length of the base of the triangle is the length of the step, and the length of the hip is the length of the leg. (As an extreme case, imagine a person sitting in the splits - here the CG is the lowest).
As a first approximation, lowering the CG does not require energy consumption. But when a person pulls up his second leg, at this moment the height of the CG increases, which requires work to be done against the gravity of the Earth, and for this one has to pay - with energy, i.e. calories. With a constant step length, the CG makes a down/up movement for each walking cycle; when moving down, the accumulated energy is spent uselessly; when moving up, energy must be expended from the body’s reserves.
You can walk at different speeds– from a walking step of 3.5-4 km/h to fast walking at a speed of 7-7.5 km/h, while the average pedestrian speed is considered to be 5-5.5 km/h. As walking speed increases, step frequency increases and, accordingly, energy consumption per minute or hour increases. But what's interesting is energy consumption per kilometer of travel remains virtually unchanged. This is not a paradox - this follows from the reasons for energy consumption when walking discussed above.
This relationship is violated only when very brisk walking, but very fast walking (at a speed above 7-7.5 km/h) is irrational - running at such a speed turns out to be more economical than walking per kilometer of distance. (And cycling is even more economical - there is no cyclic increase in CG, you only have to overcome friction and air resistance).
Calculate calorie consumption when walking
It is usually customary to determine how many calories are burned per hour of walking using tables. Based on the above, there is no special need for tables - it is enough to know your weight and the distance traveled. Moreover, the tables will mislead you regarding the number of calories you are interested in expended. The fact is that in the tables, energy expenditures are given based on the results of instrumental measurements of the energy expenditure of people of different weights at different walking speeds, i.e. These values include basal metabolic rate. Having walked 5 km in an hour, a person weighing 60 kg will spend about 210 kcal, while 60 kcal will be the main metabolism, and the consumption for walking itself will be 210 - 60 = 150 (kcal). Having “counted” 210 kcal as a reward for walking, he will count the hourly exchange of 60 kcal twice - once as part of the daily exchange of 60 x 24 = 1440 kcal, and the second time for an hour of walking.
Tables of energy consumption for different types of activities were compiled for a completely different purpose than helping people lose weight.
And now the numbers for calculation are very simple. For each kilometer of distance, a person spends an amount of energy in kilocalories when walking that is numerically equal to half of his weight in kilograms. In this case, the weight should not be the one that you measure in the morning on an empty stomach and without clothes, but the real weight while walking, in clothes, shoes and with additional load, if you decide to make walking heavier or this happens (for example, you need to carry a backpack). So, the formula for calculating calories burned while walking is:
0.5 x person's weight (kg) x distance (km) = Kcal burned
Example: A person weighing 80 kg, walking 1.5 km every morning to his place of work, spends 0.5 x 80 x 1.5 = 60 (kcal) energy.
When walking uphill, energy consumption increases at the rate of 0.09 kcal/kg/km for each percentage of the steepness of the climb (you saw such percentages in road signs before an uphill or incline).
Example: A person climbs a 12% climb. When calculating calories burned, instead of the coefficient of 0.5 kcal/kg/km, you should use the coefficient (0.5 + 0.09 x 12) = 1.58 (kcal/kg/km).
The level of basal metabolism mainly depends on the temperature and humidity of the air, which we do not include in the calories consumed when walking. Of course, these factors influence the comfort of walking.
10,000 steps - how many calories are burned?
If you count your steps with a pedometer, you can either convert your steps into meters based on your step length, or calculate the energy cost of 1000 steps, again based on your energy cost per km. The length of a step can be determined experimentally by walking, for example, a distance of 100 m, marked at any stadium, or the entire circle (400 m).
The stride length of a person of average height is usually 0.6-0.8 m, smaller values refer to slow walking, larger values to fast walking. You can also calculate the step length based on your height as 41% of your height, or take it equal to 0.7 m. As a result, the formula for calculating calories by the number of steps:
(Number of steps x step length (m)) x 0.5 x person’s weight (kg) = Kcal burned
Example: A person (80 kg) walked 10,000 steps per day using a pedometer. In kilometers this is 10,000 steps x 0.7 m = 7,000 m = 7 km. Based on a distance of 7 km and a known weight, calorie consumption is calculated: 7 km x 0.5 x 80 kg = 280 Kcal.
A little about pedometers
It must be said that a pedometer, if it is in good working order and accurately records steps, will be more accurate than calorie consumption calculators that calculate energy expenditure based on heart rate. The pulse rate from walking speed very much depends on the degree of fitness of the person, which the device simply cannot know. Although the accuracy of the pedometer is also limited by ignorance of the true coefficient useful action muscles involved when walking, i.e. their ability to convert metabolic energy (obtained from food) into physical energy. Usually this coefficient is not higher than 20-30%, the rest of the energy is converted into heat - you will be hot when walking quickly.
During operation, the pedometer must be fixed in the place where it most accurately perceives movement, i.e. counts step by step, not two as one or one as two.
Typically, the pedometer is attached to the belt on the left side of the thigh.
Calorie counters are built into exercise machines " treadmill» fitness centers that can be used for walking if for some reason it is impossible to walk in a park, forest belt, etc. These counters, as a rule, require preliminary setup (entering weight and age), and when walking they take into account how many calories are burned, according to the above rule (0.5 kcal for every kilogram of body weight when walking 1 km), but again plus the resulting value of basal metabolism (also calculated by weight).
Fitness bracelets and smartphones for calculating calorie consumption
The fitness bracelet has a built-in motion sensor – an accelerometer. The smartphone, on which a special application should be installed, receives sensor readings via the Bluetooth wireless network and converts them into steps. And then the steps are recalculated into kilometers and calories according to the user’s weight, height and age specified when launching the application. It is clear that in this case, the accuracy of estimating calories burned is very low.
An accelerometer can also be built into a smartphone, but here the error is even greater, since the smartphone should be worn in a place where the accelerometer can well sense the vibrations caused by walking, for example, in a trouser pocket. All such devices are designed for walking or running, and in fitness training mode their readings are even more unreliable.
Calculate calorie consumption based on heart rate
In a state of rest while lying down, a person’s pulse is minimal and is called the resting pulse. When executing physical work, to meet the body's increased need for oxygen, the heart begins to beat faster, and the increase in heart rate is, to a first approximation, proportional to the power of the work performed (at the same time, at low loads, the heart rate is restrained by an increase in the volume of blood ejected by the heart into the aorta per contraction, and only then, When the stroke volume reaches its limit, the load increases only due to increased heart rate).
E = 0.002 x M x T x (P - PP)
where E is energy expenditure in kcal, M is body weight in kg, T is walking time in minutes, PP is resting pulse, and P is pulse during movement in beats per minute. The interesting thing about this formula is that it does not include the distance traveled, the speed, or the steepness of the climb - all this is taken into account by the heart rate.
The pulse rate can be measured by manual counting or with an electronic heart rate monitor, several times along the way, and take the average.
Example: A person weighing 70 kg walked a certain distance in 15 minutes, with a pulse of 90 beats/min, a resting pulse of 65 beats/min. Energy consumption is equal to 0.002 x 70 x 15 x (90 – 65) = 52 (kcal).
Such a calculation is also approximate, since the loss of calories when walking depends on the degree of training of a person (in trained people, compared to less trained people, performing the same work requires a lower heart rate), and the heart rate monitor is not able to evaluate it, and some information is lost.
There are also online calculators that allow you to calculate how many calories are burned when walking in an hour or other time. These walking calorie calculators usually require you to enter your weight, walking time, and distance traveled, and can be based on different algorithms since there is no single method for calculating how many calories you burn while walking for the reasons described above.
What is better, walking or running - useful and educational video