Enter your steps, your weight and how you walked. The calculator turns steps into minutes using your cadence, then uses a MET value from the Compendium of Physical Activities to estimate energy.
Updated
An estimate from average values; your real energy use depends on fitness, terrain, carried weight and more. Not medical advice.
minutes = steps ÷ cadence (steps/min). Pounds are converted with × 0.45359237.
kcal = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × minutes, rounded. 3.5 mL O₂/kg/min is one MET [4]; dividing by 200 assumes about 5 kcal per litre of oxygen.
kcal = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × minutes, rounded.
miles = minutes ÷ 60 × the middle of the pace band (2.2 · 2.5 · 3.1 · 3.7 · 4.2 mph) · km = miles × 1.609344.
Each row was entered into this calculator and the result copied as shown.
| Entry | Total | Above resting | Walking time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000 steps · 70 kg · 3.8 MET · 100/min | 372 kcal | 274 kcal | 1 h 20 min | 6.7 km · 4.1 mi |
| 5,000 steps · 70 kg · 3.0 MET · 110/min | 167 kcal | 111 kcal | 45 min | 3 km · 1.9 mi |
| 10,000 steps · 85 kg · 4.8 MET · 120/min | 595 kcal | 471 kcal | 1 h 23 min | 8.3 km · 5.1 mi |
| Compendium code [1] | Description | MET |
|---|---|---|
| 17152 | Walking, 2.0–2.4 mph, level, slow pace, firm surface | 2.8 |
| 17170 | Walking, 2.5 mph, firm, level surface | 3.0 |
| 17190 | Walking, 2.8–3.4 mph, level, moderate pace, firm surface | 3.8 |
| 17200 | Walking, 3.5–3.9 mph, level, brisk pace | 4.8 |
| 17220 | Walking, 4.0–4.4 mph, level, firm surface, very brisk pace | 5.5 |
Adults aged 60 and over have a separate Compendium with values computed against a lower resting rate [5].
MET-based energy is an average for a typical adult at a given activity. The Compendium itself is a reference for estimating, not a measurement of you [2].
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Next to each source below is what it supports on this page.
Steps tell you nothing about time until you know how fast you stepped. Cadence turns steps into minutes; the pace sets the MET value. If you walked faster, both usually go up.
A MET value includes resting energy by definition [4], so the total includes what you would have used anyway. Above resting is the extra cost of the walk. Fitness trackers vary in which one they show.
The CADENCE-adults study in 21 to 40 year olds set 100 steps a minute as a heuristic threshold for moderate intensity (3 METs) [3]. Your own cadence is better if you can count it.
The same study set 130 steps a minute as the heuristic threshold for vigorous intensity (6 METs) [3].
From the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which replaced estimated values with measured ones where it could and is tailored to adults aged 19 to 59 [1][2].
There is a separate Older Adult Compendium whose values are computed against a lower resting oxygen use of 2.7 mL per kg per minute [5]. This calculator uses the adult values, so the estimate may not fit as well.
It is an average. The Compendium is a reference for estimating the energy cost of activities [2], and your real cost depends on fitness, terrain, load and walking style.
Walking time is multiplied by the middle speed of the pace you chose (for example 3.1 mph for 2.8 to 3.4 mph). It does not use your stride length.
The 2025 joint advisory on GLP-1 therapy names complementary lifestyle interventions and, for preserving muscle and bone, resistance training and an appropriate diet [6]. Ask your care team what fits you.
PepLabo reads steps from Apple Health or Health Connect once you connect them on the Activity screen, and shows them next to your doses and weigh-ins.
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