Steps to Calories Converter

Steps to Calories Converter

Verywell / Photo Illustration by Sabrina Jiang / Getty Images

When calculating your calories burned per step, the number will depend on your weight and height. For instance, a typical 160-pound person of average height will burn about 40 calories per 1,000 steps. This is the equivalent of 0.04 calories per step. The charts below show you how many calories you'd burn in 1,000 steps, 5,000 steps, 10,000 steps, or more. Here is what you need to know about converting your steps to calories burned.

Convert Your Steps to Calories

To convert your steps to calories, you will need to know your approximate steps per mile. Most fitness trackers estimate your steps per mile from your height. An average number at a brisk walk or easy running pace is 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile.

You also can measure your stride length to find your steps per mile or count your steps over a measured mile for greater accuracy. Alternatively, you can use a steps-per-mile chart, along with your height and weight, to estimate calories burned at various step counts. The calorie numbers are based on metabolic equivalents (MET) research, taking an average of the calories burned at walking speeds from 2 to 4 miles per hour.

Here are some charts that are based on height and weight. These will give you an approximate number of calories burned per step.

How Many Calories is 10,000 Steps Per Day?

How many calories you use while walking 10,000 steps a day will vary widely based on factors such as body size, age, genetics, pace (brisk or slow), and terrain (steep hills or mostly flat ground). See the charts below to get general estimates based on height and weight.

Height 6 Feet and Above

Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if your height is 6 feet or more. This assumes that you take 2,000 steps per mile.

2,000 Steps per Mile (Height 6 Feet and Above) Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight

Weight

100 lb

120 lb

140 lb

160 lb

180 lb

200 lb

220 lb

250 lb

275 lb

300 lb

Steps

45 kg

55 kg

64 kg

73 kg

82 kg

91 kg

100 kg

114 kg

125 kg

136 kg

1,000

28 cal.

33

38

44

49

55

60

69

75

82

2,000

55

66

76

87

98

109

120

137

150

164

3,000

83

99

114

131

147

164

180

206

225

246

4,000

110

132

152

174

196

218

240

274

300

328

5,000

138

165

190

218

245

273

300

343

375

410

6,000

165

198

228

261

294

327

360

411

450

492

7,000

193

231

266

305

343

382

420

480

525

574

8,000

220

264

304

348

392

436

480

548

600

656

9,000

248

297

342

392

441

491

540

617

675

738

10,000

275

330

380

435

490

545

600

685

750

820

11,000

303

363

418

479

539

600

660

754

825

902

12,000

330

396

456

522

588

654

720

822

900

984

13,000

358

429

494

566

637

709

780

891

975

1,066

14,000

385

462

532

609

686

763

840

959

1,050

1,148

15,000

413

495

570

653

735

818

900

1,028

1,125

1,230

16,000

440

528

608

696

784

872

960

1,096

1,200

1,312

17,000

468

561

646

740

833

927

1,020

1,165

1,275

1,394

18,000

495

594

684

783

882

981

1,080

1,233

1,350

1,476

19,000

523

627

722

827

931

1,036

1,140

1,302

1,425

1,558

20,000

550

660

760

870

980

1,090

1,200

1,370

1,500

1,640

Height 5'6" to 5'11"

Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if your height ranges from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 11 inches. This assumes that you take 2,200 steps per mile.

2,200 Steps per Mile (Height 5'6" to 5'11") Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight

Weight

100 lb

120 lb

140 lb

160 lb

180 lb

200 lb

220 lb

250 lb

275 lb

300 lb

Steps

45 kg

55 kg

64 kg

73 kg

82 kg

91 kg

100 kg

114 kg

125 kg

136 kg

1,000

25 cal.

30

35

40

45

50

55

62

68

75

2,000

50

60

69

79

89

99

109

125

136

149

3,000

75

90

104

119

134

149

164

187

205

224

4,000

100

120

138

158

178

198

218

249

273

298

5,000

125

150

173

198

223

248

273

311

341

373

6,000

150

180

207

237

267

297

327

374

409

447

7,000

175

210

242

277

312

347

382

436

477

522

8,000

200

240

276

316

356

396

436

498

545

596

9,000

225

270

311

356

401

446

491

560

614

671

10,000

250

300

345

395

445

495

545

623

682

745

11,000

275

330

380

435

490

545

600

685

750

820

12,000

300

360

415

475

535

595

655

747

818

895

13,000

325

390

449

514

579

644

709

810

886

969

14,000

350

420

484

554

624

694

764

872

955

1,044

15,000

375

450

518

593

668

743

818

934

1,023

1,118

16,000

400

480

553

633

713

793

873

996

1,091

1,193

17,000

425

510

587

672

757

842

927

1,059

1,159

1,267

18,000

450

540

622

712

802

892

982

1,121

1,227

1,342

19,000

475

570

656

751

846

941

1,036

1,183

1,295

1,416

20,000

500

600

691

791

891

991

1,091

1,245

1,364

1,491

Height 5'5" and Under

Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if you are 5 feet 5 inches or less. This assumes that you take 2,400 steps per mile.

2,400 Steps per Mile (Height 5'5" and Under) Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight

Weight

100 lb

120 lb

140 lb

160 lb

180 lb

200 lb

220 lb

250 lb

275 lb

300 lb

Steps

45 kg

55 kg

64 kg

73 kg

82 kg

91 kg

100 kg

114 kg

125 kg

136 kg

1,000

23 cal.

28

32

36

41

45

50

57

63

68

2,000

46

55

63

73

82

91

100

114

125

137

3,000

69

83

95

109

123

136

150

171

188

205

4,000

92

110

127

145

163

182

200

228

250

273

5,000

115

138

158

181

204

227

250

285

313

342

6,000

138

165

190

218

245

273

300

343

375

410

7,000

160

193

222

254

286

318

350

400

438

478

8,000

183

220

253

290

327

363

400

457

500

547

9,000

206

248

285

326

368

409

450

514

563

615

10,000

229

275

317

363

408

454

500

571

625

683

11,000

252

303

348

399

449

500

550

628

688

752

12,000

275

330

380

435

490

545

600

685

750

820

13,000

298

358

412

471

531

590

650

742

813

888

14,000

321

385

443

508

572

636

700

799

875

957

15,000

344

413

475

544

613

681

750

856

938

1,025

16,000

367

440

507

580

653

727

800

913

1,000

1,093

17,000

390

468

538

616

694

772

850

970

1,063

1,162

18,000

413

495

570

653

735

818

900

1,028

1,125

1,230

19,000

435

523

602

689

776

863

950

1,085

1,188

1,298

20,000

458

550

633

725

817

908

1,000

1,142

1,250

1,367

How Many Steps Burn 100 calories?

This will vary per person, but it usually takes about 2,000 to 3,000 steps to burn 100 calories. If you're looking to track your steps, a pedometer is an excellent tool that can measure steps and other metrics. Like this chart, many fitness trackers or watches can estimate total caloric expenditure based on your personal inputs, such as height, weight, and gender.

If you are looking to increase caloric expenditure while walking, you can try speeding up, doing running intervals, and using fitness walking poles. Most fitness trackers don't accurately track activities that aren't step-based, so they may not be included in your total steps. You can calculate step equivalents for other activities based on the calories burned.

1 Source
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(8):1575-81. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31821ece12

Additional Reading
  • Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011;43(8):1575-1581. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31821ece12.

By Wendy Bumgardner
Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events.