Results are estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or managing a medical condition, check your targets with a doctor or registered dietitian.
How we turn steps into calories
Distance. Stride length is estimated from height (about 0.415 x height for men and 0.413 x height for women, a common pedometer rule of thumb), then multiplied by your steps.
Energy. The American College of Sports Medicine walking equation gives oxygen use at your speed: 0.1 x speed (metres per minute) + 3.5 ml per kg per minute on flat ground. Each litre of oxygen is about 5 kcal.
Total and net. Total includes the 3.5 ml/kg/min you use at rest. Net leaves it out, so it shows only what the walk added.
Example: 10,000 steps at a normal 5 km/h pace for a 70 kg, 170 cm man is about 7.1 km in about 85 minutes, burning about 351 kcal in total and 247 kcal more than resting.
The ACSM equation is designed for walking speeds between about 3 and 6 km/h, which is why the pace options stop at brisk walking. For running, the cost per step is different.
Steps and your calorie target
Your maintenance calories already include your usual activity. Extra steps beyond your normal day add to your deficit; the Calo AI app can add synced steps to your daily calorie budget so an active day is not counted against you. Find your baseline with the TDEE calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?
For a 70 kg person walking at a normal pace, about 351 kcal in total, of which about 247 kcal is extra energy beyond what they would burn resting. Heavier people and faster walkers burn more.
How many km is 10,000 steps?
About 7 to 8 km for most adults. It depends on stride length, which depends mostly on height. A 170 cm person has a stride of roughly 0.7 m, so 10,000 steps is about 7 km.
Why are there two calorie numbers?
Total (gross) calories include what your body burns anyway at rest. Net calories are only the extra the walk cost you. For a calorie deficit, net is the honest number; most fitness watches show the total.
Is walking 10,000 steps a day enough to lose weight?
It helps, especially combined with a calorie target. On its own, an extra 250 to 300 kcal a day from walking adds up to roughly 1 kg of fat a month if your eating stays the same.