The number of calories you burn during a 40-minute, brisk walk varies depending on how quickly you are walking. Based on your fitness level, a brisk walk may be between three and four and a half miles per hour.
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Your rate of calorie burn varies based on your body weight and exertion level. If you are walking 15-minute miles, or four miles per hour, your calorie burn for a 40-minute session is between 180 and 266 calories, estimates Harvard Health Publishing.
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40 Minute Brisk Walk Calories
Walking is an easy way to get your daily exercise in and work toward your weight loss goal. You can walk on a treadmill indoors or go outside and explore your neighborhood or get out into nature. During a 40-minute walk, calories burned vary depending on your weight and the speed at which you are walking. One person's brisk walk is another person's jog. Harvard Health Publishing estimates caloric burn based on walking speed.
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During a 40-minute walk at three and a half miles per hour:
- 125-pound person burns 160 calories
- 155-pound person burns 198 calories
- 185-pound person burns 237 calories
During a 40-minute walk at four miles per hour:
- 125-pound person burns 180 calories
- 155-pound person burns 222 calories
- 185-pound person burns 266 calories
During a 40-minute walk at four and a half miles per hour:
- 125-pound person burns 200 calories
- 155-pound person burns 248 calories
- 185-pound person burns 296 calories
Walking for Weight Loss
The more challenging you make your walk, the more calories you burn. If you are just starting a fitness program, the University of California, Berkeley, University Health Services, recommends starting at a pace of three to three and a half miles per hour. For the first few weeks, walk at this pace for approximately 10 minutes, then increase the length of your workout until you can walk for a full 30 minutes.
As your fitness progresses, or if you are already in good physical condition, walk for 45 minutes at a pace of three and a half to four and a half miles per hour. When this too becomes easy, you can increase the challenge by walking uphill, wearing a weight vest or walking on the beach in sand, all without deviating from your brisk pace. You can also try speed walking at a rate of five to nine miles per hour to further increase the intensity of your workout.
Considerations When Walking for Fitness
Walking is a low-impact exercise, although as you increase your speed or graduate to jogging and running, the impact on your body increases. Avoid injury by maintaining good posture when you walk. Keep your head up and eyes forward so you can see approaching hazards. Strike the ground with your heel first, then roll your foot down until you push off again with your toes.
While physical activity, such as walking, helps you achieve your weight loss goal, if you're struggling to lose weight, you may need to adjust other aspects of your lifestyle. To lose one pound of body fat, you must burn 3,500 more calories than you consume, advises Harvard Health Publishing. This means you lose one pound per week if you cut 500 calories from your diet. Stay hydrated and eat a healthy diet that includes lean protein, whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables.