How Many Calories Does 5,000 Steps Burn? (Chart by Weight)
Quick answer: 5,000 steps burns about 130 to 245 calories for people weighing 120 to 220 lb (54 to 100 kg) at a moderate 3 mph pace. At 160 lb (73 kg) and 5’4″ (163 cm), it’s about 175 calories, about 2.1 miles (3.4 km) and 42 minutes of walking.
Try it yourself: A 140 lb (64 kg) woman who is 5’4″ walks 5,000 steps at 3 mph in about 42 minutes and burns about 155 calories. If she walks briskly at 3.5 mph, she finishes in about 36 minutes and burns about 165. Enter your own steps, height and weight in the steps to calories calculator.
Calories Burned by 5,000 Steps, by Weight
For a 5’4″ (163 cm) walker at 3 mph (4.8 km/h):
| Body weight | Total calories | Extra calories (above resting) |
|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | about 132 | about 95 |
| 140 lb (64 kg) | about 155 | about 110 |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | about 177 | about 126 |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | about 199 | about 142 |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | about 221 | about 158 |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | about 243 | about 173 |
“Total” is what most fitness trackers show. “Extra” leaves out the calories you’d burn anyway sitting still, and it’s the number that matters for weight loss.
Does Height or Pace Change It?
A little. Taller people cover more ground in 5,000 steps, so they burn slightly more. At 160 lb (73 kg) and 3 mph:
| Height | Distance | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 5’0″ (152 cm) | 2.0 mi (3.1 km) | 166 |
| 5’2″ (157 cm) | 2.0 mi (3.3 km) | 171 |
| 5’4″ (163 cm) | 2.1 mi (3.4 km) | 177 |
| 5’6″ (168 cm) | 2.2 mi (3.5 km) | 182 |
| 5’8″ (173 cm) | 2.2 mi (3.6 km) | 188 |
| 5’10” (178 cm) | 2.3 mi (3.7 km) | 193 |
Pace matters less than you’d think: walking faster burns more per minute, but you finish sooner. Counting only extra calories, 5,000 steps at 3.5 mph burns about 143 versus 126 at 3 mph for a 160 lb walker.
Will I Lose Weight Walking 5,000 Steps a Day?
5,000 steps on its own adds a small daily deficit: about 125 extra calories for a 160 lb person. Weight loss depends on your overall calorie balance, so 5,000 steps helps most when you also eat a little less. Many people already take 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day just moving around, so adding 5,000 more on top makes a bigger difference than hitting 5,000 total.
Use the calorie deficit calculator to see how many calories you need, and read how many steps a day to lose weight.
Are 5,000 Steps a Day Enough?
It’s a good start, especially if you’re building up. In a large analysis of 15 studies, the drop in risk of early death kept improving up to about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and over and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults (Paluch et al., 2022). So if you’re at 5,000, adding 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day is a worthwhile next goal.
5,000 Steps Compared With Other Step Counts
At 160 lb (73 kg), 5’4″ (163 cm), 3 mph:
| Steps | Miles | Time | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | 0.8 | 17 min | 71 |
| 3,000 | 1.3 | 25 min | 106 |
| 5,000 | 2.1 | 42 min | 177 |
| 7,000 | 2.9 | 58 min | 247 |
| 10,000 | 4.2 | 83 min | 353 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories does 5,000 steps burn?
About 130 to 245 calories for people weighing 120 to 220 lb at a moderate pace, and about 175 at 160 lb.
How far is 5,000 steps?
About 2.0 to 2.2 miles for women between 5’0″ and 5’8″. See how many miles is 5,000 steps.
How long does it take to walk 5,000 steps?
About 42 minutes at 3 mph for a 5’4″ walker, or 36 minutes at a brisk 3.5 mph.
Is 10,000 steps really 500 calories?
Usually not. At a moderate pace, 10,000 steps burns about 265 to 485 calories for 120 to 220 lb. See how many calories does 10,000 steps burn.
Will walking 5,000 steps a day help me lose weight?
It helps, especially as extra steps on top of your normal day, but pairing it with a small cut in food is what makes weight loss steady.
Related Tools
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Read our Medical Disclaimer.
Sources
- Herrmann SD, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38242596/
- Paluch AE, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health, 2022 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35247352/
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition — https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines
Keep reading
More evidence-based guides for staying strong after 40.
