Steps to Calories Calculator
Steps converted to calories the defensible way — through published MET values and walking cadence — with the gross-versus-net distinction most step counters quietly skip.
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The MET formula: kcal = MET × weight (kg) × hours. One MET is the resting convention of roughly 1 kcal per kg per hour; walking MET values above come from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities — 3.0 at an easy pace up to 5.0 at a fast walk (Ainsworth 2011).
Steps to time: the cadence figures (90–120 steps/min) are heuristics, and labeled as such — your stride, height and terrain shift them. They are anchored to published cadence research: about 100 steps/min corresponds to moderate-intensity walking of roughly 3 METs in adults (Tudor-Locke 2018).
Gross versus net: the gross figure includes the calories you would have burned anyway sitting still; the net row subtracts that resting hour (MET − 1). When judging what walking adds to your day, net is the honest number — most trackers show gross because it is bigger.
These are population formulas — a starting point, not a prescription. Your training history, sleep, stress and cycle shift the real answer. That is what the 9-axis Body Scan measures.
Sources
- 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):1575–1581.
- Tudor-Locke C, Han H, Aguiar EJ, et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults: a narrative review. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(12):776–788.
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