How Many Calories Can I Burn Wearing 3 Pound Weights While Walking?

Walking benefits your cardiovascular health by increasing your heart rate and strengthening your heart. The number of calories burned while wearing weights and walking depends on how much you weigh and the length of your workout.

Wrist/ankle weights (Image: piggu/iStock/Getty Images)

Formula

MET, or metabolic equivalent, is a number that represents your energy output during an activity. To calculate your calories burned while walking and wearing weights, use this formula: (METs x 3.5 x weight in kg) ÷ (200) x duration in minutes. Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to calculate your weight in kilograms. You weigh 52.2 kg if you weigh 115 lb.

MET Value

According to the Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide, developed by Dr. Bill Haskell of Stanford University, walking while carrying between 1 to 15 lb. has a MET value of 5.0. Physician, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, explains that little advantage is gained by walking with weights. Instead, you can burn more calories by speeding up your pace. Walking about 4-1/2 mph on a firm surface has a MET value of 6.3 or 8.0 for walking 5 mph.

Calories Burned

If you weigh 115 lb. and walk while wearing 3 lb. weights, you can burn about 91 calories. Walking 4-1/2 mph for 25 minutes burns 143 calories. Walking 5 mph for 30 minutes can burn 218 calories.