Walking and using an elliptical trainer are two forms of exercise used to strengthen your body's cardiovascular conditioning. The number of calories you burn while walking depends on the speed at which you walk, as well as the degree of incline along your path. On average, your body burns more calories during an hour's workout on an elliptical machine than it will walking for the same amount of time.
Elliptical Trainer Calories
An elliptical trainer is a piece of cardiovascular equipment that keeps its user in a stationary position, while the user's legs move in an elliptical motion that loosely mimics running or jogging. If you spend an hour on an elliptical trainer, you'll burn up to 671 calories if you weigh 130 lbs.; the more you weigh, the more you'll burn -- for example, a 180-lb. person will burn up to 929 calories during that same hour.
Two factors influence the number of calories burned on the elliptical trainer. The first factor is speed. Elliptical trainers measure your pace in miles per hour; if you work out at 3.5 mph you'll burn fewer calories than someone your same weight who works out at 4.5 mph. Resistance also plays a role in your calorie burn. You burn more calories as you increase the resistance setting on your elliptical machine.
Leisurely Walking Calories
The slower you walk, the fewer calories you'll burn. Leisurely walking at less than 2.0 mph -- such as walking through the mall or grocery store -- burns the fewest calories: 118 calories an hour for a 130-lb. person versus 163 calories during that same period for a 180-lb. person. For every 0.5-mph increase in pace, a 130-lb. person will burn roughly 30 more calories per hour while a 180-lb. person will burn roughly 45 more calories.
Aerobic Walking Calories
Increase your walking pace to 3.5 mph -- considered a "brisk" pace -- and you'll start to see a significant increase in the number of calories burned. A 130-lb. person burns 224 calories in an hour at this pace; a 180-lb. person burns 311 calories during the same period. For every 0.5 mph increase in pace, that 130-lb. person will burn 70 to 100 additional calories up to 5 mph. A 180-lb. person sees his calorie burn increase by 110 to 170 calories for every 0.5 mph increase in pace up to 5 mph. Add an incline to your path and you burn even more calories. Walking 3.5 mph uphill burns 354 calories an hour if you weigh 130 lbs. -- a full 130 calories more than walking on a flat course.
Race Walking Calories
Race walking is a competitive sport -- seen in the Olympics -- that is sometimes called speed walking. Race walkers aim to move their legs as quickly as possible, while keeping at least one foot on the ground; if both feet leave the ground simultaneously, the walker is disqualified. Race walking is often characterized by a swaying of the hips not seen in regular walking or running; this swaying makes it easier for athletes to move more quickly while still keeping at least one foot on the ground. A 130-lb. person who is race walking will burn 384 calories an hour, while a 180-lb. person burns 531 calories. Both rates are significantly higher than the standard calorie burn for aerobic walking, even on an incline.
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