If you’re looking for a step goal, walking at least 4 miles or approximately 8,000 steps a day has been shown to improve overall health and lower mortality risk. This distance is based on total daily steps rather than a single bout of walking.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. A brisk 30-minute walk covering 1.5 to 2 miles each day can achieve that goal. The brisk walking time can also be achieved in bouts of at least 10 minutes at a brisk pace throughout the day, which would cover approximately half a mile.
Walking is an easily accessible way to meet daily physical activity requirements. Setting a daily step goal and planning a time for a brisk walk each day can help you meet and exceed these requirements and reap other benefits.
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Number of Miles to Walk Daily for Results
Walking 4 miles or more a day and dedicating 30 minutes to a brisk walk offers many health benefits.
Weight Loss
Walking is a great way to add physical activity to your daily routine and help with weight loss. Weight loss occurs when you use more calories than you consume, which can occur through reduced consumption or increased activity.
Burning Fat or Carbs
Though high-intensity exercises, such as sprints, burn carbohydrates to fuel the body, and low-intensity exercises, such as walking, use fat as their main source of energy, both can result in weight loss.
You can lose weight just by walking. One study found that people who walked 8,000 steps or more a day were able to lose and maintain a loss of 10% or more of their body weight over 18 months.
The study also analyzed the number of daily steps taken during bouts of at least 10 minutes of brisk walking. Their recommendation is to aim for 10,000 steps per day, with 3,500 of those steps as brisk walking workouts of at least 10 minutes at a time for approximately 35 minutes total. The total distance for brisk walking bouts each day would be about 1.75 miles.
For someone who weighs 200 pounds, a 10% loss would be 20 pounds.
Other Benefits
Walking consistently also improves your overall physical and mental health. Walking can:
- Decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease
- Decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes
- Reduce your risk of osteoarthritis
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve mental health
- Reduce symptoms of depression
- Improve sleep quality and duration
- Enhance cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia
Walking With Physical Considerations
People who are pregnant, living with a chronic condition, or having mobility issues can still achieve their daily miles. You can make modifications to help achieve daily step goals. In some cases, the goal might not be the standard 4 miles but a goal that is achievable for your condition.
One study recommended that people who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy should walk 6,000 steps a day or 3 miles to achieve benefits. For some people, the goal might be walking a mile. For others, it may be walking continuously for 10 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time and distance.
Modifications to walking may also become necessary as pregnancy progresses and walking becomes more difficult. You may find that walking in a pool can help you achieve your steps without the added pressure from the weight of the pregnancy.
Pool walking can also be a great way for people with chronic pain, joint issues, or other mobility issues to achieve their steps.
If you have pain with your walking routine in places like your knees or ankles, you can see a physical therapist (doctor of physical therapy) who can identify issues in your gait and strength to help you improve your ability to walk.
Mobility aids such as a walker or cane can help people remain active. For people with balance issues, walking with fitness walking poles or walking in place with a wall or other steady support nearby can be a great option for achieving miles.
A Word From Verywell
Start slowly at first and build up your tolerance. Perhaps start with just five to 10 minutes of walking. You can also incorporate intervals into that 10 minutes, such as walking for two minutes and resting for two minutes.
— THERESA MARKO, DPT, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
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How to Get More Miles in Daily
Though walking is an easily accessible activity, getting all your miles in isn't always easy. Here are some ways to get more miles in daily:
- Walk on a treadmill. If you live in an area with inclement weather, walking safety issues, or other poor walking conditions, a treadmill workout can help you achieve steps without going outside.
- Set up a deskmill/treadmill. Deskmills fit underneath a standing desk and allow you to walk while working at a computer or taking phone calls.
- Join a challenge. Recruit friends, family, or co-workers to compete with in achieving daily miles. Fitness apps may also have challenges you can join.
- Park farther away. When you run errands, park farther from the store entrance to help you get more steps.
- Make it a date. Instead of meeting friends for a meal or drinks, meet them for a walk or a hike.
- Walk as a means of transportation. Find instances where you can walk instead of driving.
- Get off a stop early. If you take mass transit, get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way.
Even if you can't reach your goal, rest assured that something is always better than nothing. One study found that walking 4 miles a day, one to two days a week can still produce significant health benefits.
Keeping Track of Mileage
Wearable devices can help you track your total daily miles. These include watches, fitness bands, and pedometers that clip onto clothing. Most cellphones will track daily steps as well.
Fitness apps can track both bouts of brisk walking to achieve moderate-intensity goals and total daily steps and distance.
Not wearing a device or carrying a cellphone? Go to Google Maps or any online map and type in your walking route to compute how far you go.
Treadmills will typically display the distance for your workout. Outdoor and indoor tracks have standard distances for each circuit. Some parks and paths have marked distances.
Add-Ons to Try
If you’re looking to add challenge or variety to your daily miles, here are several suggestions:
- Walk on an incline. Want more of a cardiovascular challenge? Walking on an incline (or adding an incline to your treadmill workout) or hiking up a hill increases the intensity of your walk.
- Add bursts of speed walking or jogging. Intervals in which you walk as fast as you can or even jog for a minute or two at a time can increase the intensity of your walking workouts. Then, slow to your usual brisk walking pace.
- Wear a weighted vest. Wearing a weighted vest while walking adds a challenge that can improve body composition and strengthen the legs more than walking alone can.
- Find a new location. Are you bored with the sights around you? Try walking in a new neighborhood or park. Walk to explore new cities when on vacation.
- Walk to the beat. Create a playlist of music that inspires you to keep up the pace and not stop until the songs are over.
- Add walking poles. Nordic walking is a specific technique for using a pair of walking poles during outdoor walking workouts.
Summary
Walking 4 miles or 8,000 steps a day improves overall health and lowers mortality risk. Taking brisk walks of at least 10 minutes at a time for 30 total minutes (1.5 to 2 miles) each day can help you achieve physical activity targets.
People who meet these mile requirements may experience weight loss and many other benefits, such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, lower depression symptoms, improved cognition, and a lower risk of dementia.
People who are pregnant or living with a chronic condition can modify their walking routines to help them meet their unique daily mileage requirements.
To add more miles to your daily routine, try parking farther away from store entrances, using a treadmill, or walking as your way to commute. Wearable devices, cellphones, and online maps can help you keep track of your daily mileage.
Other additions that can make your walk more challenging or add variety to it include a weighted vest, walking on an incline, and exploring a new city on foot.
