Trainers Say to Walk This Many Miles a Day for Best Results
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Few workouts have gotten as much buzz over the last few years as walking. This low-impact form of exercise is all over social media, with everyone from influencers to celebrities claiming that walking regularly has helped them to get fit and lose weight.
But given that walking is how most people get around, it’s understandable to wonder, “how many miles should I walk a day?” for meaningful results, like weight loss and fitness. It’s important to note this upfront: There is no magic number that works for everyone. But trainers generally recommend working within some parameters to see a noticeable difference.
Meet the experts: Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab; Doug Sklar is a certified personal trainer and founder of New York City fitness training studio PhilanthroFIT
Here’s what you should keep in mind when it comes to setting walking mileage goals, plus how to level up your walking game when you’re ready.
Number of miles to walk a day for weight loss
The general standard is to have a step goal of 10,000 steps a day, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. This translates to roughly five miles.
The whole 10,000 steps goal came from a study conducted in the 1970s that determined that burning 2,000 calories a week was protective for the heart. That was divided by seven to determine that burning 300 calories a day was good for the heart. From there, researchers determined that this ended up being about 10,000 steps a day.
But research since then found that the ideal step count varies by person, although it’s usually between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day for people under the age of 60.
Matheny says that 10,000 steps is a “nice goal.” And yes, walking can help you lose weight. One randomized trial found that people with obesity who walked 8,000 steps or more a day lost 10% or more of their body weight over 18 months and kept it off. (The researchers also found that doing 3,500 of those steps at a brisk pace was helpful.)
Other benefits of walking
But there’s more to walking than the potential for weight loss. “Walking can improve cardiovascular health, promote circulation, and improve bone density,” says Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of New York City fitness training studio PhilanthroFIT.
Here are a few other perks linked to walking, according to research:
It may lower your risk of depression.
It can boost your heart health.
It may help you sleep better.
It can increase your longevity.
It can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
What modifications can I make?
It’s easy to take walking for granted, but this form of exercise can be difficult for some people. If you’re pregnant and want to walk more, it’s important to first consult your doctor to make sure it’s OK to ramp up your exercise routine while you’re expecting. Once you’re given the OK, it’s best to start slowly and see how you feel.
If you have obesity or joint issues, walking in a pool can be a helpful option. “It’s a lot less of a load on your joints,” Matheny says. (However, if a pool isn’t accessible, he suggests considering fellow low-impact workout cycling.)
How to walk more miles on a daily basis
It’s a good idea to try to figure out where you’re at with your baseline—meaning, how much you’re walking to start. You can ramp things up from there. “As a general guideline, I’d recommend setting a target that is slightly above your normal everyday step count,” Sklar says.
You can plan to go for walks as a workout at a set time of your day, or you can find a way to incorporate it into your day, Matheny says. “If you’re at work and can get a coffee, is the coffee shop something you can walk to instead of taking a two-minute car ride?” he says.
Matheny also suggests waking up and going for a walk or going for a walk with a friend instead of sitting and talking. “If you have a call at work and don’t need to be in front of a screen, turn it into a walking call,” he says.
And, if you have access to a treadmill, you can walk while you watch TV or talk on the phone, he says.
How to track your mileage
There are a few different ways to keep track of your mileage.
Use your phone. Most smartphones have a built-in feature to track your daily steps.
Map it out. An online mapping service or app like Google Maps or MapMyWalk can track how far you’ve gone.
Rely on a fitness tracker. If you have the budget for it, a smartwatch or wearable fitness tracker can track your miles, as well as log additional fitness metrics like your heart rate and overall fitness.
Use a treadmill. Treadmills often have a display that shows how far you’ve walked.
Rely on distance markers. If you walk on a standard track, you can count laps (four laps is about a mile). Some outdoor paths will also have markers to signal how far you’ve gone.
How to make walks more challenging
There are a few ways to make walks harder, once you’ve gotten into a comfortable routine. “Gradual increases in the speed or incline will allow you to monitor your progress,” Sklar says. This can help you to constantly improve, he says.
Matheny also suggests increasing your mileage, if you can. “Can you walk a little bit farther and faster?” he says. “You can go harder and get in hills.” You can even add on a weighted vest if you want to create an extra challenge, he says.
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