Walking 7 miles a day: Is it a good option for you?

Walking 7 miles a day equals 14,000-17,500 steps. Depending on the pace, it can take from 1 hour and 17 minutes to 2 hours and 20 minutes of your time. It’s a low-impact, but rather high-volume aerobic activity that can offer plenty of benefits. Yet, it greatly exceeds the minimum recommendations on activity for adults, which is why it can feel like too big of a challenge for an unprepared individual.

Is walking 7 miles a day good for you? It can be. This amount of physical activity helps manage weight, strengthen bones and muscles, improve cardiovascular fitness, and gain many other benefits. But it can also have side effects. In order to get the most out of it and ensure safety, it’s important to keep in mind the following considerations:

• Take it slowly
• Wear the right shoes
• Allow time for recovery
• Listen to your body

{{button}}

Walking has been known as one of the best, low-impact types of activities for decades. Science and fitness experts link it to a large number of physical and mental health benefits. And it definitely aids in the weight loss process.

If you are looking to improve the quality of your body, support your health, and create a more active lifestyle, walking can be an excellent starting point. The only question is which walking goal you should set.

The options are diverse. You can take it slow and begin with just one mile a day. Or, if you are an experienced walker, you might want to go a longer distance. In this guide, we’ll talk about walking 7 miles a day, in particular. Continue reading to learn more!

Is Walking 7 Miles a Day Healthy?

7 miles sounds like quite a distance. And it really is. We have to make it clear – 7 miles isn’t a beginner’s goal. It’s quite a commitment that might not be “too much” for a healthy and fit person. But it can be a real challenge for someone who is used to a sedentary lifestyle.

But is it actually healthy? The answer is “yes.” The core benefits of walking 7 miles a day include:

• Cardiovascular fitness and heart disease prevention.
• Endurance and greater energy levels.
• Easier regulation of blood pressure and sugar.
• Improved mental health, mood, and mental clarity.
• Better sleep.
• Stronger muscles, bones, and joints.

As you can see, a habit of daily long-distance walking can bring you a range of benefits. Generally speaking, it will help support your immunity and overall health. Furthermore, multiple studies link daily walking and longevity. According to them, walking for 2 hours a day can increase your life expectancy by up to 11 years, which is another significant benefit.

And what about walking 7 miles a day weight loss? Walking is an aerobic activity that increases your heart rate. That is, it stimulates the fat-burning process and thus can help you lose weight. It also engages many muscles, helping you get a more toned and stronger body.

How Many Steps Is 7 Miles?

The number of steps a person makes depends on a variety of factors. The primary ones include the height and stride length. However, the type of terrain and pace also matter.

Despite the difference, it’s generally considered that one mile contains about 2,000-2,500 steps. That is, you can take 14,000-17,500 steps when walking 7 miles a day.

Is It Best to Track the Distance or the Number of Steps?

People who decide to build a habit of daily walking often don’t know whether they should track the exact number of steps or focus on the total distance. There are varying opinions on this matter.

Generally, it’s believed that tracking the distance is easier, especially if you don’t use any wearables. To do this, all you need is to map your route and look up the total distance using Google Maps. Tracking steps, on the contrary, requires some calculations. If you don’t have anything that tracks them for you, you will need to define your stride length first and then divide a fixed distance by it to see how many steps it will take you to walk that distance. But, of course, the easiest (and more accurate) way to keep an eye on the progress is to buy a smartwatch or a fitness band and track all your crucial metrics at once.

Important: The metric you want to track during your walks also depends on your goals. If you just want to increase general activity, you can track both steps and distance. For weight loss purposes, it might be best to track distance, pace, and calories burned. etc. And if you want to build endurance, the distance and time of your walks might give you the best insights into your progress.

How Long Does It Take to Walk 7 Miles?

Living in a fast-paced and busy world like ours, you probably want to know how much time you will need to hit your daily walking goal. After all, this matters for planning your schedule effectively. Hence, it’s absolutely natural to ask: Is 7 miles a long walk?

The answer to this question depends mostly on your pace. According to general numbers, a 7-mile walk can take you 1 hour and 17 minutes at a fast pace, 1 hour 45 minutes at a moderate pace, and 2 hours 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.

This is the approximate time you can plan for your walks to take. However, remember that individual factors like height and stride length also affect the time. So it’s okay if your walks take more or less time. Once again, the easiest way to track all your progress metrics is by using technology.

Is Walking 7 Miles a Day Too Much?

Even though it sounds like quite a lot, walking 7 miles a day is generally not too much for a healthy, well-fit person. Once you reach this distance walk, you will not find it to be too challenging. However, it might be rather challenging to get there, especially if you weren’t very active or fit before.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. This is only 30 minutes a day if you exercise 5 days a week. Clearly, walking 7 miles a day significantly exceeds this recommendation, which is why it seems like a lot. However, it’s a good goal to aim for if you want to build stamina, strengthen your heart, and stimulate weight loss.

Walking 7 Miles a Day Weight Loss: The Possible Side Effects and Important Considerations

Now that you know that walking 7 miles a day significantly exceeds the general activity recommendation for adults, it’s natural to wonder whether it can have any negative impact on you. And it actually can.

Walking is generally safe and beneficial. In the long run, a habit of daily walking can strengthen your health, build endurance, and help you achieve your body goals. However, if you rush into such a big goal without prior physical activity, it can give you a set of temporary side effects, such as:

• Fatigue
• Joint strain
• Muscle soreness
• Lower back pain

These side effects can appear solely because your body is not ready for such a high-volume load. Yet, they can be incredibly unpleasant and negatively affect your motivation. So, here are a few important considerations that should help you avoid the downsides and benefit from walking:

• Approach it gradually. Don’t require yourself to walk 7 miles in your first walk, especially if you used to lead a rather sedentary lifestyle before. It’s wise to start with a smaller goal, let’s say walking 3 miles a day, and build up to a larger distance over several weeks.
• Wear the right shoes. Walking a long distance can put a tremendous load on your feet and lead to discomfort and injuries. To prevent this, you need to invest in supportive, well-cushioned shoes suitable for walking.
• Give yourself some time to recover. When you exercise (even if it’s a low-impact activity), your muscles get microscopic tears (trauma), which causes soreness. These tears are essential for muscle growth and strength building. But they also take time to heal. So if you experience severe side effects, incorporate lighter or full-rest days to give your body more time to adjust to the load and recover.

• Always listen to your body. Remember that overtraining can cause a lot of adverse effects that might impact your health and quality of life. So when you notice any severe side effects, don’t ignore them. Take due care of your body, and it will thank you.

FAQ

Why is it important to track my walking distance and other metrics?

If you are just planning to build a daily walking habit, you might wonder why you even need to track the distance of your walks, steps, or other metrics. The answer is that you’re not obliged to do it. Yet, tracking the progress can have a number of positive effects, such as accountability, easier goal setting, and added motivation (from accomplishing your goals).

What are the approximate walking 7 miles a day for a month results?

Walking can be incredibly effective for weight loss. A 7-mile walk can burn from 445 to 1336 calories. Given the fact that a pound of body fat contains about 3,436-3,752 calories, daily walking for such a long distance can let you burn 3-4 pounds of fat in a month, which is a great, gradual result. However, it’s important to remember that the weight loss result depends not only on walking, but also on your diet, initial body mass index, and other factors.

Can I lose weight faster by walking 7 miles a day?

Yes, it’s possible to speed up the weight loss process by increasing the number of calories you burn during your walks. You can do this by interchanging the pace and terrain. Walking on the incline and wearing additional weight can also help. But don’t aim for too fast weight loss. Remember that dropping pounds gradually helps achieve a more sustainable result.

Conclusion

So, is walking 7 miles a day right for you? Without any doubt, walking is a universal exercise that suits nearly everyone. It has lots of benefits for your physical and mental health, which makes it a good option to try.

Yet, as you now know, setting such a high goal as 7 miles might be tough for a beginner. Keep in mind the considerations we shared with you here to build a daily walking habit without harming your health.

{{pink-banner}}