Walking 8 Miles a day: Should you aim for it or not?

Walking 8 miles a day is approximately 16,000-20,000 steps and 1:28 to 2:40 of your time. Although walking is generally a low-impact exercise, an 8-mile goal is quite a commitment. It significantly goes beyond the average physical activity, which is why it might be wise to start with smaller goals, especially if you haven’t been very active before.

One way or another, if you get to the point where you can walk 8 miles every day, this can help you:

• Lose weight.
• Strengthen your muscles.
• Improve cardiovascular fitness.
• Lower the risk of diseases.
• Build up endurance.
• Improve bone and joint health.
• Reduce stress levels and prevent depression.
• Ensure healthy aging.
• And gain many other benefits.

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Walking is a low-impact aerobic exercise known for its simplicity and massive benefits. It’s accessible to anyone and can greatly stimulate the weight loss process. That’s why people who are trying to lose weight and get toned often choose to build a daily walking habit to increase their physical activity.

While it’s possible to support your health and burn fat by walking small distances, many people are wondering whether they can achieve the desired result faster thanks to long-distance walking. The answer is “yes.” Setting larger distance goals for walking, let’s say, 8 miles a day, can help you burn more calories and achieve excellent results. However, there are also some considerations to keep in mind.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you should know about walking 8 miles a day, including the benefits and potential downsides.

Is Walking 8 Miles a Day Healthy?

Let’s start with the most important part – the benefits of walking 8 miles a day. As many of you should know, daily, long-distance walking is proven to improve both physical and mental health. By building this habit, you can:

• Lose weight and strengthen your muscles.
• Improve cardiovascular fitness.
• Lower the risk of diseases.
• Build up endurance.
• Improve bone and joint health.
• Reduce stress levels and prevent depression.
• Ensure healthy aging.

All these benefits are backed by science, so it’s fair to say that long-distance walking is generally good and beneficial for everyone. However, it can also have downsides.

The truth is that walking 8 miles a day isn’t a beginner-friendly goal. It can be easy for experienced fitness enthusiasts and people who are long used to leading a very active lifestyle. However, if you are used to a sedentary lifestyle, it might be better to start gradually.

How Many Steps Is 8 Miles?

Every person takes a different number of steps for a given distance. The main factors that affect this include:

• Height
• Stride length
• Body mass index
• Pace
• Terrain type

Given this, it’s hard to accurately tell how many steps you will take during an 8-mile walk. However, it’s possible to give an approximate number. On average, an adult takes 2,000-2,500 steps per mile. Thus, walking 8 miles a day can equal around 16,000-20,000 steps. This is quite a large number of steps, especially if you consider 10,000 steps a day an average recommended benchmark.

Is 8 Miles a Long Walk?

Before you set an 8-mile goal and make a long-term commitment, of course, it’s important to understand how much time you will have to devote to your exercise routine. So, the question is: How long does it take to walk 8 miles?

Just like the exact number of steps, the walking time can vary drastically depending on your pace and other factors. On average, such a walk takes between 1 hour and 28 minutes and 2 hours and 40 minutes. This is quite a lot of time, so be sure to plan it thoroughly before you start.

Walking 8 Miles a Day Weight Loss: How Many Calories Will You Burn?

If your primary goal is weight loss, you are probably wondering how many calories walking 8 miles a day can burn for you.

The answer is affected by multiple factors. But first of all, it depends on your initial body weight. Let’s look at how many calories people of different weights can burn per such a walk:

• 100 lbs: 454 calories
• 160 lbs: 727 calories
• 200 lbs: 909 calories
• 250 lbs: 1,136 calories
• 300 lbs: 1,364 calories

These numbers are indicated for brisk walking. That is, a more relaxed walk can result in a lower energy expenditure.

On the other hand, a faster pace, a more complicated terrain, an incline, or added weight can further increase the number of calories burned. So if you were wondering whether walking can help you lose weight, the answer is definitely “yes.”

If you’re wondering how much weight you can lose, the answer depends. Generally speaking, your walking 8 miles a day for a month results can range from 2-3 to 5+ pounds of burned fat. This depends on the consistency of your results, as well as on the diet you follow. Remember that weight loss requires a calorie deficit. That is, you have to consume fewer calories with food than you expend. Walking 8 miles a day can work perfectly for establishing a healthy deficit because of the large number of calories that you can potentially burn.

Is Walking 8 Miles a Day Too Much?

Now that you know everything about the drawbacks and benefits of walking 8 miles a day, it’s time to answer the most important question. Is walking 8 miles a day good or too much?

First and foremost, we have to state that walking 8 miles a day isn’t generally “too much.” It’s a low-impact and high-volume aerobic exercise that unlocks multiple health benefits for you. And it’s also the amount of exercise that has been shown to increase longevity – 160 minutes of walking every day can add up to 11 years to your life. So there are quite a few reasons to engage in this kind of physical activity.

Yet, there are a few important considerations:

• Walking 8 miles a day requires a significant time commitment. It can be hard to fit into a busy daily schedule.
• 8 miles is a long distance that puts strain on your muscles and joints. If you haven’t been very active before, it’s easy to overtrain.
• Such long-distance walking requires proper gear. In particular, you need well-fitting, walking-tailored shoes to avoid blisters and knee strain.

Advice: If you’re not an advanced fitness enthusiast, don’t set such a high walking goal from the start. Consider starting with 2 miles or 3 miles to get used to daily walking. Then, gradually increase the distance as your muscle strength and stamina build up.

FAQ

What are the best shoes for long-distance walking?

The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine recommends choosing well-fitting and cushioned shoes that allow you to walk smoothly. The shoes should also give you a sense of foot stability. To meet these requirements, you can choose running shoes or specialty walking shoes.

Is it better to track my distance or steps while walking?

There are different opinions regarding this question. If you’re looking to lose weight and get toned, there is an unspoken rule of walking 10,000 steps every day, which is the benchmark many strive for. In reality, tracking both steps and distance works. It’s just that you need more calculations or a wearable device to know the exact number of steps you take. From this perspective, tracking a distance goal is easier.

And then, there is also another opinion. According to studies, focusing on your walking speed might be even more important than counting your distance or steps. Brisk walking speed improves cardiovascular health, longevity, and mobility. So this is one more metric you might want to keep an eye on.

Do I have to walk outdoors, or will a treadmill work?

Walking outdoors provides a number of added benefits for your cardiovascular health, cognitive abilities, and mental health. So, it’s great if you can walk outdoors. However, it can be hard sometimes, particularly due to weather conditions. In these cases, a treadmill can be a great and convenient alternative that will also help you lose weight and gain nearly the same benefits of daily walking. Besides, a treadmill lets you tweak your training for maximum effectiveness, for example, by increasing the incline.

Conclusion

Walking is one of the most accessible types of physical activity. It often doesn’t require special equipment, significant investment, or much time. Yet, it provides lots of perks for your physical and mental health. So if you want to get in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle, building a daily walking habit is a good way to start.

Nevertheless, we have to admit that walking 8 miles a day isn’t your average, beginner-friendly walking goal. It’s a significant time and fitness commitment that might not be the right choice for people used to a sedentary lifestyle. Since it can have certain drawbacks, the safest approach is to begin your walking journey with smaller goals. Start with a mile or a few and gradually increase the distance to gain maximum benefits.

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