Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.
A simple 5km walk is a surprisingly effective and versatile way to check most (if not all) of your fitness boxes, depending on how creative you want to get with it!! … It is long enough to reap plenty of benefits (see below) and gives you enough time to throw in some variety (interval training, anyone?)
Walking for about three miles per hour (4.8 km) or walking for 80 minutes and covering four miles will definitely help you burn about 950 calories a day. Even though walking is less intense, by covering the same area each day, walking will ultimately help you lose more weight.
How Long Should You Walk Each Day? Aim to walk continuously for 30 – 60 minutes most days of the week to lose weight walking. If you walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, you'll cover a distance of about 1½ to 2 miles (2.5 to 3.3 kilometers).
Walking for 30 minutes at a brisk pace covers a distance of 2.0 to 2.5 km and burns about 125 calories (520 kiloJoules). This amount may not seem like much, but if you walked five days a week within one year you would burn over 32,000 calories which would burn off more than 5 kg of fat.
The World Health Organisation and the National Heart Foundation of Australia recommend 10,000 steps (approximately eight kilometres) per day to improve general health and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Reduce your risk of chronic diseases
The American Diabetes Association recommends walking to lower blood sugar levels and lower your overall risk for type 2 diabetes. Some research even shows that for every 1,000 daily steps you take, you could lower your systolic blood pressure by . 45 points.
One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic exercise, such as walking ( 19 , 20 ). In one small study, women with obesity who walked for 50–70 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks, on average, reduced their waist circumference and their body fat.
By boosting your blood flow, brisk walking can improve the health of your heart and lungs. It can also lower your risk for many health conditions and help you manage your weight. Additionally, brisk walking can improve your brain function, boost your energy, reduce stress, and improve your sleep.
Walking might not be the most strenuous form of exercise, but it is an effective way to get in shape and burn fat. While you can't spot-reduce fat, walking can help reduce overall fat (including belly fat), which, despite being one of the most dangerous types of fat, is also one of the easiest to lose.
By walking for 1 hour at 6km/h, you will burn an average of 300 Kcal. By walking regularly at this speed, your efforts will end up bearing fruit and then enable you to accelerate.
In a new study, which looks at activity tracker data from 78,500 people, walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.
What does 10,000 steps look like? Ten thousand steps equates to about eight kilometres, or an hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed.
Scientists who looked at information from 33,060 runners and 15,945 walkers found that walking can lower your risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure as much as running. They measured exercise by time, not distance.
According to the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, walking helps reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases (1). In fact, walking (at speeds equal to or greater than 8 km/h) expends more energy than jogging at the same speed (2). Read on to find out about the health benefits of walking daily.
Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
It can also help you lose weight. Twenty kilometers is equal to approximately 12.4 miles. One hour of brisk walking, at a pace of 4 mph, burns approximately 300 calories for a 150-pound person. That means if you walk for 12.4 miles, or three hours of brisk walking, you can burn about 900 calories each day.
There is no set number of miles that is considered too much (or too little) for all walkers. However, it is wise to start with shorter walks and gradually increase mileage as fitness goals are met.
For example, regular brisk walking can help you: Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Improve cardiovascular fitness.
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
People interested in walking for weight loss should consistently hit at least 10,000 steps each day. Some people may even want to increase their total number of steps beyond this amount. However, any steps that a person takes beyond their normal daily step count can help them lose weight.
The Importance of Walking 5km or at least 30 Minutes a Day
Walking for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease. This risk is further reduced when you increase the duration or distance of your daily walk. Taking a short walk after eating may also lower blood sugar levels.
7 Things That Happened When I Made Myself Go For A Walk Every Single Day For A Month. For a such simple, approachable activity, walking certainly does deliver some remarkable health benefits. Studies show that a daily brisk walk can help lower blood pressure, reduce belly fat, increase energy levels, and improve mood.
The short answer is yes. “Walking is just as good as any other form of exercise,” says University Hospitals pediatric sports medicine specialist Laura Goldberg, MD.