How many miles do you need to walk daily to lose weight?

It’s a complete myth that the only way to lose weight is by enduring grueling workouts. In reality, all forms of exercise can help with weight loss, including walking. But knowing how many miles to walk to lose weight is key for accomplishing your goals.

We asked personal trainers about the benefits of walking every day, how many miles a day it takes to lose weight, and how to get the maximum benefits out of your daily stroll.

Benefits of walking every day

Daily walks benefit health both in the immediate moment and long term.

Malia Frey, a certified personal trainer, creator of Coach My Macros and author of “Macro Diet for Dummies,” says that walking is especially beneficial for heart health.

“A short walk after a meal has been shown to lower blood pressure,” she says, revealing an immediate benefit of taking a walk. Walking after eating also lowers blood sugar levels, another short-term benefit.

Long term, walking every day lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Frey says another benefit of walking every day is that it helps with mobility and flexibility.

“Staying consistent with a walking program as you get older will help you to age better and maintain activities of daily living with greater ease,” she says.

She adds that walking can also help with maintaining bone density and preventing osteoporosis.

Nate Osborne, a certified personal trainer, weight-loss coach and sports nutrition coach at Greatisfit Global Fitness, says walking isn’t just good for physical health; it benefits mental health, too.

“When you exercise, you release a chemical called endorphins, aka the feel-good hormone,” he says.

Scientific research shows that walking, especially in nature, can help decrease feelings of depression and anxiety.

Can walking help with weight loss? Both trainers say it absolutely can.

“Walking plays a huge role in weight loss. It is a part of the total daily energy expenditure. Specifically, it is the non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT),” Osborne says.

Walking from your car to the grocery store, from your desk to the kitchen to get a glass of water and taking out the trash are all forms of NEAT. The greater your NEAT, the easier it is to lose weight.

Frey says walking is a great form of exercise for weight loss because there are fewer physical, environmental and financial barriers to walking than there are for other activities.

“You can walk almost anywhere, even at home, it doesn’t require an expensive gym membership or equipment, and it can be a wonderful social activity. The ease and approachability of walking makes it easier to stay consistent and consistency is key when it comes to weight loss,” she says.

How many miles a day?

Walking any distance regularly benefits health, but if you want to use this form of exercise to shed pounds, it’s natural to wonder, “How many miles should I walk to lose weight?”

“There isn’t a hard-and-fast rule for the number of miles, but we can use an evidence-based approach to approximate a number,” Frey says.

She points to the American College of Sports Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations of getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise for general health and 300 minutes or more per week (or five hours a week) to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

When it comes to how many miles to walk to lose weight, Frey says a brisk pace ranges from 3 to 4 miles per hour, which means walking 15 to 20 miles a week to lose weight.

“Keep in mind, however, this is just an estimate. If you are currently sedentary, I would suggest starting with a 15- to 20-minute walk most days of the week. As you become more fit, add minutes to your daily total and focus on consistency,” Frey says.

Osborne says if someone wants to integrate walking into their weight-loss plan, he recommends adding at least 2,000 steps to what they currently do each day.

“Some people have very active jobs where they can get about 10,000 to 15,000 steps per day, and then you have people who sit down all day and they get no more than 5,000. So, I will say anything more than 2,000 will allow you to see progress,” he says.

But he emphasizes that following a nutrition plan is key: To lose weight, it’s important to maintain a calorie deficit.

If you want to increase your calorie deficit through walking, both trainers say there are ways to do it. Frey says walking briskly and incorporating hills into your regular route are both ways to burn more calories when walking.

“It’s important to challenge yourself as you become a proficient walker,” Frey says. “Your body will adapt as you walk more often and increase your mileage, but that also means you will burn fewer calories, a natural adaptation as your body gets more efficient and fit.

“So, to optimize your caloric expenditure, you need to add intensity to your workouts with mini-challenges,” Frey adds.

If you’re walking on a treadmill, Frey recommends sprinkling one-minute hills at various inclines while keeping your pace steady.

Or, she says, another way to increase your calorie burn while walking on the treadmill is to add one- to two-minute bursts of speed every three to four minutes, or 30-second jogging intervals every three to four minutes of walking.

“Walking is often considered ‘easy’ or ‘beginning-level’ exercise. But that is a myth. Walking is good for you no matter what your fitness level is,” Frey says.

If you want to lose weight, walking every day is a great way to do it.