Do you enjoy walking in the morning or on the way to work? Perhaps you’re one of those who do it with your pup. Many undervalue the benefits of this low-impact activity because it’s automatic to people. Find out how walking three miles a day can regulate your weight, strengthen your heart and improve your mental health.
You walk from the living room to the kitchen when you’re hungry, doing it effortlessly unlike lifting weights in the gym. So you shrug it off, but focused walks give you access to heaps of health benefits.
Does Walking Count as Physical Exercise?
Walking is a less intense movement that counts as physical exercise.
Often times if you hear someone saying that “it’s not exercise” they are referring to the benefits that we receive by ALSO including strength training workouts to build muscle and some harder sessions like incline walking to increase heart rate more.
If you want to turn up the full body burn, check out Nordic Walking. This style of exercise has become extremely popular in Europe and we’ll likely see it even more in the US soon.
Remember our goal with exercise isn’t just to burn calories, but to engage our muscles and build a body that is strong enough for us to move through daily life and yes even just walk around for hours on vacation!
Checkout our 8 Week Progressive Bodyweight Program if you need a good starting point!
Walking to lose weight is about so much more than a slow stroll around the block. We’re making sure this is exercise. A the same time, know that every extra step you take during the day matters (even those slow strolls)! Extra movement is often overlooked, but a huge piece of fighting off weight gain as we age.
How Much Walking Counts as Exercise?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or about 30 minutes daily for five consecutive days to maintain their overall health.
A 30-minute brisk walk incorporated as a habit into a routine can burn about 150 calories, which may not be enough if you’re trying to lose weight. However, the benefits can be more significant if you walk faster.
So, how many minutes of walking should one do? Three miles is equivalent to 4.8 kilometers. Depending on the pace, you can finish this distance between 30 minutes to an hour.
- 1 hour for an easy walk with a speed of 20 minutes per mile
- 45 minutes for a moderate walk with a speed of 15 minutes per mile
- 33 minutes for a fast walk if your speed is 11 minutes per mile
Is Walking 3 Miles a Day Enough Exercise
Walking fast for three miles a day will take a minimum of 45 minutes for most people, enough exercise to keep your body active and reap its long list of upsides. A 15 minute mile is definitely power walking and what Coach Amanda has many athletes strive for before they ever start running.
It’s beats the CDC’s health recommendation of 30 minutes of physical activity, so there should be no problem if you stick with walking as your standard movement routine.
However, if you’re new to exercise, start with an easier pace first to avoid injury, soreness and burnout.
What Are the Benefits of Walking 3 Miles a Day?
So, what positive consequences should you expect by roaming your neighborhood’s park every single day?
1. It Boosts Your Mental Well-Being
Walking stimulates the release of endorphins, often referred to as ‘feel-good’ hormones, which boost my mood and foster a sense of tranquility. This daily aerobic activity serves as a powerful tool for me and others to combat anxiety and depression, with research highlighting a decline in symptoms among habitual walkers.
One study on 10 people with mental health conditions found they were calmer, in a better mood and felt less alone after participating in nature walking groups. Researchers vouched for it as a legitimate and effective intervention to support traditional treatments.
Beyond stress relief, walking sparks my creativity. The rhythmic motion works to synchronize brain waves, cultivating an environment ripe for creative thinking. In essence, as I move my feet, my mind opens up to innovative ideas and problem-solving strategies.
2. It Elevates the Quality of Your Sleep
Walking three miles a day can deflate stress, help you stay calm and soothe muscle tension — all of which are essential factors for getting quality snooze.
In a systematic review, researchers found that exercise interventions, including walking, can improve subjective sleep quality. Bedtime troubles like insomnia severity and daytime sleepiness can be mitigated by leading a physically active lifestyle.
If you’re having difficulty getting enough sleep, consider a 30-minute walk to inject some movement into your routine. It may help with getting quality shuteye.
3. It Regulates Your Blood Sugar
The research found it can tone down sugar irregularities. A total of 28 individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes participated in a study to determine the effect of brisk walking on sugar volumes.
Before exercising, the participants had elevated blood sugar levels. However, after brisk walking, their glucose decreased significantly. Experts recommend brisk walking as a natural remedy to control blood sugar volumes.
4. It Strengthens Your Immune System
Walking gives the soldiers inside your body a power boost so they work more effectively. The immune system comprises tissues, organs and a complex web of cells protecting you against diseases and infections. Before viruses and foreign substances inflict harm, antibodies are produced through the white blood cells to destroy invaders.
How does walking reinforce the immune system?
Engaging in any form of exercise can increase the flow of blood carrying oxygen, strengthen antibodies and lower stress and inflammation. Enhancing circulation helps the white blood cells roam around the body and reach other areas to destroy germs and viruses before they cause infections.
5. It May Improve Joint Health
Many people hesitate to start walking regularly due to fears of worsening joint pain or triggering arthritis flare-ups. Research, however, dispels these concerns, showing that walking can actually ease joint pain and improve arthritis symptoms.
The gentle, low-impact nature of walking helps maintain joint flexibility and strengthens the muscles that support them.
Move it or lose it is what I’ve heard a few Orthopedic doctors say when asked about walking or running and our joints!
The best thing about walking is that it doesn’t feel like exercise at all. It’s enjoyable, perfect for all ages — even seniors — and can be a fun, social activity if you do it in groups. Many think of it as a hobby. However, it’s powerful enough to give you the above health benefits.
Is Walking 3 Miles a Day Good for Your Heart
The heart is a muscular organ. Like other muscles in the body, you can strengthen it through exercise. Walking is undoubtedly good for your heart. What more, it can mitigate your risk for heart disease, a leading cause of mortality in the U.S.
In an analysis of 17 studies pooling 226,889 participants, researchers found that walking 2,337 steps daily can reduce the risk of dying due to heart conditions, while 3,867 steps cut down the incidence of mortality from any cause.
On top of these cutoffs, increasing your exercise by 1,000 steps can curb the risk of all-cause mortality by 15%, whereas an additional 500 steps are associated with a 7% lower risk of dying due to heart disease.
Researchers identified the benefits increase as one walks more, regardless of gender. Walking is a good alternative to switch up your fitness routine if you want something new. For a change of scenery, try the park, the mountain, the forest and the rest of your neighborhood.
Can You Lose Weight by Walking 3 Miles a Day?
Being overweight raises the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases, but can walking help with this? The answer is yes.
In a review of 22 studies, experts found that power walking significantly reduces the various markers of obesity in women and men below 50 years old.
Based on mean averages, participants lost about 2.13 kilograms of weight, trimmed their waist circumference by 2.83 centimeters, reduced body mass index by about 0.96 kilograms per meter square of their height and drove down fat percentage by 1.38%. These results prove that brisk walking that three-mile distance is an effective physical activity to trim inches off your waistline.
If weight loss is your aim, create a walking workout plan that will give you a realistic path toward achieving your fitness goals. Instead of setting an unreasonable three-mile run from the get-go, start with a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood three times weekly.
It’s especially important if you’ve never tried exercise before and have been living a sedentary lifestyle. Build it up by adding 10 minutes until you’re ready to run. Gain traction through small wins by hitting easy goals.
Will Walking 3 Miles a Day Tone My Legs?
As your leg muscles build up a tolerance from brisk or moderate walking, they eventually get toned, like how you develop those abs with regular core exercises.
But as noted earlier, you have to have muscle to look toned. Which means you absolutely need to be strength training if looking toned is your goal.
Toning your muscles loses the body fat surrounding the area and makes them stronger, which is essential for runners and athletes. They’re critical in avoiding injury and making training easier. As the legs support the entire body, walking three miles a day is an excellent activity to strengthen the ankles, calves, hamstring, glutes and other muscles to enhance their integrity and structure.
How Many Calories Do You Burn by Walking 3 Miles a Day?
It depends on your weight and the distance, which are factors affecting your body’s metabolism. For instance, if you weigh 120 pounds, you’ll burn about 191 calories by walking three miles daily at your normal pace.
Checkout calories burned walking vs running for a bigger breakdown.
Here are other estimations of caloric expenditures for covering three miles of exercise based on your weight.
| Weight in pounds | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 250 | 275 |
| Calories burned | 223 | 255 | 287 | 319 | 351 | 399 | 439 |
The higher your weight is, the more calories are used to support the muscles when walking.
Like diet, exercise should be personalized for it to be effective. Others may love lifting dumbbells in the gym, while you may enjoy the fun and socialization of walking in groups. It’s low-impact and gentle on the knees, plus you’re already an expert at it.
Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection. Start where you are, and adjust as you grow stronger and more confident. Grab a friend and go, start challenging yourself to do the same route faster or simply to go just a bit farther. You’ll reap the rewards!
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All articles are reviewed and edited by Owner and Coach Amanda Brooks.
Beth Rush is the Managing Editor at Body+Mind and a lover of all things health and wellness. She is a well-respected writer in the personal wellness space and shares knowledge on a variety of topics related to nutrition, fitness, holistic health and disease prevention.
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