Walking 10 miles without stopping requires a solid fitness level and well-developed muscular endurance. There’s nothing easy about walking 10 miles a day, and athletes who do so need to take care of their bodies to stay healthy and strong to keep up this habit.
Whether you’re aiming to boost cardiovascular health, shed excess weight, or simply embrace a more active lifestyle, walking offers a host of benefits.
It can take several months to build up to walking 10 miles a day, but if you’re consistent with walking several days a week and you gradually increase the distance of your walks, it’s not unreasonable to set a goal of walking 10 miles a day.
Whether you’re a seasoned walker looking to push your limits or a novice seeking to embrace a healthier lifestyle, join us as we explore the key components of preparing for success on your path to walking 10 miles a day.
How Long Does It Take to Walk 10 Miles a Day?
For those more familiar with kilometers, 10 miles is approximately 16.1 kilometers.
If you decide to walk 10 miles on a standard 400-meter running track, you will need to walk just over 40 full laps.
Walking 10 miles a day takes a long time. There’s no way around it. Even if you walk at a very brisk 4.0 miles per hour pace (15 minutes per mile), it will take two and a half hours to walk 10 miles.
Moreover, walking 10 miles a day at a more leisurely pace of 3.0 miles per hour (20 minutes per mile) will require 3 hours and 20 minutes to cover the distance.
These are reasonable approximations for most walkers because the average walking speed for adults is between 2.5-4 miles per hour, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
The table below shows approximately how long it takes to walk 10 miles at different walking paces:
| Walking Speed (mph) | Walking Pace (min/mile) | How Long Does It Take to Walk 10 Miles? (min) |
| 2.8 | 21:26 | 213.5 |
| 3 | 20:00 | 200 |
| 3.1 | 19:21 | 193.4 |
| 3.2 | 18:45 | 187.5 |
| 3.3 | 18:10 | 181.7 |
| 3.4 | 17:38 | 176.5 |
| 3.5 | 17:08 | 171.4 |
| 3.6 | 16:40 | 166.7 |
| 3.7 | 16:12 | 162.2 |
| 3.8 | 15:47 | 157.8 |
| 3.9 | 15:23 | 153.5 |
| 4 | 15:00 | 150 |
| 4.1 | 14:38 | 146.4 |
| 4.2 | 14:17 | 142.8 |
| 4.3 | 13:57 | 139.5 |
| 4.4 | 13:38 | 136.4 |
| 4.5 | 13:20 | 133.3 |
| 4.6 | 13:02 | 130.5 |
| 4.7 | 12:45 | 127.5 |
| 4.8 | 12:30 | 125 |
| 4.9 | 12:14 | 122.3 |
| 5 | 12:00 | 120 |
Important Considerations When Walking 10 Miles a Day
If you are habitually walking 10 miles a day, you need to think of yourself as a competitive athlete.
What this means is that you need to treat your body in a way that ensures you are able to recover well from your workouts without progressively becoming overtrained, injured, or worn down.
Even if you are only walking 10 miles a day one or two days a week and doing shorter workouts on the other days, it’s still really important to do all of the little things that support your overall health and recovery.
How To Avoid Overdoing it:
- Getting enough sleep every night
- Eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet
- Stretching and foam rolling after your long walks
- Drinking enough water
- Reducing stress
- Listening to your body if you have aches or pains
Remember, walking 10 miles a day requires a tremendous output of energy.
Therefore, it’s vital that you not only fuel your body well before, during, and right after your walk but also that you are consuming a balanced, nutrient-dense, well-rounded diet that provides an adequate number of calories and nutrients to support your exercise.
Walking 10 miles a day can take a lot of mental and physical stamina, though it’s totally worth the benefits!
What you see and experience on such a long walk can stick with you forever.
How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking 10 Miles a Day?
Can I lose weight walking 10 miles a day? Walking 10 miles a day burns a lot of calories and, as such, is great for weight loss.2Creasy, S. A., Lang, W., Tate, D. F., Davis, K. K., & Jakicic, J. M. (2018). Pattern of Daily Steps is Associated with Weight Loss: Secondary Analysis from the Step-Up Randomized Trial. Obesity, 26(6), 977–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22171
The more you weigh, the faster you walk, and the steeper the incline (if any) you ascend, the more calories you burn walking.
If you wear a heart rate monitor with GPS so that you can measure your walking speed and heart rate, you can get a more precise estimation of your energy expenditure.
The good news is that even if you don’t have a way to capture this data, you can estimate the calories you burned walking 10 miles a day using the metabolic equivalents (METs) for walking at different speeds.
The Compendium of Physical Activities32011 Compendium of Physical Activities. (n.d.). https://download.lww.com/wolterskluwer_vitalstream_com/PermaLink/MSS/A/MSS_43_8_2011_06_13_AINSWORTH_202093_SDC1.pdfreports different METs for various walking speeds and incline grades.
Using these METs values, you can calculate the number of calories burned walking 10 miles at various speeds and weights using the following equation to determine energy expenditure:
Calories Burned Per Minute = METs x 3.5 x (your body weight in kilograms) / 200
Then, multiply this calculated value by the number of minutes it takes you to walk those 10 miles.
Below, we’ve created a chart that uses these METs values for common walking speeds and conditions to calculate the approximate number of calories burned walking 10 miles a day for different body weights.
| Weight (lbs) | Weight (kg) | Calories Burned Walking 10 Miles a Day at 2.8-3.2 mph | Calories Burned Walking 10 Miles a Day at 3.5 mph | Calories Burned Walking 10 Miles a Day at 4.0 mph | Calories Burned Walking 10 Miles a Day at 4.5 mph | Calories Burned Walking 10 Miles a Day at 2.9–3.5 mph at 1-5% Grade | Calories Burned Walking 10 Miles a Day at 2.9–3.5 mph at 6-15% Grade |
| 90 | 40.9 | 501.0 | 527.5 | 536.8 | 667.9 | 720.8 | 1087.9 |
| 100 | 45.5 | 557.4 | 586.9 | 597.2 | 743.0 | 801.8 | 1210.3 |
| 110 | 50.0 | 612.5 | 644.9 | 656.3 | 816.5 | 881.1 | 1330.0 |
| 120 | 54.5 | 667.6 | 702.9 | 715.3 | 889.9 | 960.4 | 1449.7 |
| 130 | 59.1 | 724.0 | 762.3 | 775.7 | 965.1 | 1041.5 | 1572.1 |
| 140 | 63.6 | 779.1 | 820.3 | 834.8 | 1038.5 | 1120.8 | 1691.8 |
| 150 | 68.2 | 835.5 | 879.6 | 895.1 | 1113.7 | 1201.9 | 1814.1 |
| 160 | 72.7 | 890.6 | 937.7 | 954.2 | 1187.1 | 1281.2 | 1933.8 |
| 170 | 77.3 | 946.9 | 997.0 | 1014.6 | 1262.3 | 1362.2 | 2056.2 |
| 180 | 81.8 | 1002.1 | 1055.0 | 1073.6 | 1335.7 | 1441.5 | 2175.9 |
| 190 | 86.4 | 1058.4 | 1114.4 | 1134.0 | 1410.8 | 1522.6 | 2298.2 |
| 200 | 90.9 | 1113.5 | 1172.4 | 1193.1 | 1484.3 | 1601.9 | 2417.9 |
| 210 | 95.5 | 1169.9 | 1231.7 | 1253.4 | 1559.4 | 1682.9 | 2540.3 |
| 220 | 100.0 | 1225.0 | 1289.8 | 1312.5 | 1632.9 | 1762.3 | 2660.0 |
| 230 | 104.5 | 1280.1 | 1347.8 | 1371.6 | 1706.4 | 1841.6 | 2779.7 |
| 240 | 109.1 | 1336.5 | 1407.2 | 1431.9 | 1781.5 | 1922.6 | 2902.1 |
| 250 | 113.6 | 1391.6 | 1465.2 | 1491.0 | 1855.0 | 2001.9 | 3021.8 |
| 260 | 118.2 | 1448.0 | 1524.5 | 1551.4 | 1930.1 | 2083.0 | 3144.1 |
| 270 | 122.7 | 1503.1 | 1582.6 | 1610.4 | 2003.6 | 2162.3 | 3263.8 |
| 280 | 127.3 | 1559.4 | 1641.9 | 1670.8 | 2078.7 | 2243.3 | 3386.2 |
| 290 | 131.8 | 1614.6 | 1699.9 | 1729.9 | 2152.2 | 2322.6 | 3505.9 |
| 300 | 136.4 | 1670.9 | 1759.3 | 1790.3 | 2227.3 | 2403.7 | 3628.2 |
| 310 | 140.9 | 1726.0 | 1817.3 | 1849.3 | 2300.8 | 2483.0 | 3747.9 |
| 320 | 145.5 | 1782.4 | 1876.6 | 1909.7 | 2375.9 | 2564.1 | 3870.3 |
| 330 | 150.0 | 1837.5 | 1934.7 | 1968.8 | 2449.4 | 2643.4 | 3990.0 |
| 340 | 159.1 | 1893.2 | 1993.3 | 2028.4 | 2523.6 | 2723.5 | 4110.9 |
| 350 | 159.1 | 1948.9 | 2051.9 | 2088.1 | 2597.8 | 2803.6 | 4231.8 |
Benefits Of Walking 10 Miles A Day
Walking 10 miles a day is an impressive physical feat that demonstrates you’re in great physical shape and have excellent cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
Walking consistently on a regular basis is fantastic for your health, so even if you’re usually doing shorter walks, you’ll reap many benefits.
Some of the top health benefits of walking 10 miles a day include:
- Improves cardiovascular health by reducing risk of heart disease, certain cancers4Garcia, L., Pearce, M., Abbas, A., Mok, A., Strain, T., Ali, S., Crippa, A., Dempsey, P. C., Golubic, R., Kelly, P., Laird, Y., McNamara, E., Moore, S., Sa, T. H. de, Smith, A. D., Wijndaele, K., Woodcock, J., & Brage, S. (2023). Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality outcomes: a dose–response meta-analysis of large prospective studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105669and the risk of premature all-cause mortality.5Hall, K. S., Hyde, E. T., Bassett, D. R., Carlson, S. A., Carnethon, M. R., Ekelund, U., Evenson, K. R., Galuska, D. A., Kraus, W. E., Lee, I-Min., Matthews, C. E., Omura, J. D., Paluch, A. E., Thomas, W. I., & Fulton, J. E. (2020). Systematic review of the prospective association of daily step counts with risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and dysglycemia. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00978-9
- Lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure, improves your well-being.6Object, object. (n.d.). The effect of walking on risk factors for cardiovascular disease: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised control trials. Core.ac.uk. https://core.ac.uk/reader/185482381?utm_source=linkout
- Improving the health of your heart and lungs.
- Weight management by decreasing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
- Building your endurance, each step counts, whether it is a mile walk or 10 miles!
- Strengthening your legs and core.
- Increasing your aerobic capacity.
- Reducing stress and anxiety.
- Maintain healthy bone density, promoting stronger bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
- Improving blood sugar regulation.7Lao, X. Q., Deng, H.-B., Liu, X., Chan, T.-C., Zhang, Z., Chang, L., Yeoh, E.-K., Tam, T., Wong, M. C. S., & Thomas, G. N. (2019). Increased leisure-time physical activity associated with lower onset of diabetes in 44 828 adults with impaired fasting glucose: a population-based prospective cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(14), 895–900. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098199
- Improves sleep quality.8Banno, M., Harada, Y., Taniguchi, M., Tobita, R., Tsujimoto, H., Tsujimoto, Y., Kataoka, Y., & Noda, A. (2018). Exercise can improve sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ, 6, e5172. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5172
- Improving your mental health, confidence, and self-esteem. 9Zhu, Z., Chen, H., Ma, J., He, Y., Chen, J., & Sun, J. (2020). Exploring the Relationship between Walking and Emotional Health in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(23), 8804. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238804One of the most remarkable benefits of walking is its ability to uplift your mood and reduce stress levels. Walking triggers the release of endorphins, often referred to as “feel-good” hormones, which can enhance your mood and alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Decreasing musculoskeletal pain.10O’Connor, S. R., Tully, M. A., Ryan, B., Bleakley, C. M., Baxter, G. D., Bradley, J. M., & McDonough, S. M. (2015). Walking Exercise for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96(4), 724-734.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.12.003
- Improving cognitive function and working memory.
Should I Walk 10 Miles A Day?
Daily walking can significantly enhance your life in numerous ways. Whether you’re strolling through the park, walking to work, or exploring new trails, every step you take contributes to your overall well-being.
As we discussed, walking is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of developing conditions like cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol levels.
By engaging in regular walking, you lower your risk of obesity, improve circulation, and boost your heart health, leading to a longer, healthier life.
Unlike other forms of exercise, which can take a significant toll on the body, regular walking, whether brisk walking or slow walking, is a great way to include a low-impact form of exercise into your daily routine.
Moreover, walking is a fantastic way to increase your daily steps and get closer to achieving your fitness goals. Even a brisk pace for just 30 minutes a day can help you burn calories, improve your energy levels, and tone your lower body muscles, including your glutes and legs.
Additionally, spending time outdoors while walking allows you to connect with nature, providing a sense of tranquility and peace.
While walking 10 miles a day may seem like a daunting task, it’s a goal that’s entirely achievable with dedication and proper preparation.
Some may prefer to start with shorter distances and gradually increase their mileage over time, allowing their bodies to adapt and build endurance gradually.
Consulting with a certified personal trainer or healthcare professional can provide guidance on creating a safe and effective walking routine tailored to individual needs and health conditions.
If you have been walking for a while but are interested in starting to run, check out our beginner training plans here!
