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Learn more. by Nicholas Blackmer Fact checked by Nicholas Blackmer Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 01, 2022 Walking is a form of cardio or aerobic exercise. It’s an effective and low-impact exercise for overall health and weight management. The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, and walking satisfies that recommendation. Walking is a convenient form of exercise because it can be done almost anywhere and nearly everyone can do it. All you need to get started is a good pair of shoes. Get tips on shoes, apps, and more to hit your stride on the trail or treadmill. Frequently Asked Questions How long does it take to walk a mile? The time it takes to walk a mile depends on your pace. For most people, you can expect to walk a mile in about 15 to 20 minutes. With practice, you can improve your speed when walking a mile. Learn More: How to Know How Fast You Are Walking How many calories do you burn walking a mile? The amount of calories you burn doing any physical activity depends on several factors, such as age, sex, weight, and distance. For example, someone who weighs 165 pounds can burn about 85 calories from walking one mile at a 3 to 4 mile per hour pace. A 120-pound person burns approximately 64 calories walking the same distance at the same pace. Learn More: How to Calculate the Calories You Burn During Exercise Is walking good for weight management? Aerobic exercise like walking is good for weight loss and weight management because it burns calories and can help reduce body fat. No matter what type of exercise you're doing, combining it with a nutritious, balanced diet will provide the best results for weight management. Learn More: Walking Workout Schedule for Weight Loss How many miles or steps should you walk per day? If you’re going to start incorporating regular walks into your weekly routine, try to meet the recommended 150 minutes per week. This is about 30 minutes of walking per day. However, you’re likely to get more steps by also being active throughout the day. A higher step count is associated with lower mortality, so aim for 8,000 to 12,000 steps per day. Learn More: The Average Number of Steps Per Day Key Terms Brisk Walking Treadmill Walking Stride Gait Heart Rate Steps Brisk Walking A relaxed, slower pace that you normally walk at throughout the day is called a stroll. When you’re walking briskly, you’re walking at a faster pace of around 3.5 to 4 miles per hour. Even though you're not running, you may feel your breathing and heart rate increase as it’s more challenging than regular walking or strolling. How Fast Is a Brisk Walking Pace Treadmill Walking If you can’t walk outside due to the weather (or other circumstances), you can use a treadmill to get in your daily steps. This also reduces your sun exposure. Treadmills can be a convenient way to track your speed, distance, heart rate, and time spent walking. All About Treadmill Walking Stride Your stride is the distance taken in one step. If you have long legs, you may have a long stride. This means it takes you fewer steps to walk the same distance as someone with shorter legs. The Best Technique for a Powerful Walking Stride Gait Your walking pattern is called your gait. It involves balance and coordination. Some people may have an abnormal gait due to neurologic, muscular, or skeletal problems. What Wear Patterns Mean for Walking Shoes Heart Rate Your heart is always beating and the number of beats per minute is your heart rate. At rest, your heart doesn’t beat as fast. It beats much faster during exercise than at rest. Wearing a heart rate monitor during exercise can help you monitor your heart rate. How to Use a Heart Rate Monitor Steps You can track your walking in terms of minutes, miles, or steps. Since people have different strides and therefore take a different number of steps to walk the same distance, tracking your steps can be helpful. Some people aim for 10,000 steps per day. You can track your steps with a pedometer, smartphone, or activity tracker. What Are the Average Steps Per Minute for Different Exercises? How to Choose Shoes for Your Needs as You Age Walking Shoe Types and Buying Tips Add Confidence and Stability on the Trails With Trekking Poles What Do Wear Patterns Mean for Your Walking Shoes? Explore Walking All Shoes, Apparel, and Gear Long Distance Walking Beginners Walking for Weight Loss More Treadmill Walking Walking Fast Injuries and Prevention Shoes and Insoles to Help High Arches Do You Need Wide Socks, Too? Finding Waterproof Pedometers to Measure Your Swim Workouts How to Fix Your Fitbit Wristband Clasp Problems Gain Some Winter Traction With These Shoe Cleats Options for Lighting the Way During Your Walks at Night 5 Solutions for Men Who Need Chest Support and Compression Wick Away Moisture and Help Prevent Blisters by Wearing the Right Socks The Important Parts of Walking and Running Shoes How to Lace Your Shoes for the Best Fit How Shoe Lasts Work for Athletic Shoe Construction The Differences Between Running and Walking Shoes Are Running Shoes Good for Fitness Walking? Do You Really Need Bigger Walking Shoes? When Should You Replace Your Walking Shoes? How to Pick the Right New Balance Shoes Your Walks How to Find Sandals for Trail and Fitness Walking The Truth About Walking Shoes When Should You Return Your New Athletic Shoes? How to Stop Your Shoes From Getting Smelly Should You Pack Convertible Pants for Walking? What Happened to Skechers Shape-Ups? 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Enjoy the Outdoors by Making Your Own Walking Stick for Trails There Are Different Hat Options Available for Walking Activate Your Sitting Muscles by Using a Wobble Stool While Working 15 Things You Need for Walking Bringing the Right Essentials With You for a Comfortable Walk How to Burn More Calories Walking Without Weights Is It Safe to Reuse My Bottled Water Bottle? Why Would You Wear Weight Vest for a Walking Workout? Nordic Walking and Exerstriding Fitness Pole Walking Methods How You Can Use Dog Walking for a Great Exercise Get Better Flip Flops for Happier Feet How to Keep Your Feet Warm and Prevent Frostbite on a Cold Walk How You Should Properly Dress to Walk in Cold Weather Ways to Reuse or Recycle T-shirts and Preserve Your Race Memories Why You Need Different Walking Shoes for Sidewalks vs. Asphalt Right and Wrong Ways to Wear a Backpack for Preventing Pain How to Get Paid to Walk Using Apps Should You Just Use an App Instead of Buying a Wearable Fitness Band? How to Use the Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker Explore Walking Shoes, Apparel, and Gear Long Distance Walking Beginners Walking for Weight Loss Treadmill Walking Walking Fast Injuries and Prevention More In Fitness Cross-Training Ab Workouts Beginners Motivation Running Strength Health and Safety Cardio Full Body Workouts Programs for Sports Flexibility Yoga Outdoor Fitness Pilates Cycling Upper Body Workouts Workout Recovery Lower Body Workouts Home Workouts Page Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al. The physical activity guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854 Kleist B, Wahrburg U, Stehle P, et al. Moderate walking enhances the effects of an energy-restricted diet on fat mass loss and serum insulin in overweight and obese adults in a 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 2017;147(10):1875-1884. doi:10.3945/jn.117.251744 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Higher daily step count linked with lower all-cause mortality. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All