How Far a Healthy Person Can Walk With No Training Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Walking Beginners How Far a Healthy Person Can Walk With No Training By Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 01, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Michele Stanten Reviewed by Michele Stanten Michele Stanten is a walking coach, certified group fitness instructor, and running coach. She is the author of Walk Off Weight and The Walking Solution. Learn about our Review Board Print Lisa Sterling/Photodisc/Getty Images You may look at an upcoming 10K, half marathon, or marathon and wonder if you could just jump in and complete it without any training. Perhaps a friend or family member is urging you to join them even though you don't regularly walk for fitness. Just how far can a healthy person walk with no training? Reasonable Walking Distances Walking clubs host 10K (6.2-mile) volkssport walking events. During these events, countless untrained walkers participate. Often, they are friends and family members of walkers who participate regularly. They usually manage with no ill effects, except for some who develop blisters and some who may be sore for the next day or two. Data gathered at walking events suggests that you can probably walk 5 to 7 miles (9 to 11 kilometers) if you are a healthy person without diabetes, heart disease, or orthopedic problems. That is about two hours of walking at a steady pace. How Far Is Too Far Most people whose feet are not prepared by being toughened up on previous walks will have blisters by 10 or 12 miles. If you are going to walk more than 6 miles, you should prepare by steadily increasing mileage by 1 mile per week or 2 miles every two weeks. The general rule for exercise is to increase your total weekly distance or exertion by 10% per week. That will lessen your risk of getting an injury. An untrained person should not enter a half-marathon or marathon unless they begin to train seriously three months in advance for a half-marathon and nine months ahead for a marathon. Special Health Considerations People with a medical condition should discuss their plans with their healthcare provider before participating in a walking event or starting a training plan. Those with diabetes need to use extra caution. Discuss management of blood sugar levels and concerns regarding foot care with your provider. If you have diabetes, it's important to avoid blisters through the use of lubricants, pads, and sweat-wicking socks. But walking is recommended exercise for people with diabetes and is part of healthy living with the condition. Training for Fitness Walking Walking for six miles in two hours is farther than recommended for beginner walkers who are starting to walk for exercise. It is better to start with a shorter walk and build up your time gradually. Beginner' s Walking Schedule Start with a 15-minute to 30-minute walk each day and build up from there. Add five to 10 minutes to each walking session per week. If you have no strain at all when you walk for 30 minutes, try increasing your longest walk of the week to 45 minutes and then an hour. From there, you can continue to build up your walking time by adding 15 to 30 minutes more to the longest walking session each week. How Beginners Can Kick Off Their Walking Schedules Fitness Walking Events If you plan to participate in a charity walk or another type of fitness walking event, follow one of these walking training plans: Training Schedule for a 5K Walk: This is a popular distance for charity walks and it takes only about an hour (or less) to walk 5K (3.1 miles). By training, you can ensure you have enough stamina to you enjoy the walk. Training Schedule for a 10K Walk: This is a popular fun-run distance and the standard volkssport walk distance. After a few weeks of training, you can enjoy this distance at a good pace. Marathon and Half Marathon Walks Training for a marathon or half-marathon includes first developing a fitness base by regularly walking and exercising. Then, add a long-distance workout once per week and increase that distance by 1 mile per week or 2 miles every two weeks. You will need to learn how to hydrate and refuel with snacks during long workouts. How to Prepare to Walk a Marathon A Word From Verywell Humans were built for walking, and if you are healthy and moderately active, you don't have to be afraid of walking for an hour or two once in a while. But if you're invited to join in an event, it's a good idea to know how far you're being asked to walk and how long it's likely to take at your usual pace. Then you can prepare and do some training beforehand. Walking or Running Pace Calculator 1 Source 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. Neporent L. Fitness Walking For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons; 2011. By Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles How Far Can a Healthy Person Walk in a Day? Walking Time for Mile, 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon, Marathon, and More Go From the Couch to a 5K Walk With This Plan How to Prepare for Walking a Half Marathon How Long Does It Take to Walk a Mile, 5 Miles, or More? 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