Finding the perfect amount of minutes to exercise each day is essential to improve fitness levels, reduce body fat and maintain a healthy wellbeing. But is a 30 minute walk a day enough to receive those benefits?
Walking for 30 minutes each day is consider an aerobic exercise and will help you improve fitness levels, lose weight, reduce the risk of chronic disease and boost your mental well-being. A moderate or brisk walk for 30 minutes outdoors or on a treadmill will increase your heart rate and deliver many health benefits.
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What Do The Studies Say About 30 Minutes of Walking?
According to a study published in 2009 by the National Library of Medicine, walking for 30 minutes each day for at least five days out of the week could lower the risk of coronary heart disease by 19 percent. Additionally, up to 1000 calories can be burned a week by walking for thirty minutes every five days.
U.S. department of health and human services states that “adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week (i.e., brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity a week (i.e., jogging, running)” to stay healthy. This could be broken up into 30 minutes of waling five times a week.
In this article, we’ll cover how many calories you can burn by walking for 30 minutes each day, as well as the weight you can lose and whether or not walking for 30 minutes counts as sufficient exercise for the human body.
How Many Calories Can You Burn Walking 30 Minutes Each Day?
On average a 30-minute walk at a moderate pace of 3mph (4.8kph) at a body weight of between 180lbs-200lbs will burn around 150 calories. Increase your pace to a brisk walk 4mph (6.4kph) and you can expect to burn 230 calories.
The amount of calories you can burn by walking for thirty minutes out of every day actually differs depending on your weight. Check out the table below to see how many calories can be burnt by walking at average speeds for thirty minutes according to different weights:
| Body Weight | 3 mph Moderate Speed | 4 mph Brisk Speed | 5 mph Fast Speed |
| 160 lbs | 120 calories | 182 calories | 292 calories |
| 170 lbs | 127 calories | 192 calories | 308 calories |
| 180 lbs | 135 calories | 205 calories | 328 calories |
| 190 lbs | 142 calories | 215 calories | 344 calories |
| 200 lbs | 150 calories | 227 calories | 364 calories |
| 210 lbs | 157 calories | 237 calories | 380 calories |
| 220 lbs | 165 calories | 250 calories | 400 calories |
| 230 lbs | 173 calories | 262 calories | 420 calories |
| 240 lbs | 180 calories | 272 calories | 436 calories |
| 250 lbs | 188 calories | 285 calories | 456 calories |
Its easier to hold a walking speed on a treadmill than outdoors because you can set the speed and walk. But when your outdoors you have to constantly change your speed because of hills, other people, the terrain and other factors. Is walking on a treadmill better?
Make Walking a Daily Routine
Walking for 30 minutes each day is a great way to improve overall fitness levels, lose weight and reduce the risk of chronic disease. However, in order to make it part of your daily routine, consider these tips:
1. Find a walking partner: A friend, family member or even a dog can be a great walking companion. Having someone to chat with will make the time fly by and you’ll be more likely to stick to your routine.
2. Invest in some good walking shoes: Good shoes will not only make walking more comfortable, but can also prevent injuries. Here’s a link to the shoe I like to wear for walking and general exercise (Amazon link)
3. Create a walking schedule: Setting aside time each day for a walk will help you make it a priority. Add it to your calendar or set an alarm on your phone to remind you.
4. Start slow and gradually increase your pace and distance: If you’re new to walking, start with shorter distances and slower speeds. You can gradually increase the intensity of your walks as you get stronger and more comfortable.
5. Find a route that you enjoy: If you’re bored with your walking route, you’re less likely to stick to it. Find a scenic route or walk in a park to keep things interesting.
6. Listen to music or audio books: Listening to music or audio books can make walking more enjoyable and help the time pass by more quickly. If you don’t have an Audible account I highly recommend it, Here’s a link to download any free audiobook.
Can You Lose Weight Walking 30 Minutes Each Day?
To lose 1 pound of body fat you need to burn 3500 calories. Therefore, walking every day will burn approximately 1000 calories each week resulting in 0.3 pounds of body fat being lost each week. Implying walking every day for 30 minutes can help you lose weight.
According to MedicineNet.com, you can burn off as many as 1000 calories, which causes weight loss, by walking for thirty minutes every day for five days. Walking is considered a moderate-intensity exercise. After walking for thirty minutes, it is typical to have covered a little over one mile of distance.
When your body engages in any physical activity, including walking, it requires fuel. It gets this source of energy from the glucose or sugar that your body naturally stores. It actually takes about thirty minutes for your body to run out of that sugar and begin burning fat cells.
One way to lose even more weight while walking for thirty minutes is to add a few elements to the walk. For example:
- Walk uphill – This will cause the intensity and strain on your muscles to be that much greater, meaning your body will deplete it’s resource of glucose and start burning fat more quickly during your thirty-minute walk!
- Add running – Even a short jog, such as one that lasts just 10 seconds or as short as a minute, can burn twice as many calories as walking the same amount of time would.
- Walk faster – If you’re unable to jog or run, try taking faster steps. Walking more quickly for one minute, then slowing down for half a minute, and then picking up the pace yet again can burn through calories more quickly!
- Add short walks – try to break up your 30 minute walk into two 15 minute walks. Taking more frequent, shorter walks can actually help you burn more calories overall!As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make sure that you’re burning as many calories as possible during your thirty-minute walk.
What about incline? Do you burn more calories walking on an incline compared to a flat and what percentage of incline is best? Read this to find out.
Add Strength Training
To further increase the amount of weight you lose, or to tone your body, consider adding strength training to your walking routine. Regular strength training can help build muscle, which in turn helps burn more calories – even when you’re at rest!
One study found that combining walking with strength-training moves such as lunges, squats, and push-ups helped people lose more weight and fat than those who just did cardio exercises.
So, if you’re looking to tone your body or lose weight, consider adding some strength-training moves to your walking routine. Just be sure to focus on form over speed or quantity to avoid injury.
How Many Days of the Week Should You Walk?
How often you walk is just as important as how long and how fast you walk. To see significant health benefits, aim for at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity – such as walking every week. The minimum amount of walking you should do it 20-minutes 5 times a week. Or around 5,000 steps daily.
If you can’t commit to walking that often, even small amounts of physical activity can provide some health benefits. For example, walking for just 10 minutes a day can increase your lifespan by up to two years!
So, if you’re looking to improve your health, aim to walk at least 30 minutes each day – or 150 minutes each week. And if you can’t commit to that much walking, know that even small amounts of physical activity can provide some health benefits.
What about 45 minutes of walking is that considered enough walking for weight loss and improved fitness levels?
Does 30 Minutes Of Walking Count As Enough Exercise?
30 minutes of walking counts as exercise because walking is considered an aerobic exercise and is a weight-bearing exercise causing our muscles to undergo healthy, physical exertion. Our heart rates are elevated above 40% of resting state and our metabolism is increased.
The distance you cover can make your 30 minute walk count as exercise because your more likely to increase your pace from a moderate intensity to a brisk walk which will raise your blood pressure and improve blood flow. 3km walk is around 30 minutes but to find out the avarege time it takes for someone to walk 3km, read this post.
Benefits of Walking for 30-Minutes
1. Increased cardiovascular fitness
According to Heart Foundation Walking, walking for an average of 30 minutes or more each day actually drops the risk of heart disease. It also lowers the chances of having a stroke by 35%, and the risk of gaining Type 2 diabetes by about 40%.
Walking naturally increases the heart rate. A heart which beats faster actually trains the muscle to move the oxygen and blood inside to the muscular system more efficiently and with greater strength.
2. Strengthened bones and better balance
Walking actually puts your bones through a type of training, similar to the way the heart responds to increased action, too. Because your bones are put under a little more stress as they carry your weight and the impact of your body on the ground, they develop more strength.
Additionally, walking can improve your balance because your body naturally shifts your center of gravity every time you take a step. This puts your lower body muscles, like your abdomen, through a subtle workout, making them better equipped to balance you!
3. Boosts Mental Health
Not only does walking improve your physical health, but it can also benefit your mental health. Research has shown that walking can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve mood, and reduce stress.
So, if you’re looking for a way to boost your mental health, consider adding a daily walk to your routine. Just be sure to walk in a safe, well-lit area, and to bring a friend or family member along for added support.
4. Lowers High Blood Pressure
Walking has been shown to lower high blood pressure and help keep it under control. This is likely due to the fact that walking is a low-impact form of exercise, so it doesn’t put too much strain on your heart.
If you have high blood pressure, be sure to check with your doctor before starting a walking routine. And, if you experience any chest pain or shortness of breath while walking, stop immediately and seek medical attention.
5. Improves Digestion
Walking can also help improve digestion by stimulating the movement of food through your digestive system. This is due to the fact that walking helps to massage the internal organs, which can help to break down food and move it along the digestive tract.
If you’re experiencing constipation, walking may be a helpful remedy. Just be sure to drink plenty of water and listen to your body – if walking is making your symptoms worse, stop and consult with a doctor.
6. Disease Control and Prevention
In addition to the above benefits, walking can also help to reduce your risk of developing certain diseases, such as cancer. One study found that women who walked for at least 30 minutes each day had a lower risk of breast cancer than those who didn’t walk.
Another study found that men who walked just 20 minutes each day had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. And, yet another study found that walking was associated with a lower risk of colon cancer.
So, if you’re looking for a way to reduce your disease risk, consider adding a daily walk to your routine. Just be sure to check with your doctor first, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
7. Improved lung fitness
In addition to walking’s strengthening the heart and bones through practice, walking can also strengthen the fitness of the lungs! When engaging in the walking exercise, your lungs are put to just as much work as your heart, pulling oxygen in and pushing it out at a rate above normal.
This harder work causes the tissue around your lungs to become stronger and more durable, becoming more capable of functioning in the future!
8. Built-up muscles
Walking engages the muscles of the lower body, including the hamstrings, glutes, calves, quadriceps, and hip muscles! More specifically, the activity of walking consistently throughout the wear builds up components known as “slow-twitch” muscle fibers.
Slow twitch muscle fibers are typically used for activities that need to be sustained for a long time, like walking. They are popular among bodybuilders because they hold on to more myoglobin, which carries blood and helps the slow-twitch muscle fibers to provide their own source of energy when sustaining force for long amounts of time.
Altogether, walking regularly can cause muscles to expand and become more used to movement, improving circulation and lessening the chances of sprains or tears.
Is 30 Minutes Of Walking a Day Enough Summary
Walking for 30-minutes is not only a practice that can aid in burning calories, but it can be enough exercise to result in health benefits! These health benefits include better circulation and the overall training of the body’s parts, like the lungs and heart, to perform better over longer periods of time.
All in all, walking for 30 minutes in a day is a great source of exercise and helps you lose weight if you walk constantly over a number of days. Remember to stay hydrated, wear supportive shoes, and walk in an area that is comfortable for you. 30 minutes of walking each day can lead to a healthier lifestyle!
If you’re looking for other ways to improve your health, consider adding some strength-training exercises to your routine. Strength-training not only helps to build muscle, but it can also help to reduce your risk of injuries in the future.
