12 Things Walking 4 Miles Every Day Does for You

For people trying to get into shape or improve their form, the common question is, “How much should I walk in a day?” Despite being aware of the fantastic health benefits of walking, we make the mistake of undermining it. It’s not only the high-intensity exercises that can do wonders for your body. But for those who know about the benefits of walking, you may ask, is 4 miles a day good? Let’s find out the 12 things walking 4 miles every day does for You.

1. Weight Loss

To lose weight, you have to put your body through a calorie deficit, which means you have to burn more calories than you consume. Adding a 4-mile walk to your daily routine will make the goal significantly easier. Remember that how many calories you burn through this exercise will depend on your walking speed, body weight, and the inclusion of hand weights.

Most people will burn about 210 to 360 calories per hour if walking at a moderate pace. According to this, you should be able to walk three miles per hour. So, walking 4 miles a day should take up only 80 minutes of your time, and with that, you can expect to burn 280 to 480 calories.

Walking 4 miles every day consistently, seven days a week, you will (ideally) be burning around 1,960 to 3,360 calories each week. A pound of fat consists of 3,500 calories. That means walking 4 miles a day; weight loss is more realizable. It can help you lose about a pound of fat each week, a pretty impressive stat in the long run.

2. Longer Life

Exercise is supposed to prolong our life, but now there is evidence backing up this statement. A study discovered that walking for an hour every day increases the lifespan of people aged 50 to 60 by eight years.

3. Moderate Exercise

Walking is such an underrated form of cardio. Many of us aren’t aware that this is a moderate exercise accessible to almost everyone. You do not require a certain level of coordination, fitness, or a gym membership to walk 4 miles daily.

Growing up, we all heard that it is good practice to walk 10,000 steps each day to enhance overall health. It turns out 10,000 steps come to around 4 miles.

4. Cognitive Advantages

Not only does walking improve our physical health, but it offers a plethora of cognitive benefits. The research concludes that developing a walking habit reduces natural age-associated mental illnesses. Improved concentration and thorough clarity are two other benefits of walking.

5. Increase Bone Mass

With age, our bone mass decreases, which increases the risk of injury. Walking plays a critical role in reversing this natural process. This low-impact, gentle exercise will improve bone density without exerting excessive stress on the knee, hip joints, or ankle.

6. Greater Endurance

Endurance is defined as the ability to keep pushing forward. Walking 4 miles per day improves both cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Therefore, you will see an increase in stamina and willpower to meet daily challenges, be it catching a bus to work or climbing up a hill.

7. Better Sleep

Insomnia is an annoying sleeping condition that can be alleviated with walking. Since it is a moderate, gentle exercise, walking will work on your body without pushing it to the extreme limit. You can even do this at night without fearing exciting your senses and finding it hard to catch a shut eye later.

Try walking 4 miles an hour before dinner to help relax your senses. Your body will be drawn to exhaustion gently and come into the perfect mental and physical state to drift off to sleep when you get into bed peacefully.

8. Better Joint Health

Did we mention how good walking is for your joints? Some people have a misconception that this weakens you in the long run, so they often question, is walking 4 miles a day sound? Regular, soft movements enhance our blood circulation. As a result, it increases the nutrient supply to your joints. Your body joints will be stronger and help you achieve everyday goals without breaking a sweat.  

9. Stronger Muscles

As you are engaging your leg muscles in walking every day, this exercise will help improve strength down there. Your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and glutes will thank you for incorporating 4 miles of walking into your daily exercise routine. 

10. Cardiac Health

We already mentioned how walking is an excellent form of cardio. Continuing it for an extended period works as a gentle workout for the lungs and heart. Thus, your heart gets more robust and can pump more blood. Expect to see your heart rate slow down. Plus, your lungs should be able to consume oxygen more efficiently with each breath. 

So, the stronger your lungs and heart, the lesser the chance of heart disease.

11. Stress Release

Going for a 4-mile walk in the early hours of the evening will calm your mind, soothing it after it’s been going crazy all day. You will catch yourself being able to make sense of everything going around and slow down to refocus. Try walking outdoors for the added benefit of breathing in the fresh air. 

12. Low Impact Exercise

Walking is amongst the lowest impact types of exercise. Unlike exercises that “wake” your body up, like skipping, treadmill or weightlifting, walking works on your body with a mild touch. Anyone can do it – young or mature.

Conclusion

Walking four miles daily is a very effective form of moderate-intensity exercise. It will help you lose weight while boosting your cardio fitness, improving your energy levels, strengthening your muscles and bones, and reducing your risk of several age-related conditions.

I recommend adding a walking route to your day. Doing so in the early evening will have the added benefit of helping you to unwind as it sets you up for a good night’s sleep.

You can also read: Stamina vs. Endurance – Understanding Both and How to Boost Them