Does Walking 4 Miles a Day Help With Weight Loss?

Going for walks can be rewarding and refreshing, especially if you don’t get out often. 

One way to increase your fitness level is to walk long distances. Even 2–3 miles is enough time to burn some calories and improve your leg strength. You need to get your body moving if you want to notice a considerable drop in your body fat percentage. 

Find a walking routine that works around your free time. It might help to keep a schedule of your distances and how long you prefer to walk each day. Take small steps, and you should find a comfortable routine. It won’t be easy, but walking is definitely worth it. 

In this article, you’ll learn if walking 4 miles a day aids weight loss.

Combining walks with your diet will certainly accelerate weight loss. A calorie deficit can still give you enough energy to walk 4 miles a day. If you want to burn more calories, you can also do high-intensity interval training (“HIIT”) to lose around 1–2 pounds per week. 

Any form of cardiovascular exercise can encourage your body to burn fat. Walking has many benefits that not only encourage weight loss but decrease the risk of heart problems as well. It may also strengthen your bones and muscles, which is great if you want to walk long distances.

Will Walking 4 Miles Daily Tone My Legs? 

You can tone your legs by walking 4 miles every day.

A walk can target your calves, quads, glutes, and hamstring muscles. This is great for toning your legs and reducing the appearance of thigh fat. To further encourage this toning, you can stretch your leg muscles before and after your long walking session. 

Just remember that you can’t spot reduce when doing cardiovascular workouts. This means it’s impossible to choose where the fat disperses from first. Walking will target every part of fat on your body and could also slim down your waist, face, and arms. While walking with a weighted vest, you can also improve bone density and burn more calories.

Is Walking 4 Miles a Day Good?

Going for long walks daily is great for your physical and mental health.

Not only will you be burning calories, but you’ll be increasing your strength and endurance. Building up your fitness level is important for maintaining a strong heart. You could even ask a friend to join you on your walks. This might boost your motivation to lose weight.

The Walking.Diet plan is a regime that helps people plan their walks. It offers warm-ups and cool-downs for after your walks, training plans, and recipes that only take around 15–20 minutes to prepare. This is a great program for beginners who don’t know much about losing weight.

You can also use this plan to read articles about walking. Learning about what gear to use can help you feel comfortable during long 4-mile walks. These articles also state the benefits of food and nutrition when fueling your body. 

How Long Does It Take to Walk 4 Miles?

The duration of a 4-mile walk can depend on your walking pace.

Everyone walks at a speed that is most comfortable for them. Factors like your age, fitness level, and strength can affect how fast you walk. If you’re new to walking longer than a mile, take it slow to begin with and build up your confidence to reach 5 or 6 miles in the future. 

At a normal pace of 3 to 4 mph, you can expect to walk 4 miles in about an hour. 60 minutes is plenty of time to burn calories for weight loss. Brisk walking should also help you reach 4 miles in one hour, but only if you stick to a consistent speed of 3 mph. 

The more you walk, the more likely you’ll finish long distances quickly. 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise has significant health benefits that encourage weight loss. It could lower your blood pressure and help you maintain your ideal body weight. 

How Many Calories Does a 4-Mile Walk Burn?

Anyone will burn at least 300 calories during the walk.

How many calories exactly may depend on your speed, distance, and energy. A good calorie burn derives from continuous exercise that uses your whole body.  

If you walk at a speed of 4 mph, you should burn between 300–500 calories during the 4-mile walk. This is enough calories to help you lose weight while walking.

Benefits of Walking 4 Miles a Day

Any form of exercise can benefit your physical and mental health. Here are six benefits of walking 4 miles a day: 

#1 Helps to focus better

Going for a brisk walk can give your brain health a boost for the day. 

Exercise increases blood flow around the body and makes you feel more alert. Your brain will receive that extra oxygen and energy to make it perform better. If you want to focus more during work hours, go for a walk in the morning and enjoy the fresh air. 

Physical activity may also reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. Feeling rundown can often clog your mind and make you feel distracted throughout the day. A simple 60-minute walk will lift your mood and encourage you to be more productive in your free time. 

#2 Increased life span

According to the National Library of Medicine, regular physical activity can increase life expectancy by 0.4 to 6.9 years. One hour of brisk walking should be enough to improve your overall health. You could also incorporate jogging in your daily walk to push yourself. 

Exercise, in general, can strengthen your heart and prevent certain diseases from occurring in your organs. You can feel healthier and fitter when going for your long, daily walks. Just remember to take it slow and build up your fitness level over time.

#3 Toned body

Walking can increase the muscle mass in your body and make you feel stronger. You use most of the muscles in your legs and hips when traveling long distances. These muscles are the quadriceps, hamstrings, calf, hip adductors, abdominals, and glutes.

If you want to lose weight, just walk for 60 minutes, and you’ll soon see the physical progress in your body. You might experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) when completing a 4-mile walk for the first time. This is due to your muscles recovering from microscopic tears.

#4 Endurance

Building up your endurance is a great way to stay fit. 

You can walk 4 miles a day to slowly increase your fitness level over the upcoming weeks. It’s important to take it slow during the first week, as this may help improve the pace of your daily walks. In the future, make it a goal to complete the 4-mile walk in less than 50 minutes.

The right exercise program can also show you good techniques for walking. Not everyone shares the same speed, energy, and determination. Therefore, it’s crucial you find a routine that works for your preferences. For example, you might prefer to take frequent 1-minute breaks. 

#5 Healthy for your joints

Walking is probably the best thing for strengthening your joints.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention states that physical activity can benefit those with arthritis. Walking can delay the onset of joint-related conditions that may stop you from performing easy tasks. It’s better to find a walking routine that feels comfortable for your body.

You can go for long walks that help loosen your joints or make you feel relaxed. It might be worth speaking to a doctor about possible walking plans that promote healthy joints. A medical professional can advise you on what distances suit your level of arthritis. 

#6 Weight loss

It’s a given that walking encourages gradual weight loss. 

Doing cardiovascular-based exercise will definitely help you lose weight and burn more calories throughout the day. Walking is one of those activities that burn fat from every part of your body. If you stay consistent with the daily walks, you’ll lose at least half a pound in just one week.

You can also combine a dietary plan with your 4-mile walks. The keto diet is a good program to follow if you want to lose weight. Just fuel your body with good food and get your steps in for the day. A healthy diet will always make you feel healthier when performing physical activity.

Takeaway 

Walking is a great exercise to perform at the beginning of your fitness journey. 

You can throw on your gear and immerse yourself in a walk for 60 minutes. If you continue to walk for the next few weeks, you’ll see visible progress in no time. All it takes is that one little spark of motivation. 

You should set a goal to walk 4 miles every day, which can help you gradually lose weight. The more exercise you get, the more calories your body will burn. Some fresh air can clear your mind and help you feel relaxed throughout the day.