Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You Walk a Mile Every Day

Most people don’t realize walking is considered a weight-bearing exercise, according to Steve Stonehouse, running and walking coach and vice president of programming and education for STRIDE. Given that walking is usually grouped in the cardio category, this adds to the ever-growing list of serious benefits you get from it — yes, even from just walking a mile a day.

“Walking is a weight-bearing exercise. Even if you’re not holding weights or you’ve got ankle weights on, it’s a weight-bearing exercise,” Stonehouse says. “You’re getting all of the cardio and respiratory benefits, but your muscles are getting benefits, too, because they’re having to carry your weight around.”

Below, Stonehouse and certified personal trainer Amy Schemper, CPT, share the health benefits of walking and give tips for how to up the challenge when you’re ready.

Strengthens Muscles

While walking isn’t the same as strength training, you still get some strength-building benefits from engaging muscles throughout your body as you walk. What muscles does walking work?

“We think of walking as primarily cardiovascular training — which it is. But walking also works our entire lower body, including legs, calves, and hips,” Schemper says.

And, depending on the terrain you’re walking on, you can tap into specific muscle zones.

“Walking up hills or on an incline really targets our glutes and hamstrings,” she adds. “And walking [in general] requires significant core stabilization, so your abdominal muscles are also engaging with every step.” Best of all, because walking keeps the core engaged, the mile-a-day benefits might include improved posture, too.

Walking a mile a day will engage all of your lower-body muscles as well as your core and arms if your form is on point.

Boosts Bone Health

Your bones respond to the your movement, especially if that movement is weight-bearing — like walking a mile a day.

Sets a Healthy Routine

Walking can be a great way to get some fresh air and time for yourself. Aside from the physical effects of daily walks, this habit gives you time to think, listen to music or a podcast, or catch up with a friend. There’s also something to be said about setting a goal and sticking to walking a mile a day because it builds consistency and routine.

“I think there’s value in routines and the discipline that requires, even aside from the physical benefits,” Stonehouse says.

Improves Cardiorespiratory Health

Any time you move, your body has to “push blood and fluids and everything through your system, more than it would if you weren’t walking,” notes Stonehouse. That push gives your heart a workout and your body a boost.

What if you want to up the ante and log some extra miles on your walks? Good idea! A three-mile walk is an ideal workout because it gives you just enough time to throw in some variety (such as by doing intervals) while still keeping your workout attainable and doable, according to Stonehouse.

You can make your workout simple by setting the first mile as your warm-up, the second mile as your “working” mile, where you challenge yourself by going up a hill or taking a different path, and the final mile as your cooldown.

Here are some ideas for making any walk — whether it’s one, three, five, or more miles — into even more of a beneficial workout.

Take a Route With Hills

If you can find an area with more hills or something other than a flat road, take your walk there to mix it up.

Challenge Yourself With Intervals

During your “working” mile, alternate between walking slowly for one minute and quickly for one minute.

Try 5-Minute Blocks

Push the pace for one minute, then do four minutes at a normal tempo. Repeat these five-minute blocks until you’ve gone three miles or reached your timed goal.

Change Up the Scenery

Do your three miles hiking a trail for a challenge and an extra dose of calm.

One of the most common issues Stonehouse sees in the clients he coaches is pain and issues that result from overdoing exercise when you haven’t been active. Keep in mind that even one mile is something you should do at your own pace and work your way up to if you’ve been sidelined due to an injury or sickness.

Finally, the shoes that you wear while walking are also important because your feet need the proper support to carry you through each step. Don’t forget to replace your sneakers about every six months, depending on how much you walk.

To reap all of the benefits of exercise and to make sure you’re using the correct muscles, you have to have good form. When your form gets wonky, injuries can occur.

Upper-Body Form Tips

Stonehouse and Schemper emphasize the importance of keeping your upper body in check when you walk, especially if you have a sedentary job or lifestyle, which can make us tight and hunched.

“Walking helps improve our upper body and posture and helps combat general tension we get from sitting at our desks and in our cars,” Schemper says.

In order to reap that reward, though, you have to walk with your shoulders and hips stacked squarely over each other — and Stonehouse says to keep your arms moving.

“Sometimes when people get tired, their arms move less,” he says. To make sure they swing, he suggests keeping your arms a bit loose and letting them follow your leg motion. But also be mindful of not crossing them too much. “Make sure that the arms are swinging, but I never want the arms crossing the midline of the body.”

Heel Strike

You’ve probably heard the term “heel strike” applied to runners more than walkers, but, according to Stonehouse, it’s important for both groups to pay attention to.

For walkers, you want a “good heel strike on the outside of your heel. You’re going to naturally roll over to your midfoot and then off on your big toe.

• Walking provides strength-building benefits by engaging different muscles as you walk.
• Walking one mile a day comes with numerous health benefits. Try changing up your daily walking routine to keep things interesting.
• Practice good form to prevent walking-related injuries.