Is running 7 miles a day a good idea? It’s one of the questions we’re going to answer in this guide.
7 miles every day is a lot! That’s 49 miles in a week. An experienced runner might pull this off for a week or even a month. But for a beginner, you’re pushing the self-destruct button.
Read on to find out why you might want to run 7 miles a day, the benefits for weight loss, and what are the alternatives.
How Long Does It Take To Run 7 Miles?
The time it takes to run 7 miles varies greatly depending on your fitness level, running pace, and the terrain.
Fast runners will take less than 50 minutes for 7 miles running on flat roads or even less than 30 for the elite.
A comfortable pace for the average runner is between 10-12 minutes per mile. At this pace, it takes between 70 to 85 minutes to run 7 miles.
Your pace may be faster or slower and that’s perfectly okay. The key is to run at an even pace you can maintain for the whole distance. Set off too fast and the last few miles are going to hurt!
Reasons For Running 7 Miles A Day
Before we go into better ways to train than running 7 miles every single day, let’s look at some of the reasons and benefits of a 7-mile daily run.
#1 Builds a strong running base
In the off-season, before starting a specific training plan, some runners like to build up a strong running base by running long mileage at a moderate intensity.
The idea behind this is to get the body used to being on its feet for long periods and helps with injury prevention in the following months of harder training.
Of course, running 7 miles a day is a lot – so this approach is only going to work for advanced runners who are already running 40-plus miles a week.
It’s still better to take one or two rest days and mix up your training with long runs and easier runs.
#2 Running the same distance for mental health benefits
There’s a lot to be said about the mental health benefits of running consistently. A 7-mile daily run, or any consistent exercise regimen, can significantly boost your mental well-being.
When you run, your body releases serotonin improving your mood and helping with anxiety and mild depression. The rhythmic pattern of running can also be meditative, focusing the mind and helping to reduce stress. It can even improve your sleep quality.
But 7 miles every day is a long way. It’s best to speak with a mental health professional if you feel that your running is becoming addictive and the distances you’re covering are putting a lot of strain on your body.
Most people can get the same benefits to their mental health by running shorter distances such as running 3 miles a day or 4 miles a day.
#3 Training for ultra-distance running
Sometimes when you’re training to run long distances it can help to set short challenges.
Running 7 miles a day for a week could be a good challenge before starting a specific training plan such as half marathon training.
#4 Running to lose weight
Running burns a lot of calories and it can be tempting to keep increasing the distance you run to increase the calorie burn. This often isn’t such a good idea and we’ll take a look at the reasons!
How Many Calories Do You Burn Running 7 Miles?
The exact number of calories will depend on many factors such as your body weight, running speed, age, sex, and running efficiency.
For most people, running 7 miles will burn 700 calories. In a week you can burn a whopping 4900 calories.
Use our calories burned running calculator to find the total calories burned by running seven miles. Just enter your current weight, running time, and mile pace.
Running 7 Miles A Day For Weight Loss
Running 7 miles a day tips over from a daily habit that could be beneficial such as running 5 miles a day or running 6 miles a day to one that’s hard to be positive about.
If you’re a beginner runner, running 7 miles a day for weight loss is just too far. It’s a fast-track route to injury.
Experienced runners can pull off running 7 miles every day and some elite athletes run a lot further than 49 miles a week. But for beginner runners, it’s far better to start running at a low weekly mileage and build up running distances gradually.
Walking has a far lower impact on your muscles and joints and can be a better option for weight loss. Or run 2 or 3 miles every morning and take a walk in the afternoon.
Find out more about running for weight loss and how to reach a healthy weight.
Why 7 Miles A Day Could Be Too Much?
There are some good reasons to avoid running 7 miles every day:
#1 There’s a high risk of injury
The repetitive strain of running 7 miles every day can increase your risk of overuse injuries such as shin splints, muscle strains, and joint pain.
Your body needs a chance to recover and repair itself between runs. Otherwise, those niggles can quickly become full-blown injuries that keep you from training.
#2 It’s boring!
The same running routine every day over the same running distance rapidly becomes boring. Variety not only keeps you motivated but works to improve your running.
Instead of moderate runs at the same pace, mix up intervals and tempo runs to improve your running speed with long weekly runs, cross-training, and rest days.
Unless you’re training for a half marathon or greater distances, there’s little benefit from running a high weekly mileage.
#3 You’ll quickly hit a running plateau
Beginner runners will see a lot of improvement at the start of their running journey. It’s exciting to keep running further and with regular running, you’ll see your efficiency and running form improving.
But if you keep running the same session day in-day out, your running performance will hit a plateau. Just increasing the distance of your daily runs won’t turn you into a better runner.
You need a better training schedule – one that challenges your body, helps you run faster, and improves your endurance.
Choosing A Better Training Plan
Your training plan should develop the running skills you need to become a better runner and hit your chosen target.
To run a fast 5K race, you need lots of speed sessions and fairly low mileage. A weekly tempo run and a weekly interval session are essential for improving your one-mile time.
For half marathon races, training plans should focus on building endurance for beginner runners but also include quality sessions for more advanced runners.
A good training plan is tailored to your current running ability and targets an achievable level of improvement over the available training period.
Be realistic about what you can do and commit to the process. Your body will thank you for it!
Thoughts From Love Life Be Fit
For most people, there are better options than running 7 miles a day every day at the same running pace. 7 miles a day may work for some people but for most, it’s too much and there’s a high risk of injury.
Instead of just running further every day, a good training plan will help you reach a personal best over your chosen race distance and make sure that the miles you’re running are doing some good!
Take a look at our free training plans from 5 to 10K or half marathon distances.