Ready for a challenge? Walking 8 miles a day is certainly a big one! If the aim is weight loss you’re onto a winning formula. Covering this distance by walking every day will certainly help you lose weight.
Walk 8 miles every day for a month or more and you can expect some big changes to your physique. This walking routine will turn you into an athlete, lean and strong.
It will take a lot of commitment. Even at a brisk walking pace, eight miles takes a long time to complete but you can make it easier by keeping track of your steps during the day with a fitness tracker or pedometer – they all count towards your total!
How Far Is 8 miles
8 miles is 14,080 yards or 12,874 meters – 12.9K.
How many steps in 8 miles?
If you prefer to count distance in steps using a fitness tracker, the number of steps it takes to walk 8 miles will depend on fitness levels, average step length (stride length), and walking pace.
As a rough guide, walking 8 miles is equivalent to 16,000 to 19,200 steps.
How Long Does It Take To Walk 8 Miles?
It’s a big time commitment 8 miles if you’re completing the whole distance in one go. Most people will take 120 to 144 minutes to walk 8 miles on flat terrain – that’s over 2 hours of walking every day.
This is walking at a brisk pace, 15 to 18 minutes per mile, or an average walking speed of just over 3 to 4 miles per hour (mph).
Factors such as age and gender will affect your average walking speed but fitness level makes the biggest difference.
When you’re walking 8 miles every day your fitness will improve rapidly. You may hit power walking speeds of 4.5 or even 5.0 miles per hour. At 5.0 mph it takes 1 hour 36 minutes to walk 8 miles.
The aim of walking for fitness is to walk at a brisk pace. Your heart rate will be elevated but you can still walk and talk. You’ll be making an effort to maintain your pace.
The chart below shows how long it takes to walk 8 miles at different paces:
| Walking Speed (mph) | Walking Pace (min/mile) | Time Taken To Walk 8 Miles (hour: min) |
| 2.5 | 24.0 | 3:12 |
| 2.75 | 21.8 | 2:54 |
| 3.0 | 20.0 | 2:40 |
| 3.25 | 18.5 | 2:28 |
| 3.5 | 17.1 | 2:17 |
| 3.75 | 16.0 | 2:08 |
| 4.0 | 15.0 | 2:00 |
| 4.25 | 14.1 | 1:53 |
| 4.5 | 13.3 | 1:46 |
| 4.75 | 12.6 | 1:41 |
| 5.0 | 12.0 | 1:36 |
How Many Calories Burned Walking 8 Miles
It may be a massive commitment 8 miles a day but it also burns a lot of calories. How much is down to your body weight and walking speed but the average person burns 80 to 100 calories per mile of walking.
Use our Calories Burned Walking Calculator to find out how many calories you burn on your walks.
Typically you can expect to burn 650 to 800 calories walking 8 miles at a brisk pace.
The more you challenge your body, the more calories you burn. To increase the burn rate, walk uphill or walk faster! At speeds of 4.5 to 5.0 miles per hour, your calorie burn increases significantly.
Can Walking 8 Miles A Day Help You Lose Weight?
Losing weight depends on building a calorie deficit. When you’re walking 8 miles a day, your calorie deficit will come from the calories burned walking.
Of course, you can still burn calories walking and fail to lose weight. Eat too much and you’ll replace all the calories burned. But it’s unlikely, especially if you combine walking with small improvements to your eating habits.
For best results aim to follow a healthy diet. Your intense walking workouts will need good nutrition to fuel your exercise.
Fill up on lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, some fruit, and small amounts of healthy fats. Find out more with these tips for what to eat after walking for weight loss.
Walking 8 Miles A Day Results
What happens to your body will vary from person to person but these are typical results for walking 8 miles a day:
Body weight
Expect to lose 2 pounds a week, possibly more, and 8 to 12 pounds a month walking 8 miles every day. How much weight you lose will depend on your current body weight and exercise intensity.
This guide: How Much Should I Walk According To My BMI will help you find your weight loss target.
Weight loss happens when you keep challenging your body. If you find your weight loss starts to slow, try increasing the intensity – walk uphills, use walking poles, or add high-intensity interval training workouts.
Don’t try and lose too much weight too soon or drop below your normal body weight. Fast weight loss makes it harder to maintain and being underweight can be bad for your health.
What happens to your body?
Your cardiovascular fitness will improve, you’ll be burning fat when you walk, and become leaner. Walking is a good way to burn belly fat and lose inches off your waist.
Find out more about: Does Walking Burn Belly Fat? Truth, Myths, And Misconceptions
Long-distance walking increases muscular endurance in the legs and hips – you’ll feel stronger after a few weeks of 8-mile walks.
Once you adjust to walking every day expect to feel full of energy!
Health Benefits Of Walking 8 Miles A Day
Walking 8 miles every day comes with many health benefits:
- Protection against heart disease
- Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes
- Stronger muscles in the legs, hips, and core
- Better coordination and balance
- Healthy weight loss
- Mental health benefits – walking is great for relieving stress
- Improved sleep quality.
Find out more about the health benefits of walking. Walking is a great way to hit the recommended targets for moderate-intensity aerobic activity.
To reach targets for muscle-strengthening activities add 2 strength training sessions a week. These bodyweight exercises or yoga classes are ideal and a great help for preventing injuries.
How To Walk 8 Miles A Day
Walking is a moderate-intensity exercise that’s kinder on your joints and muscle than high-impact activities such as running. But it doesn’t mean you’re immune to injury. Follow these tips to walk 8 miles a day.
#1 Follow a walking plan
If you’re completely new to walking, follow a beginner walking plan and build up your daily miles slowly.
Start with 2 miles or 3 miles and work up to 8 miles over several weeks.
Our Fat Buster Walking Challenge builds up to walking 5 miles every day. Complete the 10-week challenge, then in the 11th week aim for 6 miles every day, and in the 12th week 7 miles every day.
After that, you’ll be good to go walking 8 miles every day. Find out more about the Fat Buster Challenge and How Much Walking For Weight Loss.
#2 Track your progress
Use a fitness tracker or pedometer app to track how far you’ve walked each day. This is a good way to measure progress and set goals such as increasing your daily steps, distance, and calories burned.
#3 Wear the right clothes and shoes
The key to staying comfortable over long distances is wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. Invest in a pair of comfortable walking shoes or trainers. Look for good cushioning and support.
Wear breathable fabrics that won’t cause chafing or rub against your skin when you walk.
#4 Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated during your walks especially if it’s hot. Carry a water bottle in a backpack with enough water for 8 miles.
#5 Schedule your walks
Fit your walks into your daily routine. Schedule walks around work, family commitments, or social activities. Or make it part of your lunch break and walk with a friend for extra motivation.
#6 Break up your walks into 2 or 3 sessions
You don’t have to complete 8 miles all at once. Breaking up your walks into 2 or 3 shorter sessions throughout the day is a great way to fit in your daily miles.
#7 Plan varied walking routes
Keep your walking interesting by planning out varied routes. Try to include some uphill sections into your walks for extra intensity and calorie burn.
Thoughts From Love Life Be Fit
Walking 8 miles a day is a great way to improve your fitness and overall health. If you’re consistent with your walking program, you’ll start to see results in no time!
Remember to take it slow at first and gradually increase the distance as your body adjusts to the exercise. Do too much too soon and you risk getting very sore or even injured. If necessary take rest days to let your body recover.
8 miles a day is significant. Start to think of yourself as an athlete and fuel your body with nutritious food. It will help with weight loss goals and give you the energy you need for recovery between walking sessions.
If you’re training for a big ultra-distance event, try walking 9 miles a day for a week or even walking 10 miles a day!