The Amazing Benefits of Walking 2.5 Miles Every Day

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How long does it take to walk 2.5 miles?

Time to walk 2.5 miles for 5 feet 10-inch adult, weighing 140 pounds (lbs), walking at 3.5 mph will be 43 minutes. The same adult walking at 4 mph, will take 37 minutes 5 seconds to cover 2.5 miles.

For those on a tight schedule who need/want more cardio, walking is a great way to get both a mental and physical workout. 

But what if you don’t know how far 2.5 miles is?

How much time it will take to walk a certain distance depends on many factors-

  • Walking speed
  • Step length
  • Height
  • Weight

We believe that walking doesn’t get the amount of recognition it deserves as a workout.

So, keep reading this article to find more benefits of walking and how much time it will take to cover 2.5 miles!

Is walking 2.5 miles a day good exercise?

How long does it take to walk 2.5 miles

In this technological world where everything we do depends on technology, machines and we are surrounded by it.

Even for the basic day- to day activities we are dependent on smartphones and other gadgets.

It’s important to give your body and mind some kind of physical activity like walking, running, or meditation.

If you love walking then it can help you stay fit, lose weight, burn calories and live a healthy life.

You can incorporate walking into your workout to start improving your health gradually.

It’s important to start slowly, consistently, and then eventually you can start walking long distances per day.

But how long should it take you to walk 2.5 miles?

Even the average person can cover 2.5 miles in 50 minutes if he walks at a constant speed, i.e 3 miles per hour.

How do I calculate my walking time?

These days it’s very to calculate your walking time by simply using any smartphone, pedometer or health tracker app, or fitness band.

Here is a basic 4 step process you can follow –

  1. Start the timer on your phone before you start walking.
  2. Use your phone or any fitness band for it.
  3. As soon you are about to stop walking, stop your timer.
  4. In some cases, you can set walking duration before you start walking, let’s just say for 15 min, 20 min, or 30 min walk.

Calculating walking time is very simple these days, you can even check your walking speed, distance, and everything using any app or fitness band.

One can also calculate it using the formula–

Time= Distance/Speed

So how long does it take to walk 2.5 miles?

For example, the time taken to cover a 2.5-mile distance at a walking speed of 4 mph will be approx. 37 minutes and 5 seconds.

Factors That Affect The Walking Time & Speed

Your walking speed & time depends on many factors and you can very easily calculate them.

Some of the important factors that affect walking speed and time are-

  • The surface of the road
  • Weight of person
  • Age, fitness level of the person
  • Your Height

Your surroundings and the food you consume all play a major role in how fast you can cover a distance walking.

Some other environmental factors like temperature, elevation, and windchill also affect your walking time.

Walking speed is influenced by several factors–

For example, 

  • a person’s height, 
  • stride length, 
  • body weight, 
  • age, 
  • and obesity level can all make him or her move faster or slower than someone else.

How fast can you cover 2.5 miles by walking?

How fast can you cover 2.5 miles by walking

Walking is a great physical activity that anybody can do, and long-distance walking has resulted in improving overall health.

The speed at which you can cover 2.5 miles by walking depends on the person’s weight and the type of shoes they are wearing.

If you are already walking daily for 30 minutes or more and looking to increase your walking speed, you will find it much easier to do.

An average person walking at 3 mph can cover 2.5 miles in 50 minutes!

So, how fast can you cover 2.5 miles by walking?

A normal person weighing 140 lbs walking at 5 mph will cover 2.5 miles in 30 minutes and walking at 4.5 mph speed will take approx. 33 minutes and 3 seconds.

How long should it take to walk 2.5 km?

Walking is one of the best physical workouts one can do, there is no need for any expensive equipment for walking only a good pair of shoes will do the job.

Your walking speed depends on many factors and the total time to walk a certain distance depends on your walking speed.

How long should it take to walk 2.5 km?

An average adult will take around 38 minutes to walk 2.5 km walking at 4 mph speed, 30 minutes at 5 mph walking speed and 50 minutes at 3 mph speed to walk 2.5 km.

How many calories burned walking 2.5 miles?

The number of calories burned walking 2.5 miles varies and depends on the person–

  • weight, 
  • height, 
  • age, 
  • gender, 
  • and speed.

Calories are a measure of energy that we use to describe how much energy we use in a day or week.

The most important factor which determines how many calories you burn is your weight and the distance you walked.

An average person very easily can burn around 50-100 calories per mile.

So, how many calories were burned walking 2.5 miles?

If a 140 lbs person walks at a speed of 3.5 mph then it will 42 minutes & 8 seconds to complete a 2.5 miles distance and he will burn 207 Kcal.

Derived from the Calories burned calculator use this calculator to find how many calories you can burn walking at 2 miles, 3 miles, and more distance.

Similarly, here is a tool calories burned walking calculator by which you can calculate how many calories you burned walking at 4 mph–

Weight(lbs)Walking(minutes)Walking Speed(mph)Calories Burned
140404222
160404254
180404286
200404318
220404349

How to increase your walking speed?

There are many reasons why people might want to increase their walking speed and how they do this depends on the reason for wanting to walk faster.

So, how long should it take a person to walk 2.5 miles depends on your walking speed also.

Increase your walking speed by applying these tips:

  • First and foremost make sure that you are wearing the right shoes. 
  • This is because the wrong shoes can affect your walking speed.
  • One way that you can make your walking more efficient is by having good posture when you walk. 
  • This will allow you to walk faster, with less effort and a better sense of balance.
  • Find Your Unique Rhythm–we all have different types of steps that we walk with, most of the time it speeds up naturally.
  • Because as I would imagine, you would have more anticipation over things to come without that ever-present doubt and are likely more contented with a set pace. 
  • This can help increase walking at a higher speed for some.
  • Shorten Your Steps–shortening the distance between each step does not increase the actual speed but makes it seem faster.
  • Because it takes less effort to take a short (brief) stride forward, unlike larger ones which require more invested effort before another movement forward might be possible. 
  • It also helps avoid overstriding which puts too much strain on your ankle and knees.

Is walking 2.5 miles a day enough?

To be honest it depends on how healthy you are and how well you have maintained yourself.

But, many medical experts have suggested that walking is great physical activity and anyone can perform it regularly.

If someone has a knee or back problem he too can walk slowly and it will improve his overall health and increases strength.

Walking 2.5 miles a day has many benefits such as 

  • reducing the risk of heart disease, 
  • diabetes, 
  • high blood pressure, 
  • and stroke. 
  • It also helps with weight loss and 
  • improves mental health.

In America, the average number of walking steps per day for normal adults is 3000-4000, which is only a 1.5 to 2 miles distance.

The CDC recommends 10,000 steps per day to remain active and improve your physical health.

According to the Arthritis Foundation walking–

  • Improve blood circulation
  • Enhances your mood
  • Provides muscles strength
  • Aids in weight loss
  • Helps in sound sleep

How many steps are 2.5 miles walking?

The exact steps will be different for everyone and it depends on a lot of other factors like-

  • Age
  • Height
  • Weight
  • Physical fitness
  • Walking speed

The average person takes about 2,000 steps in a mile, so 2.5 miles would be about 4,500 steps or more.

You can any fitness tracker app or pedometer app on your phone to count the steps.

The app will automatically start calculating the total steps you start walking daily.

Below is a table where we have derived how many steps you can take in 2.5 miles for male and female–

GenderHeight (Ft/inch)Walking Speed (mph)Distance (miles)Total Steps
Male5.104 mph2.54700
Male64 mph2.54630
Female5.64 mph2.54924
Female5.84 mph2.54853
Source: Thecalculatorsite.com

Tips for Walking More Miles

Walking has always been a great way to stay healthy, but it can be difficult to find the time. 

If you want to know: how long does it take to walk 2.5 miles?

It’s important to know all the tips to walk more!

If you love walking then these tips will help you walk more miles in less time.

1. Start by walking your dog for an hour a day.

2. Get up and go outside at lunchtime and take a 10-minute walk.

3. Park at the back of the parking lot when you go grocery shopping, and then walk around the store before you head home with your groceries.

4. Park far away from work, and then use the stairs instead of taking an elevator or escalator when you get there or leave for the day.

Muscles used when walking

Walking is a natural movement that we do every day. 

To keep your body balanced and stable while walking, it uses different muscles from your lower body.

The muscles used when walking are:

  • The calf muscles: which we use to raise our heel and push off the ground.
  • The hamstrings: which we use to bend at the hips and extend our leg forward.
  • The quadriceps: which we use to straighten our knees and push off from the floor with our toes.
  • The gluteus maximus: helps us swing our leg forward by extending at the hip joint, and finally.
  • The gastrocnemius muscle: is in your calf and helps you walk uphill by pushing your foot against a slope toward your body’s center of gravity.

Why Walking is One of the Best Physical Activities Humans Can do

What’s amazing about walking is that you don’t require any fancy equipment or some other stuff for walking, just a pair of shoes and some clothes are enough!

Over the years research has proven that walking has many health benefits like –

  • Improves your mood
  • Reduce the risk of diabetes
  • Controls high blood pressure
  • Minimizes stroke
  • Even reduces the risk of developing cancer
  • It also takes the edge off stress levels

Walking is a form of simple, low-impact exercise that everyone can enjoy. 

If you’re new to the activity and feel like it’s too difficult, start out at a slow pace and gradually increase your speed over time. 

And if you have already started walking then you are already on your way to a healthy life.

Is it better to walk longer or faster?

Walking has always been a great physical activity and it can help us–

  • reduce stress levels, 
  • Improves the mood, 
  • and also boost energy levels. 

Although walking is awesome in many ways, there are many factors that come into play, such as the distance you are walking and what you are trying to achieve by walking.

Always try to find a pace that suits your body and it’s best to start slow walking and then increase your speed as you go along.

If you walk too fast at first, you may exhaust yourself before the end of your walk.

  • Walking at a faster pace may be better for some people.
  • Also walking at a slower pace may be better for others. 
  • It also depends on your physical state and stamina level.
  • The best solution is to try walking at different speeds.
  • And then you will understand whether walking longer or faster is best for you or not.

How much walking is safe?

In a world where people are finding it hard to maintain physical-mental health, walking is the best possible way to reduce stress, and anxiety to improve your overall health.

So, how much walking is safe?

Well, it depends on lots of factors, like-

  • Your age
  • Bodyweight
  • How fit you are?
  • Type of shoes you use etc.

According to Harvard Health,” You should be walking or performing any physical activity 150 minutes per week, i.e 21 minutes per day can reduce chances of heart disease by 30%”.

In addition to that, it can also-

  • Reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer.
  • Lower blood pressure.
  • Helps to reduce cholesterol levels.
  • Improves mental sharpness.

We spend most of our time sitting down and the lack of physical activity is a huge health hazard.

However, one thing is clear: if you want to live a healthy life, it’s important to get enough exercise each day.

Final Thoughts

Still, wondering–how long does it take to walk 2.5 miles?

Well, it depends on your walking speed, step length, body weight, age, and the terrain where you are walking.

It’s quite simple to calculate it, as you can use any pedometer or fitness band to measure your total walking time and speed also.

Finally, if you have something to share feel free to comment below.

Cheers!

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