Walking is one of the best exercises you can do for your body, and it’s low-impact so it’s perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels. Why not start walking 3 miles a day on a treadmill? It can, and will, improve your health.
Research shows that walking is a very effective way to improve ones health. Walking 3 miles per day on a treadmill will improve your cardiovascular health and lower your blood pressure, increase your overall muscle mass, and help you lose weight.
In fact, research shows that walking is one of the most effective exercises for improving overall health and well-being. It can be especially beneficial for overweight people or elderly people due to it’s cardiovascular benefits and low impact.
There are definitely some disadvantages of running on a treadmill, but walking helps alleviate some of the stress and other issues running can cause. And, let’s be honest, it’s more enjoyable.
Walking 3 Miles per Day on A Treadmill Can Improve Your Health
Simply walking for 30 minutes per day has a ton of health benefits. Walking 3 miles per day will help a person realize all of those as well as some added benefits of more accelerated weight loss and increase muscle mass.
According to the CDC, 25.3% of adults don’t meet the minimum standard for physical activity of 30 minutes per day 5 times per week. Why is this a problem? Simple.
Walking on a treadmill may be the easiest solution to this issue. In fact, walking 3 miles per day will give you much more than the minimum recommendation set forth by the CDC. Following this recommendation will greatly improve your overall fitness and cardiovascular health.
Walking Can Improve Your Cardiovascular Health
Walking for just 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can lower your risk of heart disease by 19 percent. That seems like a simple tradeoff – a few minutes of walking per day for a better and longer life.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people amongst the developed world.
Walking is also an excellent way to help improve your blood pressure according to this study:
“Resting systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower than baseline values in the walking group after 12 weeks”
sports science and medicine, sept. 2014
Walking On A Treadmill Can Help Build Muscle
Walking regularly helps develop muscles in the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. It also engages the abdominal muscles and helps strengthen the erector spinae muscles in the back. Strengthening these muscles will help with overall posture and general health.
Regular exercise of muscles makes them stronger and healthier over time. As you walk, you stress the muscles. This is why you feel tired after a good workout. The muscles are tired from contracting and lengthening, and this sends a message to the brain to make sure to build more muscle going forward. When combined with proper nutrition, regular exercise creates an environment that makes muscles want to grow.
This is a good thing. Increasing muscle mass will also assist with weight loss. Muscle mass burns more calories than other types of mass, so the higher percentage of muscle mass and, inversely, the lower percentage of bodyfat, the more calories you will burn at rest.
Walking on a Treadmill Can Help Facilitate Weight Loss
Walking is also a great way to burn calories, and the more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose assuming your nutrition is also monitored correctly. If you walk at a moderate pace of 3 miles per hour, you can expect to burn about 300 calories in an hour.
If you’re looking to shed some extra pounds, walking can help you lose weight and keep it off. Walking 3 miles a day can be an effective long-term strategy. People who walk regularly are more likely to maintain their weight loss than those who don’t walk.
Luckily, walking 3 miles at that pace takes exactly an hour.
Tip: If you’re looking for even more of a challenge, try walking 4 miles per day. Alternatively, you could walk 4 miles per day for 5 day per week instead of 3 miles per day for 7 days of the week. They both equal out to similar mileage and time each week, but with 4 miles per day you get two rest days.
How Long Will It Take to Walk 3 Miles on A Treadmill?
Average speed is somewhere between 3mph and 4mph, generally right around 3.2mph. At that speed, walking 3 miles on a treadmill would take just under an hour – 56 minutes and 15 seconds to be exact.
That is quite a commitment of time each day, however the benefits of walking on a treadmill for 3 miles will also be significant.
Is Walking 3 Miles a Day Good Cardio?
Walking is a great form of cardio. It is very similar to running when it comes to the physical and weight loss benefits, it just takes a bit longer. For example, we all know that running on a treadmill works several muscles, but walking would be very similar in developing those same muscles.
Walking can be a great stress reducer. Many people promote walking barefoot on a treadmill as a way to reduce stress as well as strengthen the smaller muscles in your feet and ankles.
How Long Does It Take to Walk 4 Miles on Treadmill?
Walking 4 miles on a treadmill would take you around 75 minutes at an average pace of 3.2 miles per hour. That is 1 hour and 15 minutes – almost 20 minutes longer than walking 3 miles per day.
While there may be a point of diminishing returns, it’s hard to overdue exercise as long as you are getting plenty of rest and proper nutrition and sleep. However, since walking is much slower than running, it may be a good option to try to run a bit throughout those 4 miles to help speed the process up.
Running on a treadmill can get a bad rap. Some people think the treadmill is bad for your knees or worry that treadmills wear out. While somewhat true, they are still a great tool. People with home exercise equipment are 73% more likely to work out according to the New York Times.
What If I Don’t Have a Treadmill?
Easy – walk outside! The great outdoors is another wonderful place to enjoy the health benefits of a good walk. The time commitment will be similar and the added benefits of a load of Vitamin D hitting you in the face from the sun will be great.
Walking outside is proven to reduce stress and bring a sense of calming and peace. It is important, however, when taking on a program like this to make sure you have a proper pair of shoes. Running shoes will wear out over time whether it’s outdoors or on the treadmill.
Conclusion
Walking is one of the best exercises you can do for your body, and it’s low-impact so it’s perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels. Walking 3 miles a day on a treadmill is an excellent way to improve your overall health and well-being.
Whether you’re looking to lose weight, build muscle, or just stay active, walking has a lot of benefits and can help you achieve your goals. Whether you walk at the gym on a treadmill or prefer taking in the fresh air outside, start walking 3 miles a day on a treadmill or outside and see what a difference it makes!
