How to Walk 5 Miles a Day Without Trying

You may be surprised how every step you take in a day can add up to a goal of five miles. One mile is commonly in between 2,000 to 2,500 steps depending on height and stride. Five miles should end up around 10,000 steps, said to be ideal for optimal health in studies done by the American Psychological Association. By tweaking a few things in your life and routine, you should be able to find those five miles a day without too much effort.

Things You'll Need

  • Pedometer
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Instructions

  1. Getting Started

    • 1

      Buy a pedometer or download a pedometer app to your smartphone. Pedometers are fairly inexpensive and can be found at most big box or sport stores.

    • 2

      Enter your stride length into the pedometer. Calculate your stride length by taking a step and measuring the distance between the heel of the back foot to the toe of the front foot. Some pedometers may not ask for this information.

    • 3

      Wear your pedometer from the time you get up until the time you go to bed for the first day and log how many steps you take. From that, you can calculate how best to adjust your routine and add more walking.

    • 4

      Take a walk in the morning. Five to ten minutes around a few blocks is enough to begin adding to your steps for the day.

    • 5

      Leave your car at home as much as possible. When realistic, get outside and turn running errands into a leisurely bit of exercise.

    • 6

      Walk to the store if you are only buying a few items that can be carried. If you must drive to a store, park further away from the entrance.

    • 7

      Walk to lunch if your office or place of work is close enough to walk to a restaurant with time for eating to spare.

    • 8

      Get your dog out for a walk if you have one. If this is already part of your routine, lengthen your regular route.

    • 9

      Go for a walk when meeting with friends or colleagues. Unless you need to take notes, walking can make conversation easier, especially if you're prone to fidgeting.

    • 10

      Climb stairs instead of using an elevator whenever possible.

    • 11

      Walk in the evening after dinner. Not only is good for digestion, but a relaxing way to end the day.