Key Takeaways
Don’t walk 10 miles more than once a week.Warm up your muscles before a long walk. Avoid long-distance walks if you’re having any aches or pains.Eat a good snack with carbohydrates and protein before walking. Plan for water and sun protection, too.
The average brisk walk is about 3 miles per hour, or 20 minutes per mile. If you can maintain this pace, you can walk 10 miles in a little under 3.5 hours. However, walking 10 miles in one single stretch is not necessarily healthy or realistic, experts say.
Preparing for a 10-Mile Walk
In general, making walks part of your routine is good for you, said Shelby York, PT, DPT, OCS, a physical therapist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
“However, you need to be mindful of your current activity level. If you have been walking for 1-2 miles twice a week, it is not appropriate to jump to a 10-mile walk,” York said.
As with any exercise, you need to build up to 10–mile walks rather than trying them out without any proper training.
York recommends starting with 1–2 miles several times a week, and adding one extra mile each week. If you don’t want to track your walking distance, you can start with 20–minute walks and add 10–15 minutes each week.
It might take you 10 weeks—or roughly 2.5 months—to build up to a 10-mile walk. Though 10-mile walks aren’t necessarily “dangerous,” York doesn’t recommend trying the challenge more than once a week. “Your body needs to have proper recovery time after each long walk,” she said.
What You Need on a 10-Mile Walk
If you’re going on a long-distance walk, warm up before you start. “This could include squats, calf raises, single leg raises, or bridges,” York said. “You want to make sure you warm up all of your muscles.”
Eating before you start a long walk will also help you stay energized. “You should make sure to eat a snack that includes easily digestible carbohydrates and a little protein and fat before setting out,” said Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness and the author of Unapologetic Eating.
“Try a banana with nut butter, yogurt with some granola, or crackers with cheese or hummus,” Rumsey added.
Wear sunscreen and bring a hat to protect against sun exposure. You should wear shoes that you’ve enjoyed walking in during previous workouts. But if you start to develop pains in your legs or hip, you should consider touching base with a physician, York said.
How to Recover from a 10-Mile Walk
Eating enough calories and resting are crucial in recovering from a long walk; a 10-mile journey may burn 1,000 calories or more.
“Diet can have a tremendous impact on your energy level,” Rumsey said. “Pairing protein with carbohydrates and some fat and eating constantly throughout the day can help to stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent fluctuating energy levels.”
You probably shouldn’t plan activities that will take a lot of energy after walking 10 miles. “You are building muscles as you increase your walking distance, and you should make sure you are properly recovering,” York said.
