Walking 30 Minutes A Day for A Month: Benefits and Expected Results

As a personal trainer with over 30 years of professional experience, I’m often asked to write training programs for friends and family. This is a service I usually charge for, but acquaintances expect me to do it for free!

Rather than say no, instead I ask anyone who wants me to write them a workout program to complete a simple qualifying challenge. If they pass this test, I’ll gladly put pen to paper and create a bespoke training plan – for free!

What is the challenge? It’s actually pretty simple – walk 30 minutes a day for one month straight.

I use this month-long challenge to assess motivation, dedication, and willpower. After all, if someone can’t find the time or energy to walk 30 minutes a day, they probably won’t follow a more demanding or time-consuming program.

Needless to say, this straightforward challenge weeds out a large percentage of program hunters and saves me from a lot of unpaid work!

However, those who complete my 30-minute/30-day walking challenge invariably report back, saying how good they feel. It seems that my qualifying challenge does more than just test determination.

In this article, I explore the benefits of walking 30 minutes a day for a month and describe the results you can expect after completing this challenge.

Benefits and Expected Results from Walking 30 Minutes A Day for A Month

Walking 30 minutes a day for a month might seem like an insignificant undertaking. Still, even this small commitment can have a noticeable effect on your fitness, health, and mental well-being.

Here are the benefits and results you can expect from completing a 30-minute/30-day walking challenge.

Weight Loss

Assuming you are currently in an energy balance, i.e., your food intake is equal to your kilocalorie expenditure, walking 30 minutes per day for a month could help you lose weight.

It’s estimated that a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 kilocalories. While this is not precisely true, this figure is close enough for most weight loss purposes.

The average person walks about three miles per hour, so you should cover roughly 1.5 miles during your 30-minute walk. That same person will burn about 100 kilocalories per mile, so 150 kilocalories per 30 minutes walked.

Therefore, 30 minutes of walking per day for a month will use an extra 4,500 kilocalories, which equals about 1.3 pounds of fat.

While this is not a huge amount of weight, it’s a pretty good return for such a small investment of time and energy. Obviously, weight loss will be greater if you walk faster, further, or modify your diet.

Use this calculator to get a more accurate estimate of how many kilocalories you can burn while walking.

Reduced Stress

Stress is one of the leading causes of mental and physical ill health. Prolonged chronic stress is inextricably linked to a wide range of conditions, including (1):

• Cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes
• Changes to the menstrual cycle in women
• Digestive problems, such as gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel
• Increased cancer risk
• Increased physical and emotional pain
• Increased risk of developing chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases
• Memory and concentration impairment
• Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders
• Sexual dysfunction, such as impotence and premature ejaculation in men and loss of sexual desire in men and women
• Skin and hair problems, such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, and hair loss
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain

Somewhat surprisingly, walking for as little as 30 minutes a day can have a significant impact on stress levels, and many of my 30-minute/30-day walking challenge graduates report feeling much less stressed.

Numerous studies support the mental benefits of walking, and even short walks of ten minutes have been shown to reduce stress levels in some subjects (2).

You can make daily walking even better for beating stress by heading out into nature, practicing mindfulness, leaving your phone behind, or incorporating breathing exercises into your walk.

Better Sleep

Like stress, too little sleep can have a major impact on every aspect of your mental and physical health. Most experts agree that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, many people get by on considerably less than this.

Getting more sleep is one of the best things you can do for your body. Unfortunately, many of us are poor sleepers, and sleep quality and duration are sadly lacking.

Walking 30 minutes a day for a month can do wonders for your sleep. Graduates of this challenge often report that they sleep deeper and longer and wake feeling refreshed and ready to face the day ahead.

Again, these results are far from isolated, and several studies link walking to better sleep (3).

Related: The Importance of Sleep for Building Muscle and Losing Fat

Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) is often known as the silent killer. That’s because it has very few outward signs or symptoms. However, despite being unseen, high blood pressure can affect many of your body’s organs and systems, including your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.

While diet and stress play an important role in regulating your blood pressure, studies suggest that daily walking can also help keep it under control (4).

Many of the people who embarked on the 30-minute/30-day walking challenge found their blood pressure readings were lower at the end of the month. This can have a massive implication for your long-term health.

More Energy

Contrary to what you would expect, walking 30 minutes a day won’t leave you feeling tired. Rather, it’s energizing. While I cannot explain why this happens, everyone who completes the 30-minute/30-day walking challenge tells me the same thing.

Perhaps it’s the reduction in stress or improved sleep quality and duration. Maybe it’s the increased blood flow and oxygenation of the tissues. Most likely, it’s a combination of these and numerous other things.

Regardless, daily walking day increases energy like a cup of strong coffee, but without the associated jitters or sleeplessness.

Healthy Habits, Determination, and Discipline

Despite what you may have heard, there are no quick fixes to getting fit and losing weight. Instead, getting in shape requires a long-term commitment. To put that in context, I’ve been working out consistently since I was about 15 – so that’s 40 years!

Committing to walking 30 minutes a day for a month is a step toward creating the habits, determination, and discipline you need to achieve your lifelong fitness and weight loss goals. Doing something daily becomes ingrained in your lifestyle.

As fitness becomes a habit, you’ll become less reliant on willpower to exercise and eat right. In time, it’ll become part of your life and something you simply do without thinking about it.

And that’s the reason I’m such a fan of the 30-minute/30-day walking challenge. If you complete it, you demonstrate that you have the skills needed to stick to a long-term program.

If you don’t manage the full 30 days, your reasons for failure can be analyzed and addressed to ensure you are successful the next time you try.

Related: The Mental Side of Fitness: Staying Motivated Beyond January

How to Make Walking 30 Minutes a Day for A Month Work for You

Get even more from the 30-minute/30-day walking challenge with these tried and tested strategies and tips!

Walk at The Same Time Every Day

While it doesn’t matter when you complete your walks, you’ll find the 30-minute/30-day challenge easier to stick to if you do it at the same time each day. I like to do my walks shortly after waking so the demands of the day don’t derail plans. However, any time will do, provided you can be consistent.

Good options include:

• On waking before breakfast
• During your lunch break
• After work/school
• After dinner
• Before bed

Having a set time for your walks makes you less reliant on willpower and makes it easier to create a lasting habit.

Walk Briskly

Walking doesn’t have to feel like a workout to be effective. However, you’ll get better results if you walk relatively briskly, i.e., about three miles per hour or faster. You should feel slightly out of breath during your walk but still be able to hold a conversation.

Imagine you are running late to meet a friend and need to walk a little quicker to ensure you don’t miss them. Walking with purpose will burn more kilocalories and have a more significant impact on your cardiovascular fitness and health.

However, if you are very breathless or your muscles are burning, you are probably walking faster than necessary.

Walk Outdoors

Please don’t be one of those people who drives to the gym just to walk on a treadmill. To me, that sort of thing seems crazy! Instead, go for a walk outdoors and, if possible, somewhere in nature, such as a forest, park, or the countryside. Quiet city streets are also a viable option.

Remember, many of the benefits of daily walking are mental as well as physical. Walking on a treadmill is undoubtedly good for your heart, lungs, and circulatory system, but it won’t do as much for your brain and mental health. So, get out in the world and walk outdoors. Doing so will multiply your results.

Unplug from Technology

Leading on from the point above, don’t undermine the mental benefits of walking by taking a leading cause of stress with you.

Of course, I’m talking about your phone.

All those constant interruptions and updates will cancel out many of the mental benefits of your daily walk. If you must take your phone with you, e.g., for personal safety, make sure it’s on silent and notifications are turned off.

Also, avoid the temptation to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while you walk. Use it as an opportunity to unplug from technology altogether. Trust me – your brain will thank you for this brief detox!

Walk Mindfully

With no phone to distract you, you are now free to focus on all the things happening around you. Use your walk as an opportunity to practice mindfulness. All this means is being present and observing everything that’s going on around you.

Pay attention to the weather, the temperature, sights and sounds, how you feel, your thoughts and feelings, and any other inputs you become aware of. Just soak them up!

Mindfulness has been shown to help many aspects of mental health, including anxiety and depression (5).

Mark the Days on A Calendar

Keep track of your progress by using a calendar. Most people find that using a calendar increases challenge adherence and helps create lasting habits. Once you have a few days ticked off, you’ll be reticent to break your streak.

You’ll probably find a printed sheet more effective than a computer spreadsheet or diary app. Putting pen to paper tends to feel like more of a commitment – like a contract.

Related: How to Walk for Fitness and Fat Loss – Your Ultimate Guide

Walking 30 Minutes A Day for A Month

Most fitness challenges are very intense, like doing 100 push-ups or burpees a day for a month. That’s why so many people start these challenges but fail to finish them. They sound enticing, but they are often too hard to complete.

The 30-minute/30-day walking challenge is much more accessible. In fact, you could say it’s designed to pass. Completing this challenge will empower and build you up. Other challenges just break you down.

So, if you find it hard to stick to a fitness routine, go back to zero and restart your journey by walking 30 minutes a day for a month. Use this challenge to build a healthy habit and create momentum.

That way, when you transition to a more demanding exercise program, you’ll already have an entire month of success behind you. Like a powerful springboard, this is a very positive way to start.

Related: I Walked 10,000 Steps A Day for A Year – Here’s What Happened

References:

1. Rasheed N. Prolonged Stress Leads to Serious Health Problems: Preventive Approaches. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2016 Jan;10(1):V-VI. PMID: 27004066; PMCID: PMC4791152.
2. Edwards MK, Loprinzi PD. Experimental effects of brief, single bouts of walking and meditation on mood profile in young adults. Health Promot Perspect. 2018 Jul 7;8(3):171-178. doi: 10.15171/hpp.2018.23. PMID: 30087839; PMCID: PMC6064756.
3. Hori H, Ikenouchi-Sugita A, Yoshimura R, Nakamura J. Does subjective sleep quality improve by a walking intervention? A real-world study in a Japanese workplace. BMJ Open. 2016 Oct 24;6(10):e011055. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011055. PMID: 27797982; PMCID: PMC5093382.
4. Lee LL, Watson MC, Mulvaney CA, Tsai CC, Lo SF. The effect of walking intervention on blood pressure control: a systematic review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2010 Dec;47(12):1545-61. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2010.08.008. Epub 2010 Sep 21. PMID: 20863494.
5. Keng SL, Smoski MJ, Robins CJ. Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: a review of empirical studies. Clin Psychol Rev. 2011 Aug;31(6):1041-56. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006. Epub 2011 May 13. PMID: 21802619; PMCID: PMC3679190.

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