Nothing feels more satisfying than turning your tracker off after a run and appreciating the miles logged on the screen. But how do you decide how many miles to run in the first place?
There’s actually quite a bit that goes into the calculation, beyond even your reason for lacing up your sneakers (say, whether you’re hitting the pavement casually for the heart benefits versus training for an endurance race). Distance is actually secondary, many experts say, to a more important factor: time.
This is mostly because running is a cardio and endurance workout, says Laura A. Richardson, PhD, a professor of applied exercise science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, and the perks to your heart come with time—not distance. Even if two people are running at the same level of intensity, they could totally have different paces depending on their fitness level, age, and more. Maybe I can comfortably jog three miles in 30 minutes, but what constitutes a comfortable jog for you gets you to four or five miles in that same time period. Our paces may be different, but we still worked out our lungs, muscles, and heart in the same cardio “zone,” so to speak, for the same amount of time. And, it’s through this duration that you really start to see improvements and benefits.
Another perk? Time-based running also encourages you to focus on maintaining a consistent effort rather than worrying about how far you’ve run. This is especially useful for people who are building endurance, because it helps to avoid burnout or pushing too hard to hit a specific distance.
Here’s how you can think about your daily running time and distance as it applies to your fitness goals.
Meet the experts: Laura A. Richardson, PhD, a professor of applied exercise science and movement science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Erica Coviello, CPT, is a level 2 certified RRCA running coach and owner of Run Fit Stoked.
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How Long To Run Per Day For Overall Well-Being
Beyond working your heart, running also benefits your lungs, bones, muscles, cholesterol, blood pressure, and brain, says Richardson. If you’re running for general health, the ideal prescription is really about hitting that CDC-recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise per week.
However you divide it is up to you, but it’s best to incorporate running bouts evenly and frequently to build consistency, says Erica Coviello, a level 2 certified RRCA running coach. If you’re running five days per week, that’s running for 30 minutes each time, and if you’re running every day, it’s a quick 20-minute session. (BTW, walking breaks are welcome and totally count toward your time goals, as long as your heart rate is staying slightly elevated, says Coviello.)
Since each runner has their own pace, 150 minutes will bring them an entirely different distance. When it comes to running for health, you really *don’t* need to be thinking about the miles at all, says Coviello. But, if it’s easier to keep track of mileage, estimate how many minutes it takes you to run one mile at a comfortable pace for you—you won’t want to be huffing and puffing at this speed—and then divide 150 by that pace. If you’re a 10-minute miler, that means you’d be running a total of 15 miles in a week. And, say you want to run five times a week—that means you’ll be running three miles, five days a week.
If you don’t already have an idea of what this is, enlist the help of a fitness tracker or run app. Go on a run at a speed where you can sustain a conversation or sing your favorite pump-up song. This is a sign you’re running in the appropriate heart rate zone (which refers to how hard your heart is working) and, therefore, at the right pace. You can also get more technical with it, if your fitness tracker collects heart rate data. You’re looking to spend most of your time running in zone 2—or 60 to 70 percent of your heart rate max, which you can calculate by subtracting your age from 220, explains Coviello.
Keep in mind that starting slower and for less time is totally okay. Running for just five to 10 minutes per day can still give you some of the same benefits, according to an older study in the Journal of American College of Cardiology.
How Many Miles To Run Per Day If You’re Training For A Race
While those running to stay on top of their health and fitness want to run a consistent distance every day, anyone who has trained for a race knows that distance varies every time you head out the door. To get the best, most detailed idea of how that shakes out, work with a run coach or follow a training plan, says Coviello. (WH has expert-backed 5K, half-marathon, and marathon training plans, FYI.)
The reason why distance changes is because a good running program incorporates a few different kinds of runs—easy runs, speed runs, and long runs—that will help you reach your ultimate goal. They also are looking to build up distance, so from one week to the next, you’ll be upping your mileage. Then, if you’re running a half or full marathon, as the race gets closer, you’re going to want to taper down your distance to let your body fully recover before the big day.
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How Many Miles To Run Per Day For Weight Loss
If you’re running with weight loss goals at the top of your mind, time is going to be more important than distance in this scenario too (as will making sure you’re getting the proper fuel for your body and strength training two times per week, says Richardson).
For weight loss, Richardson recommends running for 30 to 45 minutes at least three times per week. So, if you run at a 10-minute pace, that means you’d be running anywhere from three to four and a half miles per day. Plus, playing with intensity by either incorporating hills or playing with speed can also help increase the burn of a run.
If you’re still curious about distance, though, one 2023 study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that, compared to people who didn’t hit 150 minutes of activity per week, people who ran at least 10 kilometers per week (a little more than six miles) saw changes in their body composition, resulting in less body fat. It’s worth mentioning that six miles is the low end, though. The average distance for runners in the study was between 13 and 21 miles.
How many miles a week is safe for my body?
Running is a high-impact sport, which means that overuse injuries can arise. The best way to avoid them is to pay close attention to how you’re feeling. “Your body is gonna speak to you,” says Richardson.
Listen to the achiness, fatigue, or those moments when you sense your body is telling you that you shouldn’t put on your sneakers. Whether it’s IT band pain, shin splints, or aches in your feet or hips—these are all signs that you’re doing too much too soon, says Coviello.
There’s no one distance that is too much and automatically puts you in a danger zone, since so much of running comes down to the individual. The key to avoiding injuries is variety, says Richardson. Add in resistance training to help build strength and resilience in your muscles, reduce the length of your runs when necessary, and try cross training to keep working your heart without putting the same demand on your bod. (Some of the best cross-training workouts for runners are swimming, the elliptical, rowing, and cycling, says Coviello.) You’ll also want to get in some yoga and mobility exercises.
Tips For Building Up Your Milage
Not quite comfortable with running for 20 to 30 minutes straight yet? There are two main ways you can work on upping your mileage.
First, vary the intensity of the run that you’re already capable of doing. Increasing your speed for intervals of time or incorporating inclines or hills will help push your endurance to the next level, says Richardson. You can also stick with the distance you already have and focus on increasing just one of your runs per week. Focusing on extending that long run will eventually have you feeling more comfortable running that distance, says Coviello.
Olivia Luppino is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests. She’s currently training for her first half marathon, inspired by her many colleagues at WH who have run one.
