When you are just getting started with a new exercise program, walking 2 miles seems like a good workout goal. It’s long enough to get a good workout, but it is not so long that you feel intimidated. When you use a treadmill, several variables will affect how long it takes you to walk the 2 miles.

Factors

The faster you walk, the less time it will take you to walk 2 miles. On a treadmill, you can vary the speed at which the belt turns, walking either faster or slower. You may also want to vary the speed of that walk by walking as fast as you possibly can and then slowing down your walk for a cooldown. You may also want to do other exercises, such as lunges, as you walk your 2 miles to boost your workout. These variables all mean that the exact time that it will take you to walk 2 miles will probably vary each time you do your workout.

Time Frame

If you set the speed at 3 mph, you will walk your 2 miles in 40 minutes. At 4 mph, it will take about 30 minutes to walk 2 miles. If you can walk at a 5 mph pace–a fast walk–you can complete your workout in just 24 minutes.

Considerations

Most treadmills also include an incline feature, which lifts the belt of the treadmill at an angle, simulating walking uphill. This makes it more difficult, which means that you may have to slow down the speed. However, you may be able to burn more calories because you work harder.

Misconceptions

Your treadmill probably has a chart that lists the “fat-burning zone” as a certain number of heartbeats per minute. This may be the optimal rate for burning fat, but you will still burn more calories by working out harder, which will lead to faster weight loss. Don’t believe that the fat-burning zone is the best rate for you to work out if you want to lose weight.

Potential

Walking can be a great way to burn calories to lose weight. The amount of calories burned depends on your weight and how fast you walk. You will burn more calories if you weigh more, and you will also burn more calories the faster you walk. Use a calories-burned calculator to determine how many calories you will burn in your workout.