Running A Mile A Day: The Pros And Cons For Your Health

It might be the new goal you need.

Whenever I come back from a long break in running, I have a special trick that gets me on track with ease: running a mile a day. One mile takes somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes depending on how fast you’re going, so it’s super easy to motivate for—and it doesn’t overload your body after a period of not lacing up your sneakers. I’ll tell myself, “It’s only ten minutes,” and before I know it, I’ve left my apartment, circled the neighborhood, and enjoyed the endorphin rush that comes even after just one mile. By the end of the week, I get to feel accomplished, having a satisfying scroll through my Strava.

Whether you’re an experienced runner or brand new to the sport, setting this running goal works for a few reasons. The first is that it’s an appropriately-sized challenge. Even if running has never been your thing, working toward a daily mile is totally doable. Most people can safely run or walk a mile per day with little to no risk of injury, says Steve Stonehouse, CPT, USATF run coach. (Yep, walking breaks are totally acceptable!) The second reason is that it builds a routine. “Consistency is really more important than anything else that you're going to do,” says Erica Coviello, CPT, RRCA running coach and owner at Run Fit Stoked. Getting in the habit of running will set you up for success if you want to train for a longer distance later on, like a 5K.

Seasoned runners also stand to benefit from running a mile every day. "If you already have a regular running routine, increasing up to daily runs could improve your stamina and mood, too," adds Rebecca Kennedy, CPT, Peloton Master Tread Instructor. It’s also helpful during an off-season, so that you don’t abandon your routine entirely and need to start from scratch (like me). Running a mile a day allows you to maintain fitness in the offseason without overdoing it, says Coviello.

Meet the experts: Erica Coviello, CPT, is a level 2 certified RRCA running coach and owner of Run Fit Stoked. Steve Stonehouse, CPT, USATF run coach, is the former director of education for STRIDE. Rebecca Kennedy, CPT, is a Peloton Master Tread Instructor.

So, if you need a little extra push to get moving, this is it. But before you set that daily reminder to get out there and log that mile, there are a few things the pros want you to keep in mind.

As long as you do it safely (more on that soon), running a mile a day is a great way to support your overall health and fitness.

"You get all the benefits of running in general, like supporting cardiorespiratory fitness and bone health, without the volume of mileage that can potentially cause injury," says Stonehouse. More benefits of running? Stress relief, getting you outside, and improved sleep. It could also give you a mental health boost, according to one 2020 review in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

If you’re a beginner, running a mile a day is a great way to get your body used to running without overdoing it, says Coviello. It will also help you build a routine and give you time to recover. For experienced runners, running a short distance daily will allow you to maintain fitness, give your body a break from more intense distances, and stay consistent.

It depends. Though logging a daily mile can be a great way to get moving and support your health and fitness goals, it won’t quite land you in the 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity per week territory that the Center for Disease Control recommends. But, if running a mile a day is your first step to building out your fitness routine, it’s a great start, says Coviello.

If you have a performance-based goal like building muscle (or even want to reap the full cardiovascular benefits that come with running), you’ll need to increase your mileage. "Low-intensity cardio does not lead to muscle gain, a.k.a. hypertrophy," says Kennedy. If you run a mile at an easier or more moderate pace, you rely on type I (a.k.a. slow-twitch) muscle fibers, which support endurance exercise. (Picture a marathon runner.)

However, "sprinting is a great way to focus on muscle gain," Kennedy says. Sprinting recruits more muscle fibers, specificallytype II (a.k.a. fast-twitch) muscle fibers, which support power production.

A surefire way to build that muscle? This equipment-free workout sculpts your lower body from home:

That said, sprinting just a total of one mile a day likely isn't enough to make noticeable muscle gains, says Kennedy. "In order to really put on muscle, you need to lift weights, eat enough to support muscle tissue breakdown and protein synthesis, and get adequate recovery."

Ultimately, can sprints support your progress? Totally. But will they do the job on their own? Not so much.

A 155-pound person burns about 360 calories in 30 minutes of running at a 10 minute/mile pace, according to Harvard Medical School. Run a single mile at that pace and you'll burn about 120 calories.

While that's definitely something, it's likely not going to keep you progressing toward your goals long-term. Weight loss also depends on a lot of other factors, like genetics, nutrition, and the other activities you’re doing.

If weight loss is your ultimate goal, you'll want to focus on training that helps you burn fat efficiently and build muscle. Which is why, ultimately, just running a mile a day won't do much to move the needle towards your long-term weight-loss goals; it simply doesn't burn enough calories. (Not sure what to try? These are the top calorie-burning exercises.)

Running one mile a day is generally safe because it’s a short distance, says Coviello, but like with running in general there are risks including plantar fasciitis, shin splints, runner’s knee, or IT band pain. “Just a mile is usually not going to be the thing that puts you over that edge,” though, she says. If you are experiencing any pain while running, you shouldn’t push through it. All of those issues are best resolved with a run coach or physical therapist.

If you don't have a current running routine, it’s okay to work your way up to running daily and incorporate rest days in between runs—this can also minimize your risk of overuse injuries. You can also run-walk, says Coviello. Break up your mile with regular running and walking intervals until you feel comfortable running the entire time.

One time when running a mile a day might be too much? If you’re adding it on top of a workout routine. You’re going to want to give your body some time to recover, so don’t let a daily run set you over the edge.

Still, though, "running daily is not for everyone, just like power lifting every day isn't advisable," Kennedy says. So don't feel like if you haven't tried running a mile a day that you're missing out. There are plenty of other ways to reap similar benefits. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that, while you can totally build a tolerance to daily runs, switching up how you move from day to day can keep you feeling fresh, both in body and in mind.

If you’re a beginner, you don’t necessarily need to even run the full mile. Take walking breaks when you need them, or try switching between running and walking intervals, decreasing the walking intervals overtime. Another important thing to keep in mind: “Slow down when it feels hard,” says Coviello. By taking your mile slowly, you’ll find more stamina to keep going.

As for building this daily mile into your schedule, creating visual cues or a reward system might also help. Coviello recommends using a calendar or chart and checking off when you complete a run. You can also use a running app. And, at the end of the week, you can celebrate your runs with a coffee from your favorite shop, she says.

Kennedy says her go-to way of incorporating a one-mile run into daily exercise is as a finisher. "It's an incredible way to feel accomplished at the end of a workout," she says. Whatever gas you've got left in the tank, burn through it in that mile. Or, if you take your daily mile at an easier pace, it works well as a warm-up, too.

Olivia Luppino is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health where she covers health and fitness. She previously wrote for The Cut, POPSUGAR, and Salon and has written about everything from New York Fashion Week to dating app trends to the United States Women’s National Soccer team (a.k.a. her heroes). When she isn’t writing, Olivia is likely catching up on Bravo shows or running late to barre class.

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