Everyone’s got a magic number based on their individual goals.

Here, learn what a top coach says about how long should you run.

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woman sweating in the gym

science journalist and the author ofRunning Smart: How Science Can Improve Your Endurance and Performance

Turns out, thats also the amount of time it takes to log an effective run.

You get a lot of bang for your buck in 30 minutes.

So many runners ask me how many miles they should run.

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

But its not about milesits about minutes.

So many runners ask me how many miles they should run, says Johnson.

But its not about milesits about minutes.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

Theres no set number of miles you should run every day.

So, how do you figure out your magic number?

Start slow and gradually increase distance

How many miles should a beginner run each day?

Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

science journalist and the author ofRunning Smart: How Science Can Improve Your Endurance and Performance

So, Johnson says its crucial to start slowly to avoid injury.

A good running distance for beginners is simply as long as your body can handle.

Start with what youcando, and then pick an achievable goal.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

To get comfortable spending more time on your feet, Johnson suggests employing a walk-run strategy.

Just confirm to get in a good warm-up before pounding the pavement.

Thesestretches for runnersare a great place to start (and finish).

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

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Just be mindful about not overloading your system, and increase your mileage gradually.

People are too risky and tend to run too long, in my opinion, Johnson says.

Racking up endless miles makes it all too easy to lose goodrunning form, potentially leading to injury.

(So for many runners, that means peaking around 16 to 18 miles for along run.)

Its important to stay safe so it’s possible for you to make it to that start line.

Spend the extra time instead working on yourrunning powerand strength with drills, andstrength and mobility training.

Youll get more bang for your buck.

They also found that these benefits [plateaued] at 20 miles per week.

Dont have an hour to spare?

Just doingsomethingis better than nothing, Johnson says.

If you only have 15 minutes, get out for 15 minutes.

Youll probably feel better afterward.

Race you down to the sidewalk?

2018 Sep;5(9):739-746. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30227-X.

Epub 2018 Aug 8.

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