Walking Speeds
How long should it take you to walk a mile? It depends on your level of fitness. Never push yourself beyond a pace that is comfortable. You should be able to carry on a conversation without feeling totally winded.
How many miles can you walk in a hour? It depends on your speed. If it takes you 20 minutes to walk a mile, you will walk 3 miles in an hour (3 mph). This is a beginning level or stroll. If it takes you 15 minutes to walk a mile, you will walk 4 miles in an hour (4 mph). This is an intermediate level or brisk walk. If it takes you 12 minutes to walk a mile, you will walk 5 miles in an hour (5 mph). This is an advanced level or speedwalk.
| Beginning Level / Stroll | 20 minute mile | 3 mph |
| 17.15 minute mile | 3.5 mph | |
| Intermediate Level / Brisk Walk | 15 minute mile | 4 mph |
| 13.35 minute mile | 4.5 mph | |
| Advanced Level / Speedwalk | 12 minute mile | 5 mph |
If you are just starting out and you want to figure out your walking pace (how long it takes you to walk a mile), mark off a mile around your block or wherever you walk and time yourself to see how long it takes you to walk it. I’m lucky that there are half mile and mile marks on the walking trail that I use. If you can’t walk a full mile yet (and, BTW, that’s okay *smile*), time yourself for a half a mile and multiply times two. That will give you your walking pace for a mile. I started out at a 20 minute mile average pace, and I added distance before trying to get faster. I worked up to walking for an hour. Then I walked that same distance and started timing myself as I worked on getting faster.
To move into and beyond the 15 minute mile average pace range will probably take a change in your walking form. You will need to bend your arms at 90° angles and swing them from the shoulder to help propel you forward faster. It also helps with the puffy fingers that you may experience while leaving your arms down to swing. You can also start using a bent arm swing at slower speeds to focus more on proper form — that’s what I did.
There are links to several articles on walking techniques under the Power Walking category on the left. Everyone calls it something different — fitness walking, power walking, aerobic walking, speedwalking, etc. I choose to call it power walking because it makes me feel powerful. *smile*
