Walking is a great form of exercise and can offer many benefits. It’s also a good way to get from place to place, which is why it’s helpful to know how far you’ll be walking before you start!
This post will help you figure out how long it’ll take you straight up, and what variables might make a difference in your best estimate.
So How Long Does It Take To Walk A Mile
Average people are said to be able to walk 3 to 4 miles per hour, meaning that it would take around 15-20 minutes to walk a mile straight up. That’s assuming they’re walking on flat, even terrain with no distractions.
Many factors will affect your walking pace, which will affect how long it takes for you to walk a mile.
The table below will provide an estimate of how long it will take to walk 1 mile according to your walking pace.
| Walking Pace/Speed | Time to 1 Mile |
|---|---|
| 1 Mile Per Hour | 1 Hour |
| 2 Miles Per Hour | 30 minutes |
| 3 Miles Per Hour | 20 minutes |
| 4 Miles Per Hour | 15 minutes |
| 5 Miles Per Hour | 12 minutes |
On a longer walk, you probably won’t be able to go 3 miles per hour. You’ll be breathing harder at points and while some people don’t feel tired at mile 1, others might struggle to keep it up.
Factors Affecting Walking Speed
Estimating how long to walk a mile sounds simple enough. This makes it surprising that there are actually a lot of factors involved in the process. But what’s even more surprising is that there are very strong correlations between the factors involved and actual distance travelled, making it a very useful exercise to understand and predict your walk speed.
One factor that affects your walking speed is the terrain you’re walking on. Loose sand will slow you down somewhat, so will grasses or plants, while paved paths tend to have an effect as well.
Also, the surface you’re walking on influences how fast you can walk. Soft sand will slow you down more than hard-packed dirt or pavement, while areas of grass tend to have more friction than asphalt.
Strength training is another factor that affects your speed while walking. Muscle strength is said to impact your speed by 5-10% and it’s one of the reasons why people with muscular builds are able to walk faster than others even though they might weigh less.
If you’re used to walking distances that are longer than a mile, it’s also likely that you have some cardiovascular training as well. The more you can walk in a week, the more cardiovascular training is likely to affect your speed.
The other factors involve how aware of your surroundings you are and how many things there are to distract you from moving. Basically, distractions tend to slow you down by around 20%.
Considerations On Walking Speed
Over time, you’ll develop a sense of how fast you can walk on different terrains. By timing yourself, you can also get a good idea of your average speed – though doing so on a treadmill is highly discouraged as it’s an inaccurate measurement. The terrain in which you’re walking is likely to change over time as well, so take note and make adjustments accordingly.
You can also keep in mind your walking speed while going up and down hills. Hills have a tendency to slow you down considerably and going uphill is always harder than moving downhill.
The strength training you do is a factor that can impact how fast you’re able to walk, though as mentioned above, it’s not the only one. Expect an increase of around 5%-10% over time if that’s something you want to work on more.
Increasing Your Walking Speed
If you’re tired of walking at the pace you think is normal and you want to walk faster, there are a lot of different things you can do. Weight loss is one of the most popular ways to speed up, though as mentioned above, fat loss is not the only way to go.
Weight loss is about losing fat and gaining muscle. While losing fat helps you to drop weight fast, adding muscle will help you to burn more calories even when at rest. This can have a major impact on how fast you’re able to walk and how many calories you burn while doing it if that’s your goal.
Increasing your walking speed can also be something that comes naturally with time. The more you walk, the faster you will be able to walk. Walking at a slow pace will not get you there, though.
Conclusion
By understanding the factors involved in estimating how far you’ll be walking and how fast you can walk on a given day, you can use that information to make better decisions about your fitness levels. It’s also a great way to gauge your progress, especially if you’re someone who wants to increase the distance they walk as they get stronger.
As with any data, it will take time and practice to understand exactly how these numbers are calculated and how they affect your choices. But this process can help put all of the information together and give you a clearer sense of what’s influencing your choices in everything fitness related.
Related Questions
How Long Does It Take To Walk 2 Miles?
