Is 4.5 mph a very, very brisk walk for you?

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  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
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    I'm 5'4 with short legs so its a jog for me...my heart rate gets up to 145-150 easy.
  • TonysMiss
    TonysMiss Posts: 128 Member
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    I usually walk at about 4mph and my run/jog is usually at about 5.3-5.6 mph
    I'm 5' 5"
    =)
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.

    I'm not saying it's not, but how does that work? Why is it fitness? Walking is propelling yourself whilst always having a foot on the ground, isn't it? Does walking at a certain speed require better fitness than jogging at the same speed? I can jog at 3 mph, to make running more fun for my 4 year old, and it feels like more exercise than walking at that pace.
  • Kate6868
    Kate6868 Posts: 159 Member
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    Anything over 4 mph is a race walk for me. I am 5'10. When I was doing a lot of race walking, it was pointed out that short people actually have the advantage, because their legs are shorter. Think of a metronome - the closer the weight is, the faster it can go. It definitely takes a race-walking technique for me - then I can get up to about 5.5 mph.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.



    5 mph = 12 minute miles = not really possible to walk that fast (without running)

    9 mph = 6:30 minute miles = really damn fast

    the dreadmills often aren't calibrated properly, can you hit those paces outdoors?
  • jellybaby84
    jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
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    I think the average person will cover 3.5 - 4 miles in one hour, walking normally. I can't remember where I read that though.

    If you're talking about treadmills, I work in km so I'm not entirely sure but I walk at 7.5 and run at 10. Not sure what that converts to but I think it's 4.5 for walking and 6 for running? I'm 5'1" But I only do interval training on treadmills and I'm really wussy about it (4 mins running, 1 min walking!!)
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    My dad is 5' 4" and he had no problem walking at 5mph (or even faster). He's been a walker for a long time, though. Back when he was in middle school, he walked to and from school every day to save on bus fare (school was 5.5 mile walk from his home).

    My walking speed has definitely improved as my fitness level improved, but not sure if I'll ever be able to walk as fast as my dad once did!

    Jogging/running definitely burns more than walking at the same pace. Compare running in place to walking in place; you're not going anywhere, but running/jogging is definitely more work. When you're jogging/running, there's a bit of a jumping motion, which expends extra calories.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.



    5 mph = 12 minute miles = not really possible to walk that fast (without running)

    9 mph = 6:30 minute miles = really damn fast

    the dreadmills often aren't calibrated properly, can you hit those paces outdoors?

    Yep, I assure you I have held all of these paces (no exaggeration) according to my Garmin. I just refer to at a treadmill pace/mph because I think most of the people responding use the treadmill. I don't trust the accuracy of treadmill speed either...and run 1x a week (if even) on a treadmill. Yes, I have walked at a 5.2mph pace outside, up a hill and sustained it for a while (not for an hour) but for 10 minutes or so. And yes, I have registered speeds of up a 5.18 minute/mile pace on my Garmin during races.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    Wow - I give props to anyone who can walk 12 minute miles, that is really moving!

    I run tons of miles between 7:00 - 9:30 pace. When I take a day off and walk, I have to work hard to do 15 minute miles.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.



    5 mph = 12 minute miles = not really possible to walk that fast (without running)

    9 mph = 6:30 minute miles = really damn fast

    the dreadmills often aren't calibrated properly, can you hit those paces outdoors?

    Yep, I assure you I have held all of these paces (no exaggeration) according to my Garmin. I just refer to at a treadmill pace/mph because I think most of the people responding use the treadmill. I don't trust the accuracy of treadmill speed either...and run 1x a week (if even) on a treadmill. Yes, I have walked at a 5.2mph pace outside, up a hill and sustained it for a while (not for an hour) but for 10 minutes or so. And yes, I have registered speeds of up a 5.18 minute/mile pace on my Garmin during races.

    Props to you! You've got some serious wheels there! I never (ever) run on the dreadmill, so I was thinking the numbers were not in MPH.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Anything over 4 mph is a race walk for me. I am 5'10. When I was doing a lot of race walking, it was pointed out that short people actually have the advantage, because their legs are shorter. Think of a metronome - the closer the weight is, the faster it can go. It definitely takes a race-walking technique for me - then I can get up to about 5.5 mph.

    So technique helps then? Hmmm...
  • kunibob
    kunibob Posts: 608 Member
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    I'm 5'5", and 4 mph is a speedy walk for me. Anything over that and I'd be doing some sort of awkward, chicken-arm-flapping half-run hybrid. :laugh:
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.



    5 mph = 12 minute miles = not really possible to walk that fast (without running)

    9 mph = 6:30 minute miles = really damn fast

    the dreadmills often aren't calibrated properly, can you hit those paces outdoors?

    Yep, I assure you I have held all of these paces (no exaggeration) according to my Garmin. I just refer to at a treadmill pace/mph because I think most of the people responding use the treadmill. I don't trust the accuracy of treadmill speed either...and run 1x a week (if even) on a treadmill. Yes, I have walked at a 5.2mph pace outside, up a hill and sustained it for a while (not for an hour) but for 10 minutes or so. And yes, I have registered speeds of up a 5.18 minute/mile pace on my Garmin during races.

    Props to you! You've got some serious wheels there! I never (ever) run on the dreadmill, so I was thinking the numbers were not in MPH.

    Yeah I hadn't before this year...but I moved to an area that I'm not 100% comfortable running when it's dark and have had people approach me/call out to me sooo I do my speedwork usually on the dreadmill. I run a lot of races, quite a few of them are 5Ks, but I'm training for a marathon (and a half) right now, in addition to some 5Ks and 10Ks being thrown in there. Currently battling a bit of overtraining stuff, but I think I'm through the worst of it...hopefully. I try and take the easy runs easy (like 9.30s) and the hard workouts hard and it seems to help a lot with dropping my race speed. I am also a highly competitive individual.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.

    I'm not saying it's not, but how does that work? Why is it fitness? Walking is propelling yourself whilst always having a foot on the ground, isn't it? Does walking at a certain speed require better fitness than jogging at the same speed? I can jog at 3 mph, to make running more fun for my 4 year old, and it feels like more exercise than walking at that pace.

    Why isn't it fitness? A huge part of running speed is your stride length and your turnover (how fast your feet touch down). The heavier/less fit a person is, the slower they walk. Ever see a chubby person struggling to maintain a slow pace walking around the mall while sweating? That struggle isn't a sign of their lack of fitness? That person is too out of shape to even walk at an pace others would deem easy. Your HR elevates when you run, even if running at the same pace as a walk, so yes, it is harder to jog at 3mph than walk at 3mph...not really harder perse, but your mind will perceive it as harder when it's really not that much exertion.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    5'3 and I can easily walk at 4.5. I can ever walk super fast at 5mph. And no, I don't have super long legs.

    In terms of running, I've never run slower than a 5.8mph pace. My easy pace is about 6.3, but I can run up to 9 on a treadmill, and can hit about 11mph in a sprint.

    I think it's all relative and has a lot to do with overall fitness though and not really how short/tall you are.

    I'm not saying it's not, but how does that work? Why is it fitness? Walking is propelling yourself whilst always having a foot on the ground, isn't it? Does walking at a certain speed require better fitness than jogging at the same speed? I can jog at 3 mph, to make running more fun for my 4 year old, and it feels like more exercise than walking at that pace.

    Why isn't it fitness? A huge part of running speed is your stride length and your turnover (how fast your feet touch down). The heavier/less fit a person is, the slower they walk. Ever see a chubby person struggling to maintain a slow pace walking around the mall while sweating? That struggle isn't a sign of their lack of fitness? That person is too out of shape to even walk at an pace others would deem easy. Your HR elevates when you run, even if running at the same pace as a walk, so yes, it is harder to jog at 3mph than walk at 3mph...not really harder perse, but your mind will perceive it as harder when it's really not that much exertion.

    I didn't say it wasn't fitness, I just asked why. There must be a limit to a walking speed that is beyond fitness, just as there is for running. I'm not particularly fit, but why is it easier to run/jog at 4.5 mph than walk, when jogging uses more energy than walking?
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    4 mi/hr is my usual pace. LOL. 5'3.75" from a VERY tall family (my mom was the runt on both sides at 5'8"). You have to learn to walk fast to keep up.
  • cm2two
    cm2two Posts: 194
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    im 5'1" and 4.5 is a slow jog while my regular job/run is 4.8/4.9...damn short genes in the family...oh wait, its just ME who is short...everyone else is 5'5" *****es LOL
  • krysydawn
    krysydawn Posts: 231 Member
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    5'5 here and 4.5 is a freakin jog for me!
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    Analyses of the biomechanics of walking vs. running suggest that walking is a more efficient gait except at higher speeds. The crossover point is somewhere around 5 mph, varying with the individual. At that speed, walking and running are equally efficient. Below the crossover point, running is less efficient, apparently because you lose energy absorbing the impact of the ground with your bent knees. Above it, walking falls behind because of the awkwardness of the racewalking gait. Gait is the critical issue, incidentally--running speed is irrelevant. Subtracting out the energy required just to keep you breathing, you'll use about the same amount of juice finishing the marathon in two hours or four.

    Source: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2580/exercise-does-running-burn-more-calories-than-walking

    Might not be the best source, but it makes sense if you think about it. My head hurts now though!
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
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    4.5 mph? I'm 4'11" tall. That's RUNNING. LOL