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

Oishii

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5'5 here and 4.5 is a freakin jog for me!

jillybeanruns

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

4.5 mph? I'm 4'11" tall. That's RUNNING. LOL

california_peach

I'm 5'8" and I have very long legs. I would say that 4.5 mph would be a slow jog for me. I walk around 3.5 mph

Enforcer25

6'4", I usually jog at 5-5.5 and cool down at 4.0. 4.5 would be a slow jog.

lisaidem

ok, now I feel unfit.. My fast walk is 3 mph at best

Well I am right there with you. I started C25K this week, and I walk at 3.0 and jog at 4.0. A pace of 4.5 is a hard jog for me, that I can't maintain. Actually I cant maintain 4.0 to be honest. But everyone starts somewhere right?

LorinaLynn

I'm 5'5.

My normal walking fast pace is 4mph, with my comfy walking pace around 3.5. I typically jog around 6mph or 6.7mph, but can push for a little faster. I have run a mile in under 8 minutes, but it's been a few months since I timed myself running just a mile.

On a treadmill, I can't jog any slower than 5mph. It's easier for me to walk if it's any slower.

kritty123

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:

Litereally LOL!! What a visual I just had!!

I'm 5'3 and 4.5mph gives me a "right on the edge of a run" type of feel in my legs but then again, us short folks take more steps then the taller ones so I think we do double the work, KWIM?

Oishii

Ok, so I tried walking at 4.5 mph, and I can, but I have to watch RunKeeper constantly to not slow down again. My legs hurt, which they wouldn't have if I'd jogged.

In conclusion, I wish it said ' very, very brisk walk or very, very, slow run'. That way, those of us who are proud to get up to 4.5 mph, might feel our achievement was better acknowledged :happy:

ladybg81

I'm 5'10 and 4.5 is a slight jog for me. I have really long legs as well. I generally job on anything greater than 4 but anything up to 4.5 I can stick walk, though very quickly. 5 is a good speed for me to have a nice jog.

dmpizza

What you lose at the lower speeds is the muscle building in the legs.

fatboypup

4.5 is a VERY BRISK pace for me and im 6'4

shauna121211

I'm 5'5 and I walk 4.5mph on the treadmill and it's very, very brisk for sure, but it's a bit too slow for me to run at that speed.

lisab64

I'm 5'7". Not sure of my exact speed but I walk ((not one step is ran or jogged)over 5mph -- my fastest time so far is 11 min 15 seconds/mile but am typically around the 11min 2X seconds/mile. My normal walks are between 4 and 6 miles in length.

significance

I'm just over 5'1". 4.5mph (7.2 kph) is a very brisk walk for me: it's about the speed I walk when walking for fitness on the flat. At that speed, I do have an elevated heart rate and I puff a little.

My normal pace is closer to 3mph/5kph. I'm told I have a fairly distinctive stride and people can pick me from a distance because of it: I have short legs, but take fairly long steps.

I'm not a runner, but if I alternate jogging and walking, my pace is only a little faster: 8-9kph.

busymom11

1. In walking clinics that I have taken, they say it shouldn't matter how tall or short you are when it comes to speed.
2. If you look in the fitness section on MFP under walking 5 MPH or running/jogging 5MPH you burn the same amount of calories, at least at my weight thats true.
3. Back when I was fitter/weighed less, before back surgery/nerve damage I trained walking at 5MPH (12 min miles) and raced up to about 6 miles at 11:10-11:30min/miles walking not running. I am 5'7" by the way. Since my surgery/weight gain, I'm back to walking but fast for me is now 4MPH, but hoping it will come back down.
4. I think it takes a combination of fitness, technique and lots of practice to build your speed, whether you choose to walk or run/jog.
Happy miles everyone!

Oishii

I'm really not buying the 'height doesn't matter' argument. My 4 year old runs slower than I walk, not because he moves his legs slower, but because his legs are shorter. Surely this has to apply, on a smaller scale, when comparing adults too. If two people move their legs at the same speed, the person with longer legs will move faster. Your only two options when increasing speed are to increase your stride and how frequently your legs move, and a shorter person automatically has a shorter range on the former. How can height NOT affect speed?

significance

Oishii, I'm not convinced either way, but another way to look at it is to consider the speed at which your feet move. Both tall and short people have to move their feet at the same speed to walk at the same pace. The taller person might be moving the top of their thigh slower than the shorter person to achieve this foot-speed, but the speed at the bottom of the leg is the same. Think of a lever with one long end and one very short end:

---

^
^
The longer the long end is, the harder it is to move it from the short end. If the lever is your leg, the foot is at the end of the long end.

valeriebpdx

5'7", I can't run at 4.5 mph. That is a fast walk for me. I can walk 5 mph, but not for very long. I can run as slow as 5 mph.

dukesnyder1963

I walked 3 miles today in 40 minutes, which translates into 4.5 mph. The course is is some gentle inclines and delines and includes 1/4 mile of very steep uphill (and then down the same stretch). I'am 6'1" tall and had to use a long stride with vigorous arm pumping over 40% of the course and a shorter stride with faster leg work over 60%. My heart rate only went real high going up the hill. I think 4.5 mph was fast walking that had my abs aching after the hill work.

dukesnyder1963

During my walk today it seemed that my heart rate was higher when I took long strides and really pumped my arms, and was lower with shorter steps but more of them. I'll do an experiment where the same distance is walked at the same maximum speed using long and medium steps and see which drives up the heart rate more.

I usually combine long and medium length strides in my walks to introduce some variety, and also work in some backward walking, sideways walking and "spinning" walking (slowly rotate to a backward facing as I walk forward and then reverse to the forward facing direction and go to reverse facing in the other direction). I've read where repetitive exercise over a long period can not only get stale fast but lead to stress fractures, so try to spice things up and introduce some interval training (like going up a very steep 1/4 mile stretch at the middle of the walk, and then down the same stretch).

sizzler0123

I run at 4.6 and 4.8 intervals on the treadmill. I am 5'7 and a slow runner, that's all! lol. Just keep moving!!

Missjulesdid

I'm 5'5" and I can't walk at anything higher than 3.7 ! I think it's related to my weight as much as my height. Very obese people tend to take shorter strides in order to keep their center of gravity balanced better. 4.0 is a jog for me.