Walkers... How Fast Is Fast?

OldAssDude
OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The fastest average speed I have gotten up to so far is 4.3 mph on a 4.5 mile walk.

Is that fast for a 5'9" 58 year old 175 lb. dude?

I would like to know how fast other people walk. Please include height, age, weight.

thanks,
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Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I'm from Canada so I work in kilometers. I know I run as slow as a brisk walk, which is about 12 mins a kilometer. I'm a 5'4" woman, about 185 pounds. I'm old enough to be your sister.
  • SeanNJ
    SeanNJ Posts: 153 Member
    The walkers in "The Walking Dead" are more like shamblers really. Can't imagine they're moving at more than a couple mph.

    Those f&#$ers in "28 Days Later" were scary as hell though. Full out sprint, no need to rest.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    Walking, I try to maintain a 14:30 to 14:45 mile pace.

    A 15 minute mile is 4 miles per hour
    4.3 MPH is about 13:55. Pretty good per this 60 year old.
    A 12 minute mile is 5 miles per hour.

    I run 4 miles at 11 minutes per mile. I'm 5'10" and just got under 200#
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited October 2015
    I think leg length and stride length are going to be the biggest factors in walking speed, just like it is for running speed. I've measured my walking stride and it's about 26". I'm 5'3.5", 130-135 pounds, and can walk as fast as 4.1 MPH before needing to run to go any faster. I haven't tried to keep that pace up for long because walking faster than 3.5 MPH is usually the warm up for a run. :smile: But I can walk at 3.7 for a very long time if I don't lose focus and slow down.

    I'm a few months shy of my 50th birthday but that doesn't have as much impact on my walking speed as my height since I'm in much better shape at 49 than I was at 35.
  • Thowe92
    Thowe92 Posts: 109 Member
    4.3 mph is pretty fast for "walking." I would consider that a light jog actually. If you can actually do that while walking then props to you good sir.
  • Werk2Eat
    Werk2Eat Posts: 114 Member
    i am 36 5'7 156 lbs and i lighty jog at 4.5mph so i would think thats pretty fast for walking.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    On the treadmill, 4.4-4.7 is about as fast as I can go without breaking into a jog, and I usually go about 4.2 if I am going to be sustaining it for a few miles. Outside, most of my "brisk" walks average about 3.8-4.0, though I don't do many now that I live near the canyons. My trail walks are much slower, usually around 3mph because of all the hills.

    I'm 5'9", 150 lb, and 40 years old.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,488 Member
    Stride length will matter. Stride length is different for everyone, so people who are shorter will have to have a faster cadence than people who have longer strides if they are traveling the same speed. So where 4.0 might be fast for a long strider, someone with a short stride to do that speed, may actually be almost jogging to keep up the same speed.
    What's fast for a walker? I'd say 4.0 is fast.

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  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    I think that is walking at a good chop. For me, 2.5 is a stroll. 3 is just walking. 3.5 is walking quicker.

    I think that it also depends on your height. Shorties are going to have to walk a lot faster to hit 3.5 than I would. If you're tall, you've noticed through your life how you have to slow down when walking with shorter peeps. So, it differs by person.

    Shorties are lucky that they get a better walk in when going the same distance! There are some bonuses to being short. :)
  • mz_getskinny
    mz_getskinny Posts: 258 Member
    SeanNJ wrote: »
    The walkers in "The Walking Dead" are more like shamblers really. Can't imagine they're moving at more than a couple mph.

    Those f&#$ers in "28 Days Later" were scary as hell though. Full out sprint, no need to rest.

    You just made me LOL at work!!!!!!
  • mz_getskinny
    mz_getskinny Posts: 258 Member
    On the treadmill, 3.5 is a very slow walk for me, 4.0 is brisk, 4.5 is a definite power walk. 3.5 is a jog for my co-worker who has much shorter legs.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    32, 5'8", just popped outta the 200lb club, (yay), and I'm not sure about mph, I guess I will find that out in the Winter... But I can go anywhere from 12 minute/hr to 17 minute/hr. Lately it has been really slow, my heel spurs have been very difficult and super painful the last few weeks.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited October 2015
    It all depends on how many steps you make in a mile ( stride)

    How tall you are does not mean a thing when you have shorter legs then somebody of the same height with long legs.

    If i see my friend who is the same height she walks fast at 4.1 mph. But for me 3.5 mph is already fast and i really almost have to jog.

    then we have the "how fit" you are factor & different weights etc.
    One of the ladies in my group is at least "6.0 tall and younger, but cant keep up with me at 3.7 mph.

    Lots of different factors play a part.

    So 3.5 mph is brisk for me
    5.5"
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    50 years YOUNG!

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  • choppie70
    choppie70 Posts: 544 Member
    I am 5'2" and 3.8 mph is about as fast as I can walk without having to break into a jog!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited October 2015
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    32, 5'8", just popped outta the 200lb club, (yay), and I'm not sure about mph, I guess I will find that out in the Winter... But I can go anywhere from 12 minute/hr to 17 minute/hr. Lately it has been really slow, my heel spurs have been very difficult and super painful the last few weeks.
    Congrats and welcome to Onederland. :)

    For the heel spurs, do stretches and (you will probably not like this piece of advice), stop walking fast or long distances. Let those things heal! I had an issue when I started walking - walked too far and too fast - and ended up with serious ouchies and taking time off. Stretches! Rest! Aleve for pain. And try swimming for exercise instead of walking.

    I received that advice and ignored it. I regretted it later, but I blew it off, so I will understand if you do, too. :)
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    Thank you for all the good responses. It seems like I am doing pretty good so far. my longest walk so far is 6.3 miles with an average pace of 4.1 mph. I do have pretty short legs too.

    I am also working on my walking style. Getting into a good rhythm and letting my arms control the step speed.

    Thanks again everyone.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    We have the same 10 k time.

    6.7 kmh/ 4.1mph over 10km.
    F, 5'1, 102 lb, 62 yo.

    Cheers, h.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    I'm a ridiculously fast walker and ironically a ridiculously slow jogger/runner.

    When I am walking for fitness, I usually clock a 12 minute mile.

    Yep, me too. I can walk a 12-minute mile without much effort, but I only run around a 9-10 minute mile.

    Darn bad knees!

    I would call 4.3 MPH quite respectable if not quite fast.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    32, 5'8", just popped outta the 200lb club, (yay), and I'm not sure about mph, I guess I will find that out in the Winter... But I can go anywhere from 12 minute/hr to 17 minute/hr. Lately it has been really slow, my heel spurs have been very difficult and super painful the last few weeks.
    Congrats and welcome to Onederland. :)

    For the heel spurs, do stretches and (you will probably not like this piece of advice), stop walking fast or long distances. Let those things heal! I had an issue when I started walking - walked too far and too fast - and ended up with serious ouchies and taking time off. Stretches! Rest! Aleve for pain. And try swimming for exercise instead of walking.

    I received that advice and ignored it. I regretted it later, but I blew it off, so I will understand if you do, too. :)

    Ugh, I wish! I have had these, and plantar fasciitis for a year and a half. Granted, I have not done well at taking care of them previously. I ice them twice a day now, like I was originally supposed to, and am on pain pills for that and my back. I do the calf stretches and the toe curls, but for the swimming... I don't have a pool near me, and the rec center isn't open during hours that are good for me. and let's just say I have almost drowned 5 times. The pain actually got better when I started walking, but I attempted to "run" in the beginning of September(that must have been hilarious looking) and I think it messed it up bad. I'll slow up my walks, for sure. It's too hard on me to go fast right now. Ty!! Do you have any other suggestions other than the calf exercise(going up on balls of feet) and toe curls? I hate my podiatrist and haven't found a new one with good reviews in my area yet.

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