{"id":3060,"date":"2025-03-01T18:22:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T18:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/time-required-to-walk-a-mile.html"},"modified":"2025-03-01T18:22:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T18:22:18","slug":"time-required-to-walk-a-mile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/time-required-to-walk-a-mile.html","title":{"rendered":"Time Required to Walk a Mile"},"content":{"rendered":"

To calculate how long it takes to walk a mile, you\u2019ll need to factor age, skill level, and general health.<\/p>\n

But if you want a back-of-the-napkin estimate, there is a ballpark range.<\/p>\n

\u201cA beginner can typically walk a mile in 15 to 20 minutes, or three to four miles an hour,\u201d says Bethany Rutledge, a USA Triathlon-certified coach and author of\u00a0Courage to Tri.<\/p>\n

Of course, that leaves a lot of margin for the above factors, explored in greater detail below.<\/p>\n

Mile: Average Walking Times by Age and Gender<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

According to a\u00a02011 study\u00a0that looked at\u00a0average walking speeds\u00a0across different age groups, men and women in their 30s and 40s tend to walk slightly faster than those in their 20s.<\/p>\n

Walking speed then slows very slightly with each subsequent decade before slowing significantly starting in our 60s.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> Get tips on how to convert meters to miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
AGE<\/strong><\/td>\nGENDER<\/strong><\/td>\nSPEED<\/strong><\/td>\nTIME<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20\u201329<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n3.04 mph<\/td>\n19:45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n3.0 mph<\/td>\n20:00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30\u201339<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n3.2 mph<\/td>\n18:45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n3.0 mph<\/td>\n20:00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40\u201349<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n3.2 mph<\/td>\n18:45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n3.11 mph<\/td>\n19:17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50\u201359<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n3.2 mph<\/td>\n18:45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n2.93 mph<\/td>\n20:29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
60\u201369<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n3.0 mph<\/td>\n20:00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n2.77 mph<\/td>\n21:40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
70\u201379<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n2.82 mph<\/td>\n21:17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n2.53 mph<\/td>\n23:43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
80\u201389<\/td>\nMale<\/td>\n2.17 mph<\/td>\n27:39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFemale<\/td>\n2.1 mph<\/td>\n28:34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source:\u00a0PLOS<\/p>\n

How Walking Speed Affects Mile Time<\/h2>\n

\"Low<\/p>\n

Is there a universal standard for a fast, moderate, or slow walking pace? Actually, yes.<\/p>\n

Fitness experts tend to use these general guidelines.<\/p>\n

Fast:<\/strong>\u00a011 minutes per mile<\/p>\n

Moderate:<\/strong>\u00a015 minutes per mile<\/p>\n

Easy:\u00a0<\/strong>20 minutes per mile<\/p>\n

Going by that scale, this is about how long it takes to walk a mile plus some other common distances at a\u00a0moderate pace:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
MILE<\/td>\nKILOMETER<\/strong><\/td>\n3K<\/strong><\/td>\n5K<\/strong><\/td>\n10K<\/strong><\/td>\n1\/2 MARATHON<\/strong><\/td>\nMARATHON<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15\u201320 mins<\/td>\n10\u201312 mins<\/td>\n30\u201337 mins<\/td>\n1 hr<\/td>\n2 hrs<\/td>\n4\u20134.5 hrs<\/td>\n6.5\u20138 hrs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

How Steps Per Minute Affect Mile Time<\/h2>\n

\"Man<\/p>\n

In 2018,\u00a0The British Journal of Sports Medicine\u00a0tracked the steps per minute of people walking at various speeds and arrived at the following ranges.<\/p>\n

Slow:<\/strong>\u00a060 to 79 steps per minute<\/p>\n

Medium:<\/strong>\u00a080 to 99 steps per minute<\/p>\n

Brisk:<\/strong>\u00a0100 to 119 steps per minute<\/p>\n

Vigorous:\u00a0<\/strong>130+ steps per minute<\/p>\n

The researchers also defined 100 steps per minute as \u201cmoderate-intensity exercise.\u201d But be aware that how many steps you take per minute will also depend on your height and stride length.<\/p>\n

Using a\u00a0fitness tracker\u00a0\u2014 like Apple Watch or Fitbit \u2014 can help you gauge your progress and stay motivated.<\/p>\n

Most of these wearable devices track distance covered, calories burned, and steps taken in a day \u2014 or over the course of a workout.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you improve your cardiovascular fitness and get in better shape, your time to complete a mile will fall,\u201d says Rutledge. \u201cIn that case, you might want to consider adding on distance so your workout can remain in the 20-to-30-minute range.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Can I Train to Walk Longer Distances?<\/h2>\n

The key is to be consistent with your walking routine, and gradually add to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a beginner, it helps to focus on frequency initially,\u201d says Rutledge. \u201cFrequency is achieved by first gradually stringing a number of short and easy walks together over many weeks, then slowly adding time, and then finally adding in intensity where appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example:\u00a0<\/strong>Try a 20-minute walk the first week. The next week, aim for 25 minutes, and the next week, go for 30. And when you\u2019re ready, mix up the terrain to challenge yourself by finding places to going uphill or walking at an incline on a treadmill.<\/p>\n

Can I Lose Weight by Walking a Mile a Day?<\/h2>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

That depends on your physical activity level and diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cCombining exercise with diet creates a calorie deficit, which results in weight loss,\u201d says Caleb Backe, a New Jersey-based certified personal trainer and health expert with Maple Holistics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means that while a mile can be enough to result in weight loss, it\u2019s not the only factor to take into consideration,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

The key to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume.<\/p>\n

According to the CDC, walking at a moderate pace (3.5 mph) will enable a 154-pound person to burn about 280 calories per hour while walking at a vigorous pace (4.5mph) will allow them to burn approximately 460 calories an hour.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not bad \u2014 three hours a week, and you\u2019ve burned close to 1,500 calories, right?<\/p>\n

But that won\u2019t translate to weight loss if you follow your first walk with a visit to Starbucks for a sugary frozen drink, and then hit the drive-thru a couple of times that week after work.<\/p>\n

You have to watch what you\u2019re putting in just as much as what you\u2019re burning off.<\/p>\n

Regardless of what you\u2019re doing to lose weight, walking has been shown to offer a host of other benefits.<\/p>\n

They include improved cardiovascular health and aerobic capacity, a lower risk of diabetes and stroke, improved mental health, stronger bones, and better balance.<\/p>\n

And remember: Any amount of exercise is better than none.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to the recent government guidelines, even just 10 minutes of movement daily can optimize your health,\u201d says Backe. \u201cIf you\u2019re walking a brisk mile, it can take you as little as 15 minutes, which means that you\u2019re already getting more than minimum movement for optimal health.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To calculate how long it takes to walk a mile, you\u2019ll need to factor age, skill level, and general health. But if you want a back-of-the-napkin estimate, there is a ballpark range. \u201cA beginner can typically walk a mile in 15 to 20 minutes, or three to four miles an hour,\u201d says Bethany Rutledge, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[91],"class_list":["post-3060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3060\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}