What is the ideal walking speed for you?
Ankur Vaish (name changed), 43, has not exercised in over three years. He recently decided to start with walking. The first day he did some brisk walking for about an hour and was exhausted by the end of it. The next day, he pushed himself to maintain the momentum. But by the third day, he found himself shirking and barely managed to pull through 45 minutes. He skipped the walk on Day 4 and has since been erratic with the routine. An elderly neighbour, who hardly ever misses his evening walk and has been observing Vaish, has told him that he is trying to do too much too soon.
Walking is a big part of everyday life. Every person relies on walking to get somewhere, even if it is to the kitchen or the car. The speed at which a human walks can vary from person to person, depending on age, length of legs, mobility, muscle strength and biomechanical factors.
When a person needs to walk faster, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the lower leg will be more active. To walk at a comfortable speed, the ankle, knee and hip joints should have optimal mobility to increase the stride length.
In the absence of significant external factors, humans tend to walk at about 1.4 metres per second or 5 km per hour. Although humans are capable of walking at speeds up to 2.5 m per second or 9 km per hour at a comfortable level, humans typically choose to use only a small range within these speeds. Most people find very fast or slow speeds uncomfortable. For example, elderly people or those suffering from osteoarthritis prefer to walk at a slower speed.
Depending on the reason for walking, be it a race walking competition, recreational walking or trekking, we walk at different speeds. If you are in a race walking competition, depending on the distance, the average speed will be closer to or even higher than the 9 km per hour range. If you are out for a Sunday walk or an afternoon walk with your dog, the speed will tend to be closer to 5 km per hour.
To sustain a walking speed for a longer period of time you will need a comfortable speed. Most healthy people will be able to maintain a walking speed of 6 km per hour for a longer duration.
Listed below are some examples to help you find the speed that is best suited for you. Elderly people or children should feel comfortable while maintaining a speed of 3.5 km per hour.
Beginner walkers can try out a speed of 5 km per hour to start the habit of going for a walk everyday.
Intermediate-level walkers can take on anything from 6 to 6.5 km per hour. Try this for at least 40 minutes a day with one or two days of slightly longer durations.
Advanced walkers can push themselves for a speed of 7- 7.5 km per hour. Try this for 45 minutes everyday and once a week for 120 minutes.
If you are looking for a walking speed to keep you healthy, try out one of the speeds described earlier to see where you fit into the levels. Continue for a couple of weeks to get into the habit of walking and then increase your walking speed to where you are comfortable.
The most important thing about walking speed and health is to be consistent in walking, even if you are a slow walker.
Next week: Exercises that can help if you have arthritis