Walking Speed: How to Measure, Why it Matters, and How to Improve It

How do you measure your walking speed?

Measuring your walking speed involves calculating the distance covered over a specific period, utilizing methods ranging from simple manual measurements with a stopwatch and known distance to advanced GPS-enabled devices and specialized laboratory equipment.

Why Measure Walking Speed?

Measuring your walking speed, often referred to as gait speed, is more than just a metric for athletes; it's a fundamental indicator of overall health, functional capacity, and even longevity. For fitness enthusiasts, it serves as a performance metric, while for health professionals, it's considered a "sixth vital sign" reflecting cardiovascular fitness, balance, strength, and neurological function. Tracking this speed allows for:

• Assessing Fitness Levels: A faster walking speed generally correlates with better cardiovascular health and endurance.
• Monitoring Progress: For those recovering from injury, managing chronic conditions, or simply aiming to improve fitness, changes in walking speed can indicate progress or decline.
• Predicting Health Outcomes: Research consistently links slower walking speeds to increased risks of mortality, falls, and cognitive decline, particularly in older adults.
• Setting Performance Goals: Establishing a baseline allows for setting realistic and progressive training goals.

Key Metrics for Walking Speed

Before diving into measurement methods, it's crucial to understand the common units and metrics used:

• Speed (Distance per Unit Time):
  • Miles per Hour (MPH): Common in the United States for general fitness and outdoor walking.
  • Kilometers per Hour (km/h): Standard metric unit for speed globally.
  • Meters per Second (m/s): Often used in scientific and clinical research for precise measurements.
• Pace (Time per Unit Distance):
  • Minutes per Mile (min/mile): Popular among runners and walkers to describe how long it takes to cover a mile.
  • Minutes per Kilometer (min/km): The metric equivalent of pace.
• Cadence (Steps per Minute): While not a direct measure of speed, cadence (number of steps taken per minute) is directly related. Higher cadence often contributes to faster walking speed.

Methods for Measuring Walking Speed

Various tools and techniques can be employed to accurately measure your walking speed, each with its own advantages and considerations.

Manual Measurement (Stopwatch & Known Distance)

This is the most basic yet highly reliable method, requiring minimal equipment.

• Procedure:
  1. Identify a Known Distance: This could be a track (e.g., a standard 400-meter track), a measured path in a park, or a segment you've measured yourself using a measuring tape or a car's odometer. For accuracy, a flat, even surface is ideal.
  2. Mark Start and End Points: Clearly define where you will begin and end your timed walk.
  3. Use a Stopwatch: Start the stopwatch precisely as you begin walking from the start point and stop it immediately as you cross the finish line.
  4. Calculate Speed: Divide the total distance by the total time taken.
     • Example: If you walk 1 mile in 15 minutes:
       • Speed = 1 mile / 15 minutes = 0.0667 miles per minute
       • To convert to MPH: 0.0667 miles/minute * 60 minutes/hour = 4 MPH
       • To calculate pace: 15 minutes / 1 mile = 15 min/mile pace
• Pros: Highly accurate, low cost, no reliance on technology.
• Cons: Requires pre-measurement of distance, less convenient for spontaneous walks.

Smartphone Applications (GPS-based)

Modern smartphones are equipped with GPS capabilities, making them excellent tools for tracking outdoor activities, including walking speed.

• How They Work: Apps use your phone's GPS to track your movement over time, calculating distance and speed. Many also offer features like route mapping, elevation profiles, and split times.
• Popular Apps: Strava, MapMyRun, Google Fit, Runkeeper, Nike Run Club.
• Procedure:
  1. Open your chosen app and select "walking" or "outdoor walk."
  2. Ensure GPS is enabled on your phone.
  3. Start the activity when you begin walking. The app will record your distance, time, and calculate your average speed and pace.
  4. End the activity when you finish your walk.
• Pros: Convenient, data logging, route mapping, often free or low cost.
• Cons: GPS accuracy can vary depending on location (e.g., urban canyons, dense tree cover), battery drain, requires carrying your phone.

Wearable Devices (Smartwatches, Fitness Trackers)

Devices like Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, and others have become ubiquitous for fitness tracking.

• How They Work: These devices typically use a combination of GPS (for outdoor activities) and internal accelerometers (for indoor activities or when GPS is unavailable) to estimate distance and speed. Many also track heart rate and cadence.
• Procedure:
  1. Select the "walk" or "outdoor walk" activity on your device.
  2. Ensure GPS is locked (if applicable).
  3. Begin your walk. The device will display real-time speed, distance, and time.
  4. End the activity to save your workout data.
• Pros: Hands-free, real-time data, often integrated with heart rate and other biometrics, comfortable for extended wear.
• Cons: Initial device cost, accuracy can vary between brands and models, particularly for non-GPS based indoor tracking.

Treadmill Measurement

Treadmills offer a controlled environment for walking, making speed measurement straightforward.

• How They Work: Treadmills directly measure the speed of the belt, which is the speed at which you are walking.
• Procedure:
  1. Step onto the treadmill.
  2. Select your desired walking program or manually set the speed.
  3. The display will show your current speed (usually in MPH or km/h), distance covered, and time elapsed.
• Pros: Controlled environment, consistent surface, direct readout of speed, no weather dependency.
• Cons: Not reflective of real-world terrain or wind resistance, potential for calibration inaccuracies on older machines.

Specialized Equipment

For highly precise or clinical measurements, specialized equipment is used, though less common for the general public.

• Gait Analysis Labs: Utilize motion capture systems (e.g., reflective markers and infrared cameras) and force plates embedded in the ground to analyze every aspect of gait, including precise speed, stride length, and ground reaction forces.
• Instrumented Walkways: Pressure-sensitive mats that measure foot contact points and timing, allowing for highly accurate speed and gait parameter calculation.
• Pros: Extremely high accuracy, detailed biomechanical data.
• Cons: Expensive, requires specialized facilities and trained personnel.

Factors Influencing Walking Speed

Several variables can impact your walking speed, making consistent measurement conditions important for accurate comparisons:

• Terrain and Surface: Walking uphill, downhill, or on uneven surfaces (grass, gravel) will naturally slow you down compared to a flat, paved path.
• Incline/Decline: Even slight inclines require more effort and can reduce speed.
• Footwear: Appropriate, well-fitting footwear can improve efficiency and speed.
• Environmental Conditions: Wind, rain, extreme temperatures, and humidity can all affect your comfort and pace.
• Health and Fitness Level: Underlying health conditions, fatigue, or current fitness levels significantly influence walking speed.
• Age and Sex: Average walking speeds tend to decrease with age, and there can be slight differences between sexes.
• Carrying Load: Backpacks or other weights will increase effort and reduce speed.

Interpreting Your Walking Speed

Once you've measured your walking speed, understanding what it means is key.

• General Averages:
  • Casual Pace: 2.5 – 3.0 MPH (4.0 – 4.8 km/h) or 20-24 min/mile.
  • Brisk Pace: 3.0 – 4.0 MPH (4.8 – 6.4 km/h) or 15-20 min/mile. This is often recommended for cardiovascular health benefits.
  • Power Walking/Very Brisk: 4.0 – 5.0 MPH (6.4 – 8.0 km/h) or 12-15 min/mile.
• Clinical Significance: In clinical settings, a walking speed below 0.8 m/s (approx. 1.8 MPH) is often considered a predictor of functional decline and adverse health events in older adults.
• Individual Progress: The most important comparison is against your own baseline. Are you getting faster over time? Are you maintaining your speed as you age?

Tips for Improving Walking Speed

If you're looking to increase your walking speed, consider these evidence-based strategies:

• Incorporate Interval Training: Alternate between periods of brisk walking and recovery (slower pace). This improves cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
• Increase Cadence: Focus on taking more steps per minute, even if they are shorter initially. This can be more efficient than trying to lengthen your stride excessively.
• Strengthen Lower Body: Exercises like squats, lunges, calf raises, and glute bridges build the muscle strength needed for powerful propulsion.
• Improve Core Strength: A strong core provides stability, allowing for more efficient movement of the limbs.
• Practice Good Posture: Stand tall, look forward, relax your shoulders, and engage your core. This promotes efficient gait mechanics.
• Regularity: Consistent walking builds endurance and efficiency, naturally leading to faster speeds over time.

When to Consult a Professional

While fluctuations in walking speed are normal, persistent or sudden changes warrant attention. Consult a healthcare professional or physical therapist if you experience:

• A significant and unexplained decrease in your usual walking speed.
• Pain during walking that affects your speed or comfort.
• Balance issues or increased risk of falls.
• Difficulty maintaining a steady pace.
• Concerns about your gait or functional mobility.

Measuring your walking speed is a simple yet powerful tool for monitoring your health and fitness journey. By understanding the methods and interpreting the results, you can gain valuable insights into your physical well-being and set informed goals for improvement.