Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Are you talking walking only for one mile or walking for 5 miles? Many factors involved here such as, age, your height (determines stride), distance your walking, terrain, etc. I am 66 years old, 6'2" and weight 175 lbs. I generally walk for one hour and fifteen minutes a day over a flat surface and I average 3.2 mph which is about 19 minutes a mile. Twenty years ago my pace was 14 minutes a mile which is 4.3 mph, you are obviously going to slow down as you age. If I only had to walk one mile at my maximum speed I could probably do a 12 minute mile. As long a you are working up a sweat I think that you are going at a good pace. Walking is very beneficial for the heart. I have a BP of 115/75 and my resting heart rate is 50 beats a minute at age 66. I attribute my cardiac health to all that walking, so get out there and walk!
Don't get too hung-up on how fast you're walking; a far more important statistic is how long you spend walking every day, and thus, how long you're keeping your heartrate elevated. This is what aerobic--or cardio--fitness is all about. For example, a decent cardio program would have you exercising to a level which allows you to attain your target heartrate for 45 minutes a day, four to five times a week. To find target heartrate (THR) take the number 220 then subtract your age. Then, from this number, figure out what 75% of it is. THAT is the THR you should be hitting for about 45 minutes a day. After all, walking speed is in-part affected by your stride length. I'm a 6'-2" runner and can power walk a mile in about 12:30. But I wouldn't expect a 5"-6" woman to do that. So, yeah, your 18 minute mile is probably fine to stat-out with. Take your pulse periodically during your walk. (Do this by taking your pulse on your corotoid artery on your neck or on your inner wrist. You'll need a watch. Count your pulse for 15 seconds and then multiply by four. That's your heartrate. Exercise to a level which allows you to hit your THR.
Cardio is all about time spent at THR!! Speed comes later.
I read your post with interest. I am a 5'5 lady and this weekend I walked a 5k event in 37 minutes and 24 seconds. From calculations this equates to 12 minutes 03 seconds per mile. I am 59 years of age. Not everyone falls into categories, each one of us is different!
Walking a fast mile is pointless, it is how long you can sustain the pace over a long period. I walk 6.3 miles each night and my pace average is 14.24 min/mile.
Dead easy to blast one mile out and say you did it in 12 mins, for an average Joe try sustaining that for 5-6 mile!!!
I have a free app from Under Armour called Map my Walk and it lets me know as i walk what the last mile was covered in.
If you can sustain 15 min miles over say 5-10 miles you will get enough cardio for any body.
Walking a fast mile is pointless, it is how long you can sustain the pace over a long period. I walk 6.3 miles each night and my pace average is 14.24 min/mile.
Dead easy to blast one mile out and say you did it in 12 mins, for an average Joe try sustaining that for 5-6 mile!!!
I have a free app from Under Armour called Map my Walk and it lets me know as i walk what the last mile was covered in.
If you can sustain 15 min miles over say 5-10 miles you will get enough cardio for any body.
Average joes aren't turning out a mile in 12 minutes walking even just one, they are more likely in the 18-20 minute mile range
Are you talking walking only for one mile or walking for 5 miles? Many factors involved here such as, age, your height (determines stride), distance your walking, terrain, etc. I am 66 years old, 6'2" and weight 175 lbs. I generally walk for one hour and fifteen minutes a day over a flat surface and I average 3.2 mph which is about 19 minutes a mile. Twenty years ago my pace was 14 minutes a mile which is 4.3 mph, you are obviously going to slow down as you age. If I only had to walk one mile at my maximum speed I could probably do a 12 minute mile. As long a you are working up a sweat I think that you are going at a good pace. Walking is very beneficial for the heart. I have a BP of 115/75 and my resting heart rate is 50 beats a minute at age 66. I attribute my cardiac health to all that walking, so get out there and walk!
Actually, I've found that height doesn't necessarily determine stride. I take much bigger strides that people 6-8" taller than me. The reason for that is that for most of my life, I didn't have a car, so I learned to walk efficiently, to get the most mileage out of my strides. People significantly taller than me, who have never done anything but stroll casually, can't keep up. So one determinant is how motivated you are.
My wife and I are in are sixties (67, 63) and walk 7 miles 3-4 times per week. For us, a 17-minute pace is OK, 16 is brisk, and 15 is fast. I can do the 7 miles at a barely sub-15 pace, but it ceases being fun. I'd say whatever feels brisk to you is fine. I simply track the pace for amusement and to make sure we aren't completely dawdling.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
