March 28, 2024

So how fast should you walk when you are getting exercise? A new study from San Diego State University seems to answer that question.

People who walk for exercise should aim for a pace of 100 steps per minute to ensure their workout is intense enough, according to researchers.

Many people who want to keep fit use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps they take. However, the device gives no information on how intensely they’re exercising that is, whether their heart rate is being raised enough to improve physical fitness.

100 Steps per minute

In the new study, researchers found that the average walker should aim for 100 steps per minute at a minimum in order to get a moderate-intensity workout.

Experts recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five times per week. If those 30 minutes are achieved in one session, that means taking a minimum of 3,000 steps per session. However, the researchers point out in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, walkers can also break those steps down into several shorter exercise sessions throughout the day.

“Because health benefits can be achieved with bouts of exercise lasting at least 10 minutes, a useful starting point is to try and accumulate 1,000 steps in 10 minutes, before building up to 3,000 steps in 30 minutes,” lead researcher Dr. Simon J. Marshall, of San Diego State University, said in a news release from the journal.

A simple pedometer and a wristwatch, he added, offer walkers a way to ensure they are working out intensely enough.

4 thoughts on “How fast to walk for exercise

  1. Really cool site. I never really thought to have a minimum rate of walking before. Although, I disagree to a certain extent with the above commenter. I don’t think you’d be wasting your time. Any physical exercise is better than none.

  2. I have for a long time worked with individuals on a one on one basis trying to educate them on the importance of heart rate training. Simply going for a walk, or using the elliptical trainer for twenty minutes a day will not help you accomplish your goals. We, the American people have the mentality “something is better than nothing”. I don’t really buy into that. Whatever exercise you choose to do, you must know what your heart rate is at. Everyone has a specific heart rate that they need to train at to accomplish your goal ( loss, rehab, improving cardiovascular fitness, etc.). Not knowing what your heart rate is at while you exercise is like driving your car without a speedometer. You don’t know how fast or how slow you are going. If you are exercising and not elevating your heart rate into it’s proper training zone, you are SIMPLY WASTING YOUR TIME !!! Be sure to get a heart rate monitor. It’s the one tool that will help you achieve your goals.

    Sean Massie

  3. I started training with this excellent trainer called Roland Semprie in downtown Toronto. And what he suggests that doing a little bit of running and walking helps a lot as well. He as taught me to run at least 1.5 miles on the treadmill, and I must say that has helped me a lot.

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