Calculate average walking speed.
Speed is distance over time, and pace is its inverse expressed per kilometre — the form most walkers and runners think in. Dividing distance by your stride length gives the step count, and dividing that by the minutes taken gives cadence, which is the variable you can actually adjust: walking faster is mostly a matter of taking more steps per minute rather than longer ones.
Walking speed and cadence
Speed = distance / (time in minutes / 60); pace = time in minutes / distance; cadence = (distance x 1000 / stride length) / time in minutes
These figures are estimates based on population-average formulas and are intended for training and recreational planning only. They are not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional before starting or changing an exercise programme, particularly if you have an existing medical condition.
Comfortable adult walking is about 4.5-5.5 km/h. Brisk walking — the pace that counts as moderate-intensity activity — is roughly 5.5-6.5 km/h.
Around 100 steps a minute is the common threshold for moderate intensity in healthy adults, with brisk walking often reaching 110-120.
Usual walking speed is a well-established marker of functional capacity in older adults and correlates with cardiovascular fitness.