walking speeds

Question
Hi, I'm a female age 61, and walk on a powered treadmill, so I have specific control over the speed & incline and know the distance I've traveled and the estimated calories burned.  I'm 5'3" and weigh 138 and am able to walk 3 to 3.6 mph for 40-60 minutes on an incline of 3 or 3.5  I'm amazed at people of 5'4" that say they can walk 4-5 mph for an hour.  I've gotten the speed up to 4 mph a couple times but can't hold it more than a minute, without feeling like I'll be thrown off the treadmill.  Should I have a goal of walking 4 mph for 40-60 minutes? Is it possible without jogging/running, for my height.

Answer
First of all, the incline has something to do with it. Is 3 or 3.5 a measure of degrees or % grade? Different treadmills have different ways of measuring this. If this represents a significant grade, then your 3.6 mph translates to a lot faster on the flat.

Your height should not make too much difference. Shorter people have shorter strides, but usually can move their legs faster to make up for it.

Be cautious about believing what people say they can do as far as walking speeds. However, there are plenty of exceptionally fit people who can walk tremendous speeds. And highly competitive racewalkers routinely walk 7 to 9 mph. I personally have averaged 4.25 mph for 100 miles. Unless you plan to be a competitor, you should always take care not to compare yourself to others when it comes to matters of exercise capacity. All that counts is how our own efforts relate to our health.

Adding speed to your workouts will indeed add to your fitness level, but at higher risk of injury. You should always keep a long-term outlook on matters of health, and consistant, injury-free walking is the best way to stay healthy. I see no reason to try to push your pace up or take up jogging. I always tell people that walking gives them 90% of the health benefits of running.

If you choose goals of faster walking or jogging, I can empathize with that, having done exactly that for much of my life. But good health does not require it.