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Average Human Walking Speed: Walking For Racing | Race Walking | Speed of Walking

Walking is one of the ways in which a human being transports himself or herself. Human beings are bi-pedal species or walk erect and therefore use only two limbs - the legs. The arms move freely while walking and provide a certain amount of balance. Because of the great variations we have in terms of body structure, endurance, stamina, age, and weight, among other factors the average human walking speed may not be indicative of the speed you should walk at, or are capable of walking at.

Walking may be done for the sole purpose of reaching one’s destination. It can also be used as an exercise tool or for competitive sports such as race walking. For each of these applications the speed of walking differs. It is possible to estimate the speed of walking based on a large sample of individuals. This has been done and the results show that the average human walking speed is between 2.8 and 3.4 miles per hour. The upper end of the scale refers more to younger people and the lower end to older people. The speed of walking also depends on the height of the individuals, with taller people being naturally more able to walk faster because of their increased stride length. It should be noted that this average human walking speed applies to pedestrians who are walking in order to get to a destination such as work or a public transport site. This speed average is also affected by pedestrian crowding, road crossings and a number of other factors that affect different locations across the world. The speed of walking is also affected by terrain and weather.

With these numbers in mind, it is possible to try exercise based on walking. For exercise purposes, the average walking speed should be raised up to 4 miles per hour, possibly more. This increases the load on the body, making it easier to provide the body with the effort that it needs in order to be properly exercised. The speed of walking is the main determining factor in the energy used during a particular walk. When an individual is moderating his or her speed of walking, the duration of the walk should be maintained so that a varied distance is covered in every walk. This makes it possible to provide targeted effort to the body and allows the walker to exercise exactly as required.

When it comes to walking for racing, the average human walking speed is between 12 and 15 miles per hour. This applies to competitive race walking which is an Olympic sport. Walking at this speed is not possible without certain techniques that are employed by professional walkers.

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