Walking pace calculator
See your walking pace and speed, and whether it was brisk enough to count towards your 150 active minutes.
Your details
Your walking pace
20:00
minutes per mile
- Speed3.0 mph (4.8 km/h)
- That isbrisk walking: it counts towards your 150 minutes
- Effort (METs)3.5
- Per kilometre12:26
- A 5K walk (parkrun) at this pace1:02:08
- Steps a minutecount your steps for a minute to check the 100 a minute brisk mark
Brisk means you can still talk but not sing. Pace is a guide; how it feels matters more.
Speed
Walking speed in mph and km/h
The result shows your speed in mph and km/h as well as your pace, and how long a 5K walk would take. 3 mph (20 minutes a mile) is a comfortable brisk walk for most adults; the NHS describes brisk as walking fast enough to raise your heart rate, able to talk but not sing.
The working
2 miles in 40 minutes
40 ÷ 2 = 20 minutes a mile, which is 3.0 mph. The NHS describes brisk walking as about 3 mph or faster, so this counts.
Brisk test
The talk test
Brisk means your heart beats faster and you breathe harder, but you can still talk, just not sing. That is moderate intensity, the kind the UK guidelines ask for.
Paces
From stroll to stride
| Per mile | Speed | Feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 30:00 | 2 mph | a gentle stroll |
| 24:00 | 2.5 mph | easy |
| 20:00 | 3 mph | brisk |
| 17:09 | 3.5 mph | purposeful |
| 15:00 | 4 mph | fast |
Steps a minute
The other brisk test
Count your steps for one minute at your usual pace. Research on adults (Tudor-Locke and colleagues, 2019) found about 100 steps a minute marks moderate intensity and about 130 vigorous, whatever your height. 112 steps a minute over 2 miles in 40 minutes is moderate, with a step of about 0.72 m.
Read with care
What this cannot tell you
- TerrainRough paths and hills slow you down.
- EffortSome people are brisk at 2.5 mph, others at 4.
- MobilityAny walking helps; pace is not a test.
Questions
Common questions
What is a brisk walking pace?
About 3 mph, or 20 minutes a mile, for most adults.
How long does it take to walk a mile?
About 20 minutes at a brisk pace.
Does brisk walking count as exercise?
Yes, it is moderate activity.
Sources
- Tudor-Locke C et al. Walking cadence (steps/min) and intensity in 21 to 40 year olds: CADENCE-adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2019
- NHS: walking for health
- Ainsworth BE et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011
- UK Chief Medical Officers: physical activity guidelines 2019
Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
Before you push on
New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.
Related
Related calculators
- Walking time calculatorHow long a walk takes, stops included.Open
- Brisk walk target calculatorMinutes a walk to hit 150, and what brisk means.Open
- Steps to miles calculatorYour step count, in miles, for your height.Open
- Pace calculatorMinutes per mile and per km from any run.Open
- Lunch break walk plannerDistance and steps in your lunch break.Open