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Speed Matters

Here's a quick way to figure out how fast you walk. Instead of timing yourself on a measured track, you can calculate your walking speed by counting your steps. Once you're warmed up, count how many steps you take in a minute of walking (or count your steps for 20 seconds and multiply by 3).

• If you're walking for your health, a pace of about 3 miles per hour (or about 120 steps per minute; fewer if you're tall) is about right. That's a 20-minute mile.
  
  
• To walk for weight loss, you'll have to pick up the pace to 4 miles per hour (or 135 steps per minute), a 15-minute mile.
  
  
• Aerobic fitness comes at 4.5 miles per hour (you're moving along at 150 steps per minute).