How Long Does It Take to Walk 3 Miles by Age and Gender?

Walking is a popular form of exercise that can help you stay active and maintain good health. But if you’re planning to walk for fitness or transportation, you may be curious about how long it takes to walk 3 miles. While the answer varies based on factors such as age, fitness level, and terrain, understanding the approximate time it takes to complete a 3-mile walk can help you plan your exercise routine or daily commute.

It takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to walk 3 miles at the regular speeds between 3 to 4 miles per hour. Regardless, 3 miles is achievable for beginners looking to gain cardiovascular fitness, burn calories, lose weight and stay active.

So, let’s have a look at how different aspects affect your walking time, as well as tips on how you can manage the walk consistently;

How Long are 3 Miles? Three miles approximate 4.8 km and are equal to 15840 feet so you can estimate the distance based on your parameters. Nonetheless, you will realize that it is one of the moderate distances people consider for low-impact fitness exercises.

How Long Does It Take to Walk 3 Miles at Different Paces?

Basically, it takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes to walk 1 mile, depending on your pace. Therefore, at a constant pace, 3 miles will take 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Read Also: How Many Calories Are Burned Walking 3 Miles and Weight Lost?

Time Varies Walking 3 Miles By Age And Gender

Research indicates that people of different ages and sex walk at different paces even when their health and fitness levels match. Typically, people in their 20s to 50s walk faster than people in their 60s +, with those in their 40s walking the fastest. Likewise, men walk faster than women across ages and fitness levels.

Examples;

• Gender: men in their 20s walk at a pace of 3.04 miles per hour at a leisurely pace, while women in the age group walk at a pace of 3 miles per hour. Consequently, men take 59 minutes on the 3-mile walk while women take 1 hour on the walk.
• Age: men in their 40s walk at an average pace of 3.2 in a leisurely walk, while the women in the age group walk at a pace of 3.11 miles. Therefore, they finish a 3-mile walk at 56 and 58 minutes consecutively. 

On the other hand, men in their 60s walk at a leisurely pace of 3 miles per hour, while women walk at 2.77 miles per hour. Thus, a 3-mile walk takes 1 hour for men and 1 hour and 5 minutes for women.

So, younger people take a shorter time to finish a 3-mile walk compared to seniors.

According to a 2011 study, age and gender are factors that influence how long it takes to walk. Men can walk a mile faster than women. But they are insignificant.

Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Walk 4 Miles (& How many steps)?

How Many Steps to Walk 3 Miles?

It is essential that you know how many steps you take in a distance in order to evaluate your walk. Walking 3 miles takes between 5500 to 7200 steps, lying in a range defined by ACSM as quite active. The study by ACSM showed that 5000 to 7500 steps are equivalent to a somewhat active walk. 

Primarily, your number of steps in the distance is guided by your height, sex, and pace. Consequently, you find that the faster you walk, the longer the strides you take. On the other hand, taller people have a larger stride, hence minimizing their step count. Likewise, men have longer strides and fewer steps in a given distance compared to women.

Let’s take examples for better clarity;

• Height: Men who are 6 feet 4 inches walking at a leisurely speed of 3 miles per hour take 6337 steps on a 3-mile distance walk. On the other hand, men who are 5 feet and walking at the same pace will take 7014 steps to walk 3 miles.
• Sex: Men 5 feet and 8 inches walking at a leisurely speed of 3 miles per hour will take 6676 steps on 3 miles. However, women of the same height and at the same distance will take 6775 steps on a 3-mile walk.
• Pace: A man of 5 feet and 8 inches walk 6676 steps to cover 3 miles at 3 miles per hour. If he increases his pace to 4 miles per hour, he will take 5725 steps for 3 miles. And if he takes a brisk walk at 5 miles per hour, the steps further reduce to 5668 for 3 miles.

Why 3 Miles Walking is Good for You

A 3-mile walk is a moderate-intensity workout that keeps you fit if taken consistently. It boosts your body’s calorie-burning, lowering your cholesterol and fat levels. This boosts heart health, in addition to walking itself, which keeps the heart engaged and healthy.

Moreover, walking boosts the release of endorphins and serotonin in your body, which keep you happy and prevent stress. Studies indicate that there is a positive relationship between walking, even for short distances, and sleep, according to the National Library of Medicine. Better sleep also positively correlates with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression levels.

Walking will also help you burn calories, which eventually helps in your weight loss goals. Walking 3 miles burns an average of 300 calories for an average-weight person, and increasing the pace while walking uphill further increases the burn.

Tips for Walking 3 Miles

3 miles might seem like a regular activity to you, and some of us don’t even count it as exercise. However, you could use the walk to your advantage, improving your overall health and fitness. Good for you; I have just the tips you should take with you on the walk;

• It is essential to start with a pace that you will manage without causing injury. You can then progress to walk faster for better calorie burn.
• Walk uphill, or include uphill portions in your walk to burn more calories and for weight loss.
• Identify natural paths if there are any in your place. Take advantage of the breeze to cool your brain before or after a long day.
• Occasionally, take a friend, a partner, or a relative with you on the walk to make it more interesting. A speed of 3 miles per hour allows for conversion.
• Ensure that you eat at least 2 hours before the exercise, and not just before the walk, for comfort and better calorie-burning effects. Also, eat a healthy diet with fewer calories as opposed to junk food.
• If you can take a heart rate monitor or a pedometer with you to record your speed, distance, time, and calories burned.
• Record your walking sessions and progress, which will help motivate you to walk more. After all, consistency is critical to the success of the exercise.

Conclusion

How long does it take to walk 3 miles? It takes approximately 1 hour to walk 3 miles while increasing speed significantly reduces the period. Therefore, it is easy to incorporate into a busy schedule.

Walking 3 miles a day is good for your health, and consistency will help prevent terminal mental and heart problems while helping manage calorie burn and weight.

Get More Info:

• How Long Does It Take to Walk 7 Miles (Outside and Treadmill)?
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