Humans evolved to be great walkers and runners. Specifically, the human body evolved to adapt to long distances and periods of walking and running. It may seem counter-intuitive because we think that humans love being sedentary—but the fact is straight—we love to walk, and it's time we pay tribute to our nature.
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Before the invention of modern means of transportation, aside from using animals, humans walk to transfer from place to place. Often, these places are of great distances from each other. Walking a 5k, thus, is very human. The question, then, is, how long does it take to walk a 5k?
Walking A 5K
The K in 5K stands for kilometers. Thus, a 5K walk is 5 kilometers. The time it takes to cover 5 kilometers by mere walking depends, still, on the speed. A typical pace is between 5-6 km/hour.
At such a rate, a person can cover 5 kilometers between 45-60 minutes. At a 3 km/hour, however, which is the speed of a slow walker, a person could cover the same distance for an hour and a half.
A 5K is 3.06 miles. An average person walks between 15 to 20 minutes a mile, so you arrive at the same 45 to 60 minutes to walk a 5K.
Initial 5K-Walk Goals
Walking is a worthwhile weight loss activity. It may not burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. However, prolonged and long-distance walks can burn calories enough to be considered significant. In addition, the array of benefits one can have from walking makes it even more worthwhile. If you plan on having your first 5K walk, here are the things you must aim for:
Finish The 5K Walk In An Hour Or Less
Walking needs to be at a certain speed in order to have a significant effect on your health. The ideal speed is 5 km/ hour. That is, you must finish the distance in at least an hour. Thus, if you are a beginner, aim to complete the distance in an hour.
If it is still comfortable for you, aim for less than an hour. Although you will find it challenging at first, doing it regularly will prompt your body to adapt. Over time, you will see that you can go even faster.
Be On The Proper Walking Form And Posture
It may seem insignificant, but posture and form can allow you to walk for extended periods. That is because a correct form allows for optimum blood circulation and respiration—two factors that are essential not only in walking but all physical activities.
If you have a bad posture, walking great distances for extended periods while assuming the correct posture will improve yours over time. You’ll see the difference in how you feel and in how it makes walking 5K easy over time.
Be Energized At The End Of The Workout
A 5K walk is a long one. If you do it in a rough terrain, it will most probably tire you. However, if you assume proper form and posture and you remain well hydrated, you’ll find that instead of being fatigued, you will be energized at the end of the walk.
This must be your third goal before walking. There is a significant chance that you won’t experience this at first—but this will prompt you to consider proper posture and other factors so that you’ll benefit more from the activity and end it feeling energized every time.
Getting Started...
The first thing you need to realize is that you need to provide small but consistent increments in your speed for you to improve. You do this by gradually increasing speed each week. Thus, the first thing you need to do is to prepare your schedule.
In making your plan, remember that the increments you need to do should be weekly. If you feel a certain difficulty in a particular week, repeat such a level of difficulty the following week until your body has acclimated to such a level of difficulty.
Another consideration is building the habit of walking. This can be achieved through consistency. Thus, in preparing your schedule, be sure to keep the schedule as frequent as possible. You can optimize your frequency by spreading the rest day. For instance, you take a rest after three successive days of walking.
Rest day is a major factor. You don’t want to stress yourself out or to put a significant impact on your legs without giving your body much time to recuperate. Rest day is essential in building the habit of walking.
Conclusion
The time it takes to cover 5 kilometers depend on some factors. The most significant of these factors is the walking speed of a person. A slow pace of 3 km per hour will allow a person to finish 5K in an hour and a half. A normal rate between 5-6 km per hour, however, will allow one to finish 5K in 45-60 minutes.
Did you like our answer to the question “How Long Does it Take to Walk a 5K?” Do you agree with it? Do you have another opinion? Let us know in the comment section below.
Perfect. Thanks.