What Speed Should a Beginner Run on a Treadmill?
There is no universally correct treadmill speed, and any article that gives you one number is guessing. What there is: a range most beginners land in, and a two minute test that tells you where in it you belong.
Short answer
Most beginners walk at 3.0 to 3.5 mph (4.8 to 5.6 km/h) and jog at 4.0 to 5.0 mph (6.4 to 8.0 km/h). Set the incline to 1%. The right speed is the one where you can still say a full sentence out loud, so start at 4.0 mph, test that, and adjust in 0.5 mph steps.
The short version
- Walking warm-up: around 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h).
- Easy beginner jog: around 4.0 to 4.5 mph (6.4 to 7.2 km/h).
- Steady beginner jog: around 4.5 to 5.0 mph (7.2 to 8.0 km/h).
- Adjust by effort, not by matching a chart. Height, weight, and stride all change what a number feels like.
Beginner treadmill speeds
| What you are doing | mph | km/h |
|---|---|---|
| Easy walk (cooldown) | 2.5 to 3.0 | 4.0 to 4.8 |
| Brisk walk (warm-up, recovery) | 3.0 to 3.5 | 4.8 to 5.6 |
| Fast walk | 3.5 to 4.0 | 5.6 to 6.4 |
| Very easy jog | 4.0 to 4.5 | 6.4 to 7.2 |
| Steady beginner jog | 4.5 to 5.0 | 7.2 to 8.0 |
| Faster jog (later on) | 5.0 to 6.0 | 8.0 to 9.7 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Two people at 4.5 mph can be doing completely different things. Someone tall may be walking quickly; someone shorter may be at a real jog. That is why the number is a starting point and the effort is the answer.
The two minute test
- 01
Warm up for five minutes at 3.0 mph
Incline 1%. Do not skip this and jump straight to jogging.
- 02
Set 4.0 mph and jog for two minutes
Let your breathing settle rather than judging it in the first thirty seconds.
- 03
Say a full sentence out loud
Something long enough to need a real breath. Comfortable means the speed is right. Broken into three-word pieces means it is too fast.
- 04
Adjust by 0.5 mph and repeat
Step onto the side rails, change the speed, step back on. Do not make big jumps mid-stride.
There is no minimum jogging speed
If your comfortable jog is 3.8 mph, jog at 3.8 mph. Nothing about the number changes what the session does for you.
Speeds for a run/walk session
Run/walk on a treadmill means switching between two speeds. Pick both before you start, so you are not deciding mid-interval.
Example session
Beginner treadmill session, week 3
- 5 min3.0 mph, incline 1%. Warm-up walk.
- 3 min4.5 mph. Easy jog.
- 2 min3.2 mph. Walk.× 5
- 5 min2.8 mph. Cooldown walk.
Two buttons, five rounds, 35 minutes. Full progression in the treadmill running plan.
Converting between mph and km/h
Multiply mph by 1.61 for km/h. Divide km/h by 1.61 to go the other way. The common ones:
| mph | km/h | Rough pace per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 4.8 | 20:00 |
| 3.5 | 5.6 | 17:09 |
| 4.0 | 6.4 | 15:00 |
| 4.5 | 7.2 | 13:20 |
| 5.0 | 8.0 | 12:00 |
| 5.5 | 8.9 | 10:55 |
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 10:00 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Mistakes to avoid
- Copying the speed of the person on the next machine. Different bodies, different training histories, different sessions.
- Holding the handrails to keep up. If you need them, the speed is too high. Holding on also changes how you run.
- Changing speed while mid-stride. Step onto the rails first. Big jumps are how people stumble.
- Starting at 6.0 mph because it sounds like a running speed. It is a real running pace for a trained runner. It is a sprint for a lot of beginners.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5 mph a good treadmill speed for a beginner?
It is at the upper end of a typical beginner jogging range. If you can say a full sentence out loud at 5.0 mph, it is fine. If not, 4.0 to 4.5 mph is a better place to spend your first few weeks.
What speed is jogging on a treadmill?
Jogging usually starts somewhere around 4.0 mph (6.4 km/h) and runs up to about 6.0 mph (9.7 km/h). Below that most people are walking fast rather than jogging.
What speed should I walk on a treadmill to warm up?
About 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h) for five minutes. Brisk enough to raise your breathing slightly, easy enough to hold a conversation without thinking about it.
Should I increase speed or time first?
Time. Build up how long you can jog at a comfortable speed before you make that speed faster. Speed improves on its own as a byproduct.
Part of
Treadmill Running Plan for BeginnersA free beginner treadmill running plan with starting speeds in mph and km/h, incline guidance, an 8-week run/walk schedule, and how to make indoor running less boring.
The Yalla Go Team
We build Yalla Go, a running app for people who aren't runners yet. We started running from zero ourselves, so most of what's here is what we wish someone had told us in week one.
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