One-Mile Fitness Calculator

How fit are you? The higher your fitness level, the more efficiently your heart works. Use this calculator to find out whether your fitness level is low, medium or high, based on your gender, age and how long it takes you to walk one mile. Once you know your fitness level, you can work on increasing it through more frequent, more sustained and more intense physical activity.

To take the test, you will first need to follow these instructions:

Find a measured, one-mile track at a school, park or recreation center. If you want to measure a mile yourself, find a smooth, level surface.
Bring a stopwatch or a watch with a second hand, a pencil and paper, and comfortable walking shoes.
Walk or stretch for several minutes before starting the test.
Start the one-mile walk, walking as quickly as you can to get your heart rate up to at least 110 beats per minute without straining. To check your heart rate, place two fingers in the groove in your neck that runs alongside your Adam's apple or on your wrist. Count the number of pulse beats in six seconds and add a zero. (This will give you the heartbeats per minute.) For example, if you count 12 pulse beats in six seconds, your heart rate is 120 beats per minute.
Measure your pulse five minutes into your walk. Make sure your pulse remains above 110 beats per minute.
Maintain a constant pace as you walk. Remember to keep your breathing smooth and regular.
Record the time (in minutes and seconds) that it took to walk one mile. Most people take between 10 and 20 minutes to walk a mile.
When you finish walking the mile, keep moving slowly and immediately take your pulse. Write this number down, too.
Continue to walk slowly for a few minutes to allow your heart rate and blood pressure to return to normal levels.
Launch the interactive fitness calculator and use the figure for your pulse that you got in step 8 to find your fitness rating.

Scoring your fitness test

This test is just a rough estimate of your actual fitness. But it is a place to start. After about eight weeks of regular walking, test yourself again to check your progress.

Over time, you'll find you can cover the mile faster or your heart rate will be lower.

To score your test, find the chart for your sex, then find your age range and your heart rate. If your exact pulse isn't shown, round it up or down to the nearest 10 beats.

Below, you'll see the one-mile walk times for low, medium and high fitness levels.

Examples

If, for example, you are a 47-year-old man who walked the one-mile course with a heart rate of 120 in 16 minutes, you would be at a moderate fitness level.
If you are a 33-year-old woman who walked the course with a heart rate of 150 in 17 minutes, 30 seconds, you would be at a moderate fitness level.

WOMEN
Age	Heart Rate	Low Fitness	Moderate Fitness	High Fitness
20–29	110	>20:57	19:08–20:57	< 19:08
	120	>20:27	18:38–20:27	< 18:38
	130	>20:00	18:12–20:00	< 18:12
	140	>19:30	17:42–19:30	< 17:42
	150	>19:00	17:12–19:00	< 17:12
	160	>18:30	16:42–18:30	< 16:42
	170	>18:00	16:12–18:00	< 16:12

30–39	110	>19:46	17:52–19:46	< 17:52
	120	>19:18	17:24–19:18	< 17:24
	130	>18:48	16:54–18:48	< 16:54
	140	>18:18	16:24–18:18	< 16:24
	150	>17:48	15:54–17:48	< 15:54
	160	>17:18	15:24–17:18	< 15:24
	170	>16:54	14:55–16:54	< 14:55

40–49	110	>19:15	17:20–19:15	< 17:20
	120	>18:45	16:50–18:45	< 16:50
	130	>18:18	16:24–18:18	< 16:24
	140	>17:48	15:54–17:48	< 15:54
	150	>17:18	15:24–17:18	< 15:24
	160	>16:48	14:54–16:48	< 14:54
	170	>16:18	14:25–16:18	< 14:25

50–59	110	>18:40	17:04–18:40	< 17:04
	120	>18:12	16:36–18:12	< 16:36
	130	>17:42	16:06–17:42	< 16:06
	140	>17:18	15:36–17:18	< 15:36
	150	>16:48	15:06–16:48	< 15:06
	160	>16:18	14:36–16:18	< 14:36
	170	>15:48	14:06–15:48	< 14:06

60+	110	>18:00	16:36–18:00	< 16:36
	120	>17:30	16:06–17:30	< 16:06
	130	>17:01	15:37–17:01	< 15:37
	140	>16:31	15:09–16:31	< 15:09
	150	>16:02	14:39–16:02	< 14:39
	160	>15:32	14:12–15:32	< 14:12
	170	>15:04	13:42–15:04	< 13:42

MEN
Age	Heart Rate	Low Fitness	Moderate Fitness	High Fitness
20–29	110	>19:36	17:06–19:36	< 17:06
	120	>19:10	16:36–19:10	< 16:36
	130	>18:35	16:06–18:35	< 16:06
	140	>18:06	15:36–18:06	< 15:36
	150	>17:36	15:10–17:36	< 15:10
	160	>17:09	14:42–17:09	< 14:42
	170	>16:39	14:12–16:39	< 14:12

30–39	110	>18:21	15:54–18:21	< 15:54
	120	>17:52	15:24–17:52	< 15:24
	130	>17:22	14:54–17:22	< 14:54
	140	>16:54	14:30–16:54	< 14:30
	150	>16:26	14:00–16:26	< 14:00
	160	>15:58	13:30–15:58	< 13:30
	170	>15:28	13:01–15:28	< 13:01

40–49	110	>18:05	15:38–18:05	< 15:38
	120	>17:36	15:09–17:36	< 15:09
	130	>17:07	14:41–17:07	< 14:41
	140	>16:38	14:12–16:38	< 14:12
	150	>16:09	13:42–16:09	< 13:42
	160	>15:42	13:15–15:42	< 13:15
	170	>15:12	12:45–15:12	< 12:45

50–59	110	>17:49	15:22–17:49	< 15:22
	120	>17:20	14:53–17:20	< 14:53
	130	>16:51	14:24–16:51	< 14:24
	140	>16:22	13:51–16:22	< 13:51
	150	>15:53	13:26–15:53	< 13:26
	160	>15:26	12:59–15:26	< 12:59
	170	>14:56	12:30–14:56	< 12:30

60+	110	>17:55	15:33–17:55	< 15:33
	120	>17:24	15:04–17:24	< 15:04
	130	>16:57	14:36–16:57	< 14:36
	140	>16:28	14:07–16:28	< 14:07
	150	>15:59	13:39–15:59	< 13:39
	160	>15:30	13:10–15:30	< 13:10
	170	>15:04	12:42–15:04	< 12:42

This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 04/08/2008.

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