How Long is 10 Blocks to Walk? A Gamer‘s Guide to Real-World Movement Speeds

As gamers, we spend hours traversing virtual worlds on foot, often covering game distances far quicker than possible in real life. Ever wonder how your character‘s walking speed translates to actual city blocks? Let‘s crunch some numbers!

The Short Answer

For most people, walking 10 New York City blocks takes about 10-15 minutes, covering around 0.5 miles at a moderate strolling pace.

That means your game avatar likely traverses game worlds at 2-3 times the speed of average human walking pace. We may feel slow IRL, but in many games we‘re actually speed demons!

Estimating Walk Times

The table below provides estimates for how long various block lengths take to walk at different paces:

As you can see, fitness level has a major impact! Many games allow players to toggle between walking and running pace – the differences are akin to speed walking vs. casual strolling.

Real World vs. Game World Move Speeds

Let‘s compare some popular game character move speeds to averages in the real world:

• World of Warcraft character – 7 yards/second → ~14 mph running
• PlayerUnknown‘s Battlegrounds – 6.25 meters/second → 14 mph sprinting
• Average human running speed – 8 mph
• Average human walking speed – 3 mph

The above shows that most game character move speeds are wildly faster than possible in reality. We‘d all likely collapse from exhaustion trying to move at 14 mph for more than a minute!

So while battling across Azeroth or the island of Erangel feels slow, most game avatars are blazing fast compared to players trudging through a real-world city.

Factors Impacting Real-World Speeds

If you decide to challenge your non-virtual walking pace, several variables can help or hinder progress:

• Fitness level – Improved stamina, health allows faster paces
• Body weight – Less weight makes walking/running easier
• Incline – Hills dramatically slow movement
• Equipment – Backpacks or armor slow people down
• Hazards – Slippery terrain, enemies impede progress

The next time you feel like your game character isn‘t moving fast enough, consider the factors above. The real and virtual worlds are far more different than they may seem!

Health Benefits of Walking

Just like gaining XP by questing in game worlds, putting one foot in front of the other yields real rewards:

• Boosts mood through endorphins
• Lower risk of heart disease and diabetes
• Increased bone density helping prevent fractures
• More energy and improved sleep cycles

Experts recommend getting at least 30 minutes of moderate activity like walking most days of the week. And you don‘t need to go on epic journeys – remember it only takes about 15 minutes to walk 10 city blocks!

Tips for Improving Real-World Movement

Here are some suggestions if you want to improve your non-virtual moves:

• Check your pace – Use a fitness tracker or app to monitor walking pace and aim higher
• Add weight – Gradually walk longer durations or distances with backpack
• Simulate inclines – Use treadmill set at an incline to mimic hilly terrain
• Practice parkour – Safe jumping, climbing skills improve real-world mobility
• Stick to smooth paths – Choose flat, obstacle-free routes to maintain speeds

Estimating Block Distances

When navigating cities, these metrics translate blocks to miles:

• 20 NYC blocks = About 1 mile
• 10 blocks = Roughly 0.5 mile
• 5 blocks = Approximately 0.25 mile

Memorize those benchmarks and estimating real-world travel times gets much easier.

So while we may rocket across massive game worlds, traversing NYC on foot shows we‘re often actually quite slow in reality. But the health benefits can make it rewarding.

Just like leveling battle skills though practice and quests, improving real-world fitness takes perseverance. Remember that next time you feel your game avatar isn‘t moving fast enough. Odds are you‘re actually covering more ground than you could IRL.