Tips for Walking Faster

• Use good posture. Walk tall, look forward, (not at the ground) gazing about 20 feet ahead. Your chin should be level and your head up.
• Keep your chest raised, and shoulders relaxed (shoulders down, back and relaxed).
• Bend your arms in slightly less than a 90 degree angle. Cup your hands gently. Swing arms front to back (not side to side - arms should not cross your body). Do not swing elbows higher than your sternum (breast bone). Swing your arms faster and your feet will follow.
• Tighten your abs and buttocks. Flatten your back and tilt your pelvis slightly forward.
• Pretend you are walking along a straight line. Resist the urge to elongate your steps. To go faster – take smaller, faster steps.
• Push off with your toes. Concentrate on landing on your heel, rolling through the step and pushing off with your toes. Use the natural spring of your calf muscles to propel you forward.
• Breathe naturally. As you walk, take deep, rhythmic breaths, to get the maximum amount of oxygen through your system. Walk fast enough that your breathing is increased yet you are not out of breath.

Common mistakes made by walkers: over-striding, using too vigorous arm movements, looking at the ground, hunching the shoulders, and carrying hand weights or placing weights on the ankles.

Credits

Run The Planet thanks The Walking Site for the permission to reprint the article "Tips for walking faster". The The Walking Site is a resource for walkers of all fitness levels and provides helpful information and motivation for improving both spirits and health. Text copyright © by The Walking Site. Illustration copyright © 2004 by Run The Planet.