How to Increase Walking Speed
Walking is one of the safest and most effective sports for
fitness, but to become fit, you have to move fairly fast. You
should exercise vigorously enough to increase your heart rate at
least 20 beats a minute more than when you rest. Walking at a
leisurely pace will not raise your heart rate very much. You can
increase your speed by taking longer steps or by moving your
feet at a faster rate.
To lengthen your stride, swivel your hips so that you
reach out further forward with your feet. This causes you to twist
your body from side to side, which forces your toes to point to the
outside when your feet touch the ground. By pointing your feet
forward after your heel strikes the ground, you will gain a few
inches. To move your feet at a faster rate, you have to move
your arms at a faster rate also. Every time one leg moves
forward, the arm on the same side moves back and the arm on
the other side moves forward. For every step forward, there is
an equal number of arm movements forward. To move your
arms faster, you have to keep your elbows bent. The fulcrum of
your arm swing is at your shoulder. The straighter your elbows,
the longer your arms swing as a pendulum from your shoulder,
reducing the frequency of arm swings. Bending your elbows
shortens the swing and allows you to move faster.
Checked 7/20/10