Every type of walking, from brisk to high-paced, offers numerous benefits. Monitoring your walking pace is crucial for maximising these benefits, but it's essential not to push yourself too hard.
Adjusting your walking pace depends on various factors. Speeding up can enhance calorie burning, cardiovascular fitness, and overall efficiency of your walks. Whether it's for exercise, commuting, or daily mobility, here are some simple tips to help increase your walking speed:
1) Focus on posture while walking
Maintain good posture for efficient walking: stand tall with head up, shoulders back, and engaged abdomen. Keep your arms bent at 90 degrees, swinging naturally with each step. Avoid slouching or leaning forward to prevent slowing down and muscle strain.
2) Take shooter and quicker steps
One of the simplest ways to increase your walking speed is to take shorter, quicker steps. Focus on taking smaller strides and increasing your cadence (steps per minute). Shortening your stride can help you move more efficiently and reduce the risk of injury.
3) Engage your core muscles
Activate your core muscles to stabilise your body while walking. Maintain strong abdominal engagement for balance, posture improvement, and power generation with each step, resulting in a quicker walking pace.
4) Increase arm swing
Utilise your arms as counterbalances while walking to sustain momentum and rhythm. Enhance arm swing by increasing the range of motion from front to back. The greater the arm movement, the more power you generate, propelling you forward for a swifter pace.
