Walking faster, especially with limited natural stride length, requires shifting focus from longer steps to quicker ones. Speed is a product of both stride length and the rate at which you take steps. You can significantly improve your pace by making specific biomechanical adjustments and training the muscles that support rapid movement. Optimizing your body’s mechanics reduces inefficiency and increases your step frequency.
Prioritizing Step Rate Over Stride Length
The most effective way to increase your walking speed is by focusing on your step rate, also known as cadence, rather than trying to force a longer stride. Attempting to artificially lengthen your stride typically results in overstriding, where your foot lands too far in front of your center of mass. This action creates a braking force that actively works against your forward momentum, making your walk less efficient and increasing the impact forces on joints.
Instead of reaching out, concentrate on increasing the number of times your feet hit the ground per minute. For most adults, a moderate-intensity walking pace corresponds to a cadence of around 100 steps per minute. To walk truly fast, you should aim for a higher frequency, with ranges between 125 and 135 steps per minute often recommended for a brisk pace.
You can easily measure and increase your step rate by using a metronome app or a fitness tracker with a cadence feature. Begin by walking at your natural pace and counting your steps for 30 seconds, then multiply by two to find your current cadence. To improve, set a metronome to a rate 5% to 10% higher than your current number and synchronize your steps to the beat. This practice trains your nervous system to adopt a quicker, more efficient turnover.
Optimizing Foot and Hip Mechanics
A high step rate is fully supported by changes in how your foot contacts the ground and how your hips move beneath your body. The goal is to minimize the amount of time your foot spends on the ground while ensuring it lands in a position that immediately propels you forward. Ensure your foot lands close to your body’s center of mass, or beneath your hips, to prevent the detrimental braking effect.
When your foot lands closer to your body, it reduces the impact shock and allows your mass to roll smoothly over the foot, facilitating the quick transition to the next step. This technique requires a rapid lifting of the foot off the ground rather than a forceful push-off. Efficient mechanics also involve the use of your arms to help drive your momentum and balance the higher frequency of your leg movements.
Keep your arms bent at roughly a 90-degree angle and swing them quickly and rhythmically in opposition to your legs. The arm swing should be controlled, moving forward and back from the shoulder joint, not across your body. This fast, short-arc movement helps to drive the momentum for the legs and encourages the necessary hip rotation. Maximizing hip rotation allows the leg to move more efficiently under the body at a high cadence.
Targeted Strength and Flexibility Training
Sustaining a fast walking pace requires specific muscle strength and flexibility to maintain the quick cadence and proper body alignment. Conditioning the muscles responsible for propulsion and stability is important for both speed and injury prevention. Strengthening the gluteal muscles is particularly important for generating the necessary power and preventing the pelvis from dropping, which can lead to inefficient movement.
You can strengthen these gluteal muscles with bodyweight exercises like the Glute Bridge, where you lie on your back and lift your hips by squeezing your glutes. For core stability, the Plank and its variations help maintain a neutral, upright posture, which is essential for efficient power transfer. Improving flexibility in your hip flexors counteracts the tightness often caused by prolonged sitting, allowing for a better range of motion and a faster forward swing of the leg.
A simple and effective hip flexor stretch is the Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch. Kneel on one knee and gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the rear leg. Regularly incorporating these exercises—focusing on the glutes for power, the core for stability, and the hip flexors for mobility—will provide the physical foundation needed to execute and maintain a high-cadence walking technique.