Take your walk "up a notch"

Encouraging people to exercise is easy. Actually doing it is a different story. While I think walking is great and I encourage people to exercise at a comfortable pace, this article is for those who want to take it just a step further.

No matter what you call it - power walking, performance walking or speed walking - it takes your walking program and takes it "up a notch".

Why walk fast? Like anything you do, it's a process and when it comes to physical activity, your body keeps building and building cardiovascular endurance. While two miles may have been enough when you first started your walking program, your body may feel the need to kick it up to four.

The more intensity and speed, the more you push your body. This extra push improves cardiovascular and aerobic conditioning; greater and faster weight loss; stronger muscles, increased energy, enhanced motor skills, and it gets you there sooner.

Your body may also crave a hill or two to punch up the cardiovascular work. As your body becomes stronger, it naturally asks for more. You'll acquire a natural pace that's comfortable and realistic.

Most walkers walk about three miles per hour and while this is good, a good fitness walk will kick it up to about four miles per hour. There are some high caliber speed walkers out there who can walk about as fast as most people run.

The difference between regular walking and fitness walking is like the difference with using machines in weight training versus using free weights. The machines may require effort, but they don't demand as much technique.

Fast walking, like free weights, takes a certain "finesse", pushing a little past your comfort zone, but still breathing easily. If you like to walk with friends, you may find your new speed walking technique becomes a solo activity.

What's speedy for you may be different than what's fast for another. If you're a 29 year-old well-conditioned athlete, you may be comfortable with a 12-minute mile, while a 43 year-old seasoned walker is put to her paces at a 15-minute mile. For some, it may even be a 20-minute mile. Whatever the pace, if it's faster than your usual, it's performance walking and you're taxing your system in a positive way.

In time, a 15-minute mile will feel as comfortable as that 20-minute mile once did.

When you begin to walk briskly, don't think about your speed. Concentrate on your stride. Your foot should hit the ground heel first and your weight should roll through the entire foot - from the heel through the arch, to the ball of the foot and to your toes.

As your pace picks up, your arms should be at a 90-degree angle, swinging gently across your body. A walker's speed is determined by the legs but the arms follow and assist you in the forward motion.

Don't consciously take longer steps to speed up, but instead push off and bring your rear foot forward as quickly as you can. To find your optimum stride, walking experts suggest you stand still, then let yourself fall forward until you have to put a foot out to save yourself. The step you take to save yourself from falling, is the length your walking stride should be.

Brisk walkers will walk as though they're "walking the line". Imagine yourself walking the center line of a roadway. The inner edges of your feet should be landing along the line.

The last step to good speedwalking technique is the hip rotation. Your hips should be moving front to back and not side to side. You're engaging in a physical activity - not modeling clothes down a fashion runway.

Whatever speed you choose to walk, walking is a realistic and natural exercise for your body—no matter what your age or fitness level.