Speed-walking And Training

Speed walking is "easier than you think--and worth the effort," according to "The Complete Guide to Walking." The speed limit for what author Mark Fenton calls "regular walking" is 4.5 mph, but you can walk 6 mph if you make several changes in your walking technique. Training via proper speed walking technique can improve your fitness and burn far more calories than regular walking.

Significance

If you weigh 125 pounds, you burn 480 calories per hour running 5 mph, 390 calories per hour race-walking and 270 calories per hour walking 4 mph, according to the Harvard Heart Letter. Running, however, causes about 15 times more injuries than walking, according to Harvard Men's Health. Speed-walking is less risky than running, even at the same speeds, because speed-walkers hit the ground at less than 1.5 times their weight, while runners hit the ground at three to four times their weight, according to "Guide to Walking."

Rules

Competitive race-walking has two rules that you should learn if you want to speed-walk. First, one foot must always be touching the ground. "Your front foot has to touch the ground before the toes of your back foot come off," "Guide to Walking" explains. Rule No. 2 is that your front foot's knee must be straight between the instant that foot's heel hits the ground until the instant that foot is vertically aligned with the rest of your body.

Technique

Improving your posture and arm movement makes you faster, according to "Guide to Walking." You should walk upright with no slouch in your shoulders, no arch in your lower back and hips that are vertical rather than leaning forward. While you are swinging your arms, both arms should be bent 90 degrees, your hands should be below chest height when your arms are in front of you, and your elbows should not move upward on your backswing.

Expert Insights

Walking straight improves your stride. Fenton recommends walking on a line at a track. Each foot should land on the line. You have a wide stride when your feet land on parallel lines, and that is symptomatic of problems with your back and hips technique. You can also improve your stride by taking "super-fast baby steps" so you can practice moving your feet as fast as possible. About 150 steps per minute are "the minimum necessary" to walk 5 mph.

Schedule

You should master speed-walking techniques before you begin your physical conditioning training. After your technique has been perfected, your weekly schedule should include two or three days of short and fast walks, two to three days of slower but long walks and two days of weight training, according to "Guide to Walking." Your heart rate should be 75 percent to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR)--which is 220 beats per minute minus your age--during your fast walks and 65 percent to 75 percent of your MHR during your slower walks.