How can I walk faster?

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.