How To Walk Faster

1. Which muscles in the particular drive you forward while walking? Is it just the glutes?

Your glutes are the power of our lower bodies' movements and stabilize the trunk of our body in conjunction with our core. This is important because our bodies were created to move from our hips first, not our knees or back.

When walking, we need strong feet, ankles, quadriceps, hamstrings, and a small muscle often overlooked, our VMO (vistas medals muscle). The VMO creates muscle balance and stability across our knee joints.

Ensuring we aren’t overloading anyone's muscles, the key is stability throughout our joints to be as strong as possible and injury-free as we walk. When our glutes are the number one driver, the rest of the muscles will follow, moving in proper alignment and muscle patterns.

Then BOOM, you are walking quickly in a strong, stable, confident posture.

2. How important is leg strength when it comes to walking faster?

Leg strength is a close second to our glutes/hips. It is not so much leg strength but stability that is important throughout our knee and ankle joints.

Stability and muscle balance are more important throughout these areas because they are often weak because of tightness or instability in the knee or ankle joint.

Practicing one-legged movements will improve these areas and improve walking speeds. Something as simple as standing on one leg for 20-30 seconds.

If you feel shaking at first and then that shakiness goes away, that is when you know you are becoming more stable & strong!

3. Can you share a walking interval training workout?

Let's take the training to the treadmill so we can easily track your data.

(Ex. walk 4mph for 1 minute, walk at 2mph for 1 minute, walk 5mph for 2 minutes, etc.)

Treadmill Walking Program

*Based on 22 minutes for a beginner/intermediate on a treadmill

• 3mph - 0.5 incline - 2 minutes - warm-up

• 3.5mph - 2 incline - 3 minutes

• 3.5mph - 0.5 incline - 2 minutes

• 3.5 mph - 4 incline - 3 minutes

• 3.5mph - 0.5 incline - 2 minutes

• 4mph - 2 incline - 3 minutes

• 3.5mph - 0.5 incline - 2 minutes

• 4mph - 2 incline - 3 minutes

• 3mph - 0.5 incline - 2 min - cooldown