What is Speed Walking?
How Many Calories Does Speed Walking Burn?
Advantages
Disadvantages
Who Should Participate?
Learning to Speed Walk
Speed Walking Guidelines
Speed Walking Gear
Glossary of Terms

What is speed walking?

Without a doubt, walking is good exercise. But if you want a great exercise, try speed walking or its stepped-up cousin, racewalking. These activities increase your caloric burn rate without the joint-jarring effects of jogging.

Simply put, speed walking - sometimes called power walking, fitness walking, health walking, exercise walking, or striding - is walking very fast without running. Arms are swung in pace with the stride, and one foot is on the ground at all times. Your stride is slightly longer and considerably quicker than in a leisurely stroll. Speed walkers generally walk at a pace of 3.5 to 5.5 mph.

Racewalkers travel even faster, from 5 to 9 mph, although some competitive racewalkers can cover a mile in as little as 6 minutes. The object of racewalking, according to the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, is to move your body ahead as quickly as possible without running and avoid the up-down motions of regular walking.

How many calories does speed walking burn?

The number of calories burned during a speed-walking workout depends on such factors as your weight, the length of your workout, and how vigorously you swing your arms.

Walking at a brisk pace of 4.5 mph on level terrain burns about 440 calories per hour if you weigh 150 pounds. You'd burn about the same number of calories by running slowly. Heavier people burn more calories per hour no matter what activity they are engaged in; lighter people burn fewer. Walking on gravel or grass burns slightly more calories than walking on a treadmill, according to the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter. Another way to burn more calories is to speed walk on hilly terrain or on an inclined treadmill.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, walking harder or faster only slightly increases the calories spent. A better way to burn up more calories is to increase the time spent walking.

Advantages

Advantages of speed walking several times a week are manifold. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that women who walked 1 to 3 hours a week were 30% less likely to develop heart disease or suffer a heart attack compared with sedentary women. Women who walked 3 hours weekly were 35% less likely to have heart problems. Walking 5 or more hours a week reduced the risk of heart problems by more than 40%.

According to champion racewalker and certified exercise leader Bonnie Stein, racewalking provides a lower- and upper-body workout because of the accentuated use of the back, shoulders, and arms.

Speed walkers and racewalkers also enjoy a low injury rate. "Because of the smooth and fluid stride, the body lands with much less force than in running - resulting in less pounding on the feet, legs, knees, hips, and back," states The First Walking and Nutrition Newsletter. It was edited by Stein and Page Love-Johnson, a registered dietitian, author, and certified health and fitness instructor. And, the newsletter points out, if you keep an erect posture, you are unlikely to develop back problems.

As with other forms of aerobic exercise, speed walking for 20 to 60 minutes, three or more times a week, provides stress-relief and other psychological benefits.

Other advantages: Speed walking is independent and inexpensive. You don't need a partner or a team. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a place to walk - be it a park, track, treadmill, the local mall, or your own neighborhood.

Disadvantages

If you walk too slowly, it can be difficult to raise your heart rate enough to derive the same cardiovascular benefits provided by other forms of aerobic exercise.

Depending where you live and work, you may lack access to a safe place to speed walk for long distances. Unless you have access to a treadmill, mall, or an indoor track, maintaining your speed-walking schedule may be difficult during inclement weather. Another potential downside is boredom, as walking is monotonous to some people.

Speed walking or racewalking can lead to foot pain if the soles of your walking shoes are worn or too thin, if they provide inadequate arch support, are too loose around your heels, or lack shock absorbency, according to Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, published by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

If you usually wear shoes with heels greater than 2 inches, you may experience heel pain when you switch to walking shoes, the Mayo publication states.

Who should participate?

The beauty of speed walking is that almost every ambulatory person can do it. Speed walking is also a great family activity.

You should probably consult your physician or foot specialist before beginning a speed-walking program if you are flat-footed, or have a high arch or a gait abnormality. According to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, these problems can cause your weight to be distributed unevenly as you speed walk. This can lead to plantar fascia, a painful inflammation of the soles of your feet.

Learning to speed walk

Many people teach themselves to speed walk by increasing their usual walking pace and swinging, or "pumping" their arms vigorously. For those concerned with perfecting their technique, there are walking clinics and books about walking. One such book is Healthwalk to Fitness by Jake Jacobson (HeartFit Books, 1999), which also includes information on warming up, cooking down, stretching, nutrition, and other topics.

Racewalking technique is more difficult to master. Like speed walkers, racewalkers do not let themselves become airborne, as runners do. What makes racewalking unique is that the supporting leg is kept unbent from the time the foot touches the ground in front of you until the moment it passes under your body. Racewalkers also accentuate their arm swing and move their torso and pelvis in a rhythmic, albeit peculiar-looking manner.

Posture is important in both speed walking and racewalking. The torso is kept upright yet relaxed throughout each stride. The head remains in a neutral position; you are not looking down or up. In racewalking, your footfalls should be aligned, and your hips, which drive your stride, should be rotating horizontally with very little vertical movement.

Some walking clubs offer speed walking and racewalking clinics.

Speed walking guidelines

Talk to your doctor. Despite speed walkers' low injury rate, consult your physician before beginning this or any other exercise regimen. Obtaining medical clearance is especially important if you have high blood pressure or other cardiovascular problems.

Heed your pain. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports advises walkers to listen to their body when they walk. "If you develop dizziness, pain, nausea, or any other unusual symptom, slow down or stop," council literature states. "If the problem persists, see your physician before walking again."

Don't forget to stretch. To reduce your risk for muscle strains and other injuries, be sure to warm up, stretch, and cool down properly. To warm up, walk for several minutes at a relatively slow pace to increase blood circulation through your muscles. Then gently stretch your calves, shins, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, arms, and shoulders.

Slow down your pace during the last few minutes of your walking session to cool down, and then repeat your stretching routine.

Safety in numbers. If there are no safe places to walk alone near your home or workplace, join a speed walkers club. Or find one or two friends or coworkers who also enjoy walking, and hammer out a walking schedule that works for everyone. Speed walking in pairs or groups fights monotony and motivates you to speed walk regularly.

Keep left. You may need to speed walk on the street if the sidewalks are uneven or absent. If you speed walk in the street, remember what you learned in scouting: Always walk along the left side of the road so you can see oncoming traffic.

Be visible. Wear light colors or reflective tape on your clothing when speed walking. This is especially important if you walk in the road, at dusk, at night, or in foggy conditions.

Fight boredom. Listen to your Walkman, focus on the natural beauty around you (if you are outside), meditate on a fixed point (if you are on a treadmill), or just allow yourself to get lost in your thoughts. Katherine R., an author and fitness-aficionado, says she takes brisk walks to deal with writer's block. And she doesn't consciously focus on the problem she is trying to solve; she simply clears her mind as she walks. This technique, she says, invariably leads to a breakthrough by the time she returns to her desk.

Stay challenged. As your physical conditioning improves, step up your pace and swing your arms more vigorously as you speed walk. The longer and faster you walk, the more fat you'll burn.

Speed walkinggear

A good pair of walking shoes is the only "special equipment" a speed walker needs, although proper attire and walking adjuncts can make the walking experience more comfortable and intense, respectively.

Shoes. Wear shoes that are comfortable, supporting, and fit your feet well. If they are too loose or too tight, you could wind up with blisters, calluses, or foot pain. According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, any pair of decent running shoes, particularly the training models with heavy soles, make good walking shoes. Other footwear options include lightweight trail or hiking boots, or casual shoes made with heavy rubber or crepe rubber soles.

Walking shoes should have arch supports and elevate your heels one half to three quarters of an inch above the sole of the foot. The shoe's uppers should be made of materials that "breathe," such as leather or nylon mesh.

If you speed walk several times a week, you will probably need to replace your walking shoes every 6 months or so.

Clothes. Weather will dictate the rest of your attire. In general, it is best to wear lighter clothing than temperatures seem to indicate. Speed walking generates lots of body heat, and you may become overheated if you are dressed too warmly. In cold weather, wear several layers of lightweight clothing than one or two heavy layers. The extra layers help trap heat, and they are easy to shed if you get too warm. A wool watch cap or ski cap also will help trap body heat and provide protection for the head in very cold temperatures.

Wear thick athletic socks made of 100% cotton or a cotton blend. Thicker socks provide a degree of padding that can help prevent foot injuries.

Indoors, wear a tank top or T-shirt and comfortable shorts.

Female speed walkers and racewalkers should wear a supportive sports bra.

Pedometer. If you like to track your walking distance, consider getting a pedometer. While these digital devices are generally accurate on flat routes, they may not be accurate when you walk on hilly terrain because the length of your stride changes.

Walking Adjuncts. To add intensity to your walking workout, you may wish to try a walking adjunct. Walking adjuncts are devices that add weight to your body or help you work your upper extremities. Walking poles, for example, are used like cross-country ski poles and help you exercise your arms as you walk.

John P. Porcari, PhD, FACSM, a professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, found that using walking poles increased the intensity of walking from 68% to 78% of maximal heart rate in a group of cardiac rehabilitation patients. The poles also increased their caloric expenditure by 22%, compared to walking without poles. In his study, pole users used an average of 45 more calories in a 30-minute workout.

Other walking adjuncts include hand weights, wrist weights, ankle weights, weighted gloves, and weighted vests. While these devices help you burn more calories, they also raise your risk for injury because they place more pressure on your joints with each stride.

Glossaryof terms

Dorsi flexing: A racewalking technique in which you deliberately flex your ankle so that your forefoot comes up with each stride.

Pedometer: An instrument that records walking distance by responding to motion of your body as you take each step.

Racewalking: A sport in which the body is moved forward as quickly as possible without running and the body does not move up and down as in regular walking.

Speed walking: Walking at a brisk pace of 3.5 to 5.5 mph.

Walking adjuncts: Devices, such as weighted gloves and weighted vests that add intensity to your walk or challenge the muscles in your upper extremities.

Walking poles: Long poles with rubberized tips used like cross country ski poles to work the arms and upper body while walking.