Speed walking for bone strength

Walking is an ideal exercise for many people: low-risk, no gym membership required. And just as lifting heavier weights builds stronger bones, a faster-paced walk delivers more bone benefit than a slow one.

In a small study of 20 young men and women, speeding up from a leisurely 30-minute-per-mile pace (2 mph) to a brisk 16-minute-per-mile pace (3.7 mph) increased the forces acting on the hip bones by about 30%.

If fast walking is new to you, charging full steam ahead is not the best route to your goal. First learn some technique, then weave short intervals of fast walking into your regular walks, and finally build up to longer speed walks.

How to walk faster

When people try to walk faster, the first instinct is usually longer strides - which, surprisingly, slows you down, because it is harder to transfer your weight onto a foot planted too far ahead. Here is what actually picks up the pace.

Stand tall. Extend your spine as if lifted from the crown of your head. Good posture with engaged core muscles powers a stronger stride.

Standing tall also eases upper- and lower-back aches and lets you take deep breaths for more energy. Keep your shoulders down, not scrunched toward your ears.

Bend your arms. You would not run with straight arms - it would slow you down, and walking is no different. Bent arms swing faster, and because your body likes to stay in sync, your legs speed up to match. Bend your elbows 85 to 90 degrees and swing your arms forward and back, not side to side or diagonally across your body.

Land on your heel. As your leg swings forward, your heel should touch the ground first, toes up, then roll smoothly through to your toes and push off. This heel-to-toe motion beats slapping your foot down with each step.

Push off strong. Focus on driving off the ground to propel yourself forward. For maximum power, bend at the ball of your foot and raise your heel as if showing the person behind you the sole of your shoe.

Take shorter, quicker steps. This is the fix for overstriding. Place your front leg almost directly under you as you move into the next step - a smoother, rolling stride that lets you shift your weight forward and swing the back leg through. The result: more speed.

Keep your front leg straight. From landing until your foot passes under your body, keep the leg straight but not locked at the knee. This prevents bouncing and smooths your stride.

It may sound like a lot to think about - so do not tackle it all at once. Start at the top of the list and focus on one tip at a time. Check your form periodically at the start of each walk rather than obsessing over it, readjust when needed, and after about a week move to the next tip. Some changes come quickly; others take time to become habit.