MOVE FAST - How to walk faster

[@captainmcobvious1683]

This is the best video on walking...not racewalking, which is a completely different sport.

[@sportwalk]

Thanks! Glad you like it

[@benicus18]

This man just taught me I’ve been walking wrong my whole life 😂👏🏾

[@sportwalk]

Haha! Cheers Ben!

[@mr_abhigyan8155]

🤣🤣🤣

[@andrewmark333]

After 25 years in the Navy I have to focus hard on NOT walking with an "officer-like bearing". It's a challenge.

[@wakanda_nieghbor8699]

My Brother Thank you from the Bottom of my heart . I am walking in the proper posture and immediately my effort and distance was increased . Thank you for blessing the world with Wisdom

[@mayaboban]

1. Walk soft & easy (add very slight band to your knees to keep them soft, locked knees = no shock absorption) 2. Shorter faster steps to increase your cadence (the time your feet touch the ground) 3. Focus on your backward lag, use gluteus as an engine (lean your body)

[@magpietexas9475]

This confirms my impression of "Race walking" - which requires a straight knee - it is un natural and can cause knee problems. I walk fastest with a 'soft' knee, as you describe. And yes!! engage the glutes!! the back drive is the key. I just did my first power walk competition completing 1500 m in 9:38 at age 65!

[@jeremiahcastro9700]

Amazing...this is exactly what the ancient Roman army drilled everyday! The military term for this is the _pace_ or _military step_ which is counted each time your left foot touches the ground. Therefore *1 Pace = 5 Feet = 60 Inches = 2 Steps = 1 Step with your Left Foot.* Our _mile_ comes from the Latin _mille [passum]_ "one thousand [paces]". Thus *1 Roman Mile = 1,000 Paces = 5,000 Feet = 60,000 Inches.* The ancient Roman soldiers were required to cover *20 Miles* in *5 Hours* and, three times a month they were required to cover *24 Miles* in *5 Hours.* I found from practice that the regular military step can be covered moving at *4 Miles per Hour* while the quick military step may be covered at *5 Miles per Hour.* When you break the numbers down you can cover *25 Miles* by covering *80 Paces per Minute* which breaks down to *~1.33‐2 Paces per Second.*

[@sportwalk]

Hi Jeremy. Wow, what an insight, thanks for sharing! It’s great to know that what we’re trying to help people to do is grounded in a historical context, although I now feel a little ashamed that I didn’t already know this! 😆 If it’s OK with you I’d like to share this in our next Sport Walk Show (crediting you as the source obviously). I think lots of people will be really encouraged in their training to know this information. Thanks again & all the best. Roger

[@jeremiahcastro9700]

@@sportwalk Hello Roger! I'm glad to hear you benefited from the information I shared ha ha! And yes do feel free to share it with others. I myself must credit the ancient Roman writer Vegetius who wrote _De Re Militari_ or in English _The Military Institution of the Romans._ The Roman mile was indirectly standardized by Herod around *29 BC.* Now I must add that I arrived at the figures I presented above by training the military step on the treadmill. From practice I noticed that the number of miles changed according to a number of steps or paces: *0.01 = 10 Paces* *0.10 = 100 Paces* *1.00 = 1,000 Paces* And amazingly I found that at *4 Miles per Hour* I could complete *1 Pace per Second.* And to be sure this wasn't a fluke I practiced walking at this pace for an entire hour for seven days straight, and each time I found that *1 Mile = 1,000 Paces.* My next step is to actually pace myself like this outdoors in some areas I know are exactly one mile in length and count the number of paces it takes me to complete that trip. Otherwise I was really curious to see what professional walking athletes and coaches would be doing and know about proper walking technique. And I have to say I was blown away by the information you presented as I immediately recalled what I had learned in my research on military history! It was a pleasure meeting you Roger and beginning this discussion. Could you please share any information on keeping proper walking technique on varying terrain? While accomplishing what I shared above is easy enough on level ground it must be remembered that the ancient Roman army had to keep up this pace while carrying their gear which could weigh about *60 lbs.* and they had to walk this pace on all types of ground, and in various weather conditions. Look Forward to Developing this Discussion More!

[@sportwalk]

Hi Jeremy. Interesting to hear how you tested this, great dedication! That’s a good point around maintaining form over different terrain, so we’ll look at doing something on that in a future video. It’s essentially about staying fluid though, so you kind of float over the trail.

[@jeremiahcastro9700]

@@sportwalk Yes thank you for that as I was able to glean the latter part of your statement from your tips on walking up and down hills so, I will need to practice that as the feeling is just not the same on a treadmill. That said I did a bit more experimenting today and found your assessment on speed versus pace to be spot on. It is true that setting a time to cover a certain distance is key to determine and setting one's pace. I found that one may cover any distance by applying the following formula: *60 Minutes ÷ 4 Miles = 15 Minutes per Mile* ...this then would mean you could cover *20 Miles* at *1 Pace per Second.* After soaking in what you said I came to understand that walking speed is determined by walking pace! Your insight on speed being determined by how much time it takes for one to cover a certain distance is very profound indeed! I'll be listening to your shows eagerly and look forward to your future content Roger!

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Jeremy!

[@kelath5555]

I was trying to increase my stride length to go faster, I'm definitely trying out the shorter stride and pushing with my glutes. Thank you!

[@sportwalk]

No problem! Hope it works for you.

[@ggcross659]

This video will save everyone's knees, including me. All mankind must see this! Even the baby.... Thanks a lot!

[@sportwalk]

That’s nice, thanks! 😁

[@elisabattle8456]

I used to compete in as well as coach racewalking. TIP--the legs can only move as fast as the arms can pump. If you allow the arms to hang at your sides with long slow arm swings, then that is how your legs will respond. Shorten the arm swing--bend the elbows at 90 degrees as in a sprinting motion in running. Never allow the hands to cross the midline of the body as they pump forward, never allow the hand to pass more than an inch behind the same side hip on the backswing. Never allow the hand on the forward swing to rise higher than the solar plexus. It is a very limited range of motion for the hand/arm motion to allow for swift arm action--the legs will follow. --Mike

[@sportwalk]

For race walking certainly but for Sport Walking (with a ‘normal’ walking style) under 9kmh, the arms aren’t needed for momentum, just a nice high cadence, short stride & a strong leg drive. Thanks for the race walking tips though 👍

[@jeremiahcastro9700]

Ahhhh! After reviewing your presentation again I found why I would struggle so much on increasing my speed in the past: I kept trying to gain momentum by pulling myself forward with my lead leg as opposed to pushing myself forward with my rear leg! This actually makes sense intuitively and when you practice this while walking as this technique simply takes advantage of the body's natural walking mechanics. Good job Roger!

[@TheHumanBodyTalk]

🔝🔝🔝

[@WhatSoEverThingsAreLovely]

How interesting was that? Thanks for the info!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@r-pupz7032]

I'm a novice runner with my sights set on an ultramarathon, so I know I'll be walking a lot. I also have issues with achilles tendonitis, so a run/walk strategy is ideal for me as it reduces overall strain on my tendons. I know this channel is specifically for sport walkers, but I just wanted to say how helpful it is for me! I'm very comfortable walking during my long runs, it allows me to go further for longer without getting exhausted or causing injuries. This has really helped me optimise my walking, thank you!

[@sportwalk]

Thanks! Really glad you’ve found it helpful. You’re so right about run/walking & wise to do it yourself! We’re big fans of it for Sport Walking training, both to complete sessions more quickly when time is tight & to add intensity. Good luck with your progress towards your ultra goal! All the best. Roger

[@emaddarawsheh7420]

That's what I was looking for....thanks a lot

[@100koochy100]

I'm giving this a go, thanks.

[@Lumpydog]

I have become a sport walker by default. I tried to be an ultra marathoner for the past several years with moderate success. My body however does not hold up well to the training and thus I keep getting injured. I started sport walking half of my training miles as a way to not get injured. Turns out I can sport walk races of 50 miles or more just as quickly as I used to run them. When walking I don't slow down as much or require breaks during the second half of the race as I did when running. I am now all in on sport walking my ultra marathons. In my experiences it is much easier to maintain proper hydration, fueling and body temperature when walking versus running. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. Cheers

[@sportwalk]

Thanks! This is great to hear, especially the comparison between running & Sport Walking. I run for training but have always felt Sport Walking is just a far more efficient way of doing an ultra for the majority of ‘non-elite’ runners. Great to hear your story & to find it’s not just me who’s experienced this! Good to have you along for the ride (walk)! 🙂 Cheers. Roger

[@johnghent5946]

This is a very interesting comment as it is exactly how I’m feeling at the minute. I’ve done several Ultras of 50+ miles in the last year, my longest being 100km, and I pretty much walked the 2nd half of it anyway! I am a Jeffer currently but am getting quite curious about walking a full event and seeing how I feel afterwards.

[@Lumpydog]

@@johnghent5946 we are very similar. Walking is boring but you can cover lots of miles without high effort. Good luck.

[@sportwalk]

@johnghent5946 Go for it! 🙌

[@AceManifold]

I think this is especially good advice for people with back problems. I had spinal stenosis surgery in 2020 but then had a relapse of symptoms that I and my doctors think might have been caused by exercises I was doing that involved twisting the hips and lumbar region. Stenosis means a narrowing of the spinal canal, and twisting tends to exacerbate the problem (in my case irritating a synovial cyst). Once I stopped the twisting, the cyst got smaller, and my symptoms went away. Anyway, I try to avoid too much twisting as would happen taking big steps forward. I think this is a terrific way of walking in any case.

[@sportwalk]

Thanks for sharing your experience, it’s really useful to know how our techniques might help, as we’d never have known! Hope it does work for you & that you continue to improve. All the best. Roger

[@nikolasalmodovar6420]

Wow, super-interesting! Not long ago I start to point my attention on how I walk, like what angle I tilt forward and how I push with back leg. And this video is very helpful info to experiment more and use in hiking. I also read in book that short stride is much more effective in steep ascent and even people with injury can use very short stride to conquer steep slopes.

[@sportwalk]

Hi Nokolas. Glad it was useful. We'd certainly agree with your book about the efficiency of shorter strides, especially on climbs. Hope your interest in refining your walking style works for you. All the best

[@latifquest5363]

Very nice

[@pathogenz8781]

I needed this, last year I was doing the arduous pack test(45Lb 45 minutes 3 miles) and my legs where stressed to the max, I hope this helps for this years pack test and I get bellow 36 minutes

[@sportwalk]

🤞We hope it helps too & do let us know how you get on! 👍

[@moechengyip8066]

Helpful

[@robvanmook]

Great video! Thanks from the Netherlands.

[@kennaice9801]

I attempt to do a 5.5 mile uphill walk with some friends once a week and they go faster than me every single time, I'm hoping these techniques help me keep up.

[@sportwalk]

We hope so too Kennaice! Good luck

[@boostmags6165]

Well!? Did it work?!

[@kennaice9801]

@@boostmags6165 yes but as soon as I was getting my stamina up to their level they moved unto more difficult stuff.

[@DUFFUSable]

I can do 5 miles walking no problem great video more please

[@sportwalk]

They'll be coming as soon as we're allowed again after lockdown. Hopefully not too long! All the best

[@yogeshdixit1]

Quite stunning One of the best videos on Walking🤘👍

[@sportwalk]

Wow! Thanks so much! 🙂

[@rondimmerman8923]

Thank you for the quite helpful video on power walking form. Coming into this as a competitive runner for 37 years, this represents a new challenge of learning and fitness improvement. Power walking feels more natural than race walking form, to me. However I realize that’s a highly subjective matter of opinion. Thanks again.

[@sportwalk]

Glad you found it useful Ron & good luck with your walking! All the best. Roger

[@davidvavra9113]

Thanks!

[@chrismonsen]

This was it. Thank you. Can you teach us about using arms to increase speed?

[@sportwalk]

Hi. Arms will only deliver more speed when you move up to race walking technique (there’s a vid on why race walkers walk like they do on the channel too). In terms of increasing speed through a ‘normal’ walking style, arm movement doesn’t really offer anything, other than to give a little stability & momentum, so in effect, arms only support what the legs do. Increasing arm movement with a normal walking technique really only gives upper body workout benefits, which is why Power Walkers use strong arm swings. All the available speed through a normal walking style can come from an efficient leg technique, as in this vid, so I guess it all depends what you want to achieve. If you’re after pure speed, then I’d say look at learning race walking technique. If you just want to make your normal walking style as fast as possible, then just focus on adapting to the approaches in this vid & that will make you as fast as possible without becoming a race walker. There’s also a question of energy consumption, so for normal walking, more aggressive arm movements will add to energy consumption & so will only give you a more strenuous workout, it won’t, by itself, increase speed. Bit of a long explanation but hopefully that all makes sense? 🙂 All the best. Roger

[@chrismonsen]

@@sportwalk Roger, thank you so much for your detailed reply. I’m learning so much from your videos. Especially about taking smaller higher cadence steps and using the butt muscle to push off. I went for a walk yesterday after watching this video and it was like I had rockets on my legs. It was profound. I’ve never walked like that. And I wasn’t tired in a usual way. Thanks again for the tips on arms. I’ll check out the race walking video after I really learn the lessons in this video and get it into muscle memory. Thanks so much for making this video. It’s a jewel. 😊🙏

[@sportwalk]

Thanks! Really glad you’re finding them helpful & that the leg drive is giving you such a boost! It’s really nice to hear when people are implementing these adaptations & feeling the benefit. Makes my day! 🙂 Cheers

[@VIV292]

Thanks for that I’m learning to race walk never heard of sport walking before. But definitely same truths involved with the exception of bending and straightening the knee I think with race walking Cheers

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Vivian. You’re right, some elements transfer but I think there are some regulations about knee bend in race walking aren’t there? Not sure ‘soft’ knees are allowed, unless I imagined that (wouldn’t be the first time). Anyway, good luck with learning the sport & all the best. Roger

[@rig8392]

Interesting and informative.

[@sportwalk]

Thanks 👍

[@ohma.tokita1156]

Its true what it said, it borrow some technique from race walk, except bend knee

[@jtnachtlauf1961]

Thank you! Your video helped me to walk better. Now, I'm going out for a walk 😁

[@sportwalk]

Glad it helped, enjoy your walking! 🙂

[@jaysol1128]

Hello and thank you 😊

[@TheMikael8888]

Great video ! I just try in my room and yes make huge difference, my front leg no tension anymore and i believe will be faster. Thanks so much for the advice !

[@sportwalk]

You’re welcome Mikael, glad you found it helpful! 🙂

[@TheMikael8888]

@@sportwalk i just try today.. can walk 5 km with pace 5.5 km/ hr.. great ! Usually only 4,8 - 5 only. Thanks again !

[@sportwalk]

Excellent! It’s nice to hear some specific speed improvements! 😁

[@richard70854]

Nice informative video 👍

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Richard! Sorry about the delay replying, we took some time out over Christmas and the New Year.

[@marcchadwick4271Mrbluesky]

Hey Thanks for the tip walking backwards using the muscle on your gluten max Really improved my cadence and my ability to walk without using energy. I am still going to use my compression skins . Gets me up that mountain. Mount Wellington New Zealand

[@sportwalk]

Glad it worked for you Marc! 👍

[@lov2playtn]

I love your video! Very helpful and informative...just what I needed. I also enjoyed your videos on kayaking in the past. Thank you!

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Peter!

[@user-tu5tm6kn6k]

Going to try it today

[@sportwalk]

Great. Let us know how you get on 👍

[@mrinalsharma5613]

Very helpful and informative. Thanks from India ❤️

[@thomasc390]

Thank you! 🚶‍♂

[@alexanderwalter2700]

great video, thanks mate.

[@Theravirajchaudhary]

I am failing to lift legs in fouth round. How to build calf muscles and shin bone

[@nobody.no-one]

Thanks, will practice this soon👌

[@briansturdy592]

BORN TO WALK FAST

[@kassyvaldez1015]

I work a job that's very heavy on walking and we get timed so I need to learn to walk faster

[@sportwalk]

Hope these tips help you then 😁 Let us know how you get on. All the best. Roger

[@gaoutdoor4372]

This video just answered my question thanks

[@sportwalk]

Glad to hear it 👍🙂

[@ComedyTech1]

I walk 2 hours for commute short strides up hill long strides downhill. But my knees do hurt the next day so it isn’t repeatable. I had to check out this video to understand how to endure more walking without sacrificing time.

[@sportwalk]

Hope it helps!

[@CB19087]

If anyone is struggling to get a faster pace, I recommend learning how to race walk to understand that speed comes from the relationship between the hips and the torso. Then you can start playing around with how much you bend your knees. If like me, you aren't even aware that you've been walking inefficiently all your life, it's a better place to start breaking lifelong habits

[@zacharysmiles1308]

This is great!!! Do you have any training plans for walking a trail marathon?!

[@sportwalk]

We don’t have anything specifically for marathon yet, only ultra with our online course but we are looking at producing some plans for different distances & maybe publishing them as PDFs. We’ll do a news update on here when we’ve decided the best approach & have something fixed. Roger

[@richardcoitino1400]

Excellent more videos on sport walking

[@sportwalk]

Sorry for the delay Richard, this only just showed up in our comments.

[@margaretek5350]

Awesome thank you 🙏

[@sportwalk]

No problem, glad you found it useful 🙂

[@darthvader1494]

The best leg backwards was insane. Allways have been driving with the front leg before the center of my body. Feelt like some one pushed med forward compared to before 😊

[@estevanalameda2799]

Good shit man I been trying to increase my walking speed with no avail. I’m trying these tips tommoro for sure.

[@sportwalk]

Hi Estevan. Glad to hear it was helpful and we hope it works for you! All the best

[@frostfox1208]

Wow what a great program! Just in the nick of time too! Thank you, thank you!!

[@sportwalk]

Thanks, glad you liked it! 👍

[@nikitaw1982]

I did a Bush walk and started focusing on flaring my toes and gripping the ground. Found instant acceleration. Guessing maybe meant force from hamstring and glute had somewhere to go as solid conection to ground.... That's what it felt like..

[@sportwalk]

Yeah, I think you’re right that could be a factor. Also, you’d get a more concerted push off, as you’d have probably been more attuned to how your toes move through the action of your foot by doing that. Did you have any adverse affects with trying this? Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@marcchadwick4271Mrbluesky]

I would like to ask you does comprehension tights improve walking . I just watched to short clip and found it really helpful

[@sportwalk]

Sorry we missed this comment when you posted it! Compression tights or ‘calf guards’ do help support your muscles, especially the calves which can get quite fatigued over long distances, as they move quite a bit with a normal walking motion. They won’t help improve your walking technique but they will help your legs feel good for longer. Hope that helps & sorry again that we didn’t reply straight away. All the best. Roger

[@sebastianbolt6905]

Brilliant video,do ultra walks 50k+,have two this year,this was very helpful.

[@sportwalk]

Glad you found it helpful Sebastian & I hope your ultras go well! Roger

[@PeaceandLove2023]

Fantastic, thanks really helpful 🙏

[@sportwalk]

No problem Martin, glad you found it useful. 🙂

[@alanrobinson2417]

I'm walking 7 miles per day and have increased my speed to 3.7mph. Great tips. I also find by moving my arms quicker my legs follow the pace automatically

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Alan, glad you found it useful.

[@alanrobinson2417]

@@sportwalk thanks put into place the pushing off with the back foot tonight for the first time and achieved a 4.1mph over 3.5 miles. Felt good. Thanks for the tip.

[@sportwalk]

That’s great Alan! Happy it worked for you. It can be a bit of a long process, as we all just kind of walk the way we walk but when you start to look at these small refinements and focus on trying to embed them, you can start to make significant progress. When I started out, I was walking at around 10 - 12 minutes per kilometre (sorry, don’t know what that is in miles) and now, my comfortable base pace is about 7:30-7:45 per km! Stick with it and you’ll just keep getting faster and stronger! All the best. Roger

[@alanrobinson2417]

Have to say, I was walking around my local urban area and got some strange looks, chuckling at my walk, but some acknowledgement from those who may be into walking/exercise. Who care 🤣

[@Bartman259]

@@sportwalk 7:30 min/km is a very nice pace that is equal to 12 min/mi.

[@hakimchulan]

This is an awesome channel 👌love from Malaysia

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Hakim! Glad you like it. We’re working on some new content that we hope to have ready to release quite soon. 🙂

[@alohiiaa9762]

thank u this is for my mile at school😤

[@1smores]

I’m so confused about driving my back leg to use my glute. Can you provide a more detailed explanation about how that feels and how to execute.

[@sportwalk]

Hi. Sure, so if you think about the way you walk, try to let your legs just move backwards as you walk without using any effort. Then, as soon as your leg is directly under your torso, that's the point where you put in your effort, not before. When your leg reaches this point, you want to feel yourself actually pushing that leg back behind you (this motion will use a mix of your glutes and your hamstrings). As it reaches the full extent of the drive behind you, you should be able to feel it in your glute. The more you do this, you want to be able to feel your glute in action and then to adjust the motion more and more, so the glute is doing more of the work than the hamstrings. It can take quite a bit of practice to get this right and running 'glute activation' courses can take 4-8 sessions, so don't worry if it feels strange to start with or if you don't immediately feel how it works. Best to try and understand the process by just going through the motion of walking slowly, rather than trying to make the change when you're walking normally. Once you can feel the process, then you'll be able to focus on refining the technique and getting a stronger leg drive in your normal walking. We do plan to do a video on each of the walking adaptations soon, when we can get out filming again after the Corona Virus lockdown and we'll also do a blog post on it with pictures to show each step of the process. As long as you're putting your effort into pushing backwards with your trailing leg though, you'll be doing the right thing and then gradually over time, you can get better and better at it. Hope that helps and all the best with it!

[@1smores]

Sport Walk thank you! This is so helpful!

[@nicksporrer712]

@@sportwalk still trying to perfect this part. I injured my Achilles recently since I have been using my legs more than my glutes. Hoping this will help my low back too

[@sportwalk]

Certainly if you can perfect the technique it’ll mean you’re less susceptible to injury & discomfort, as you’re using your strongest muscle the most & your walking form will be really efficient. Just be careful not to stress your Achilles while you work on the leg drive if you still have issues with it, as I know how problematic they can be. If you’re still nursing it, I’d focus on fixing your Achilles first, then work on leg drive. Hope that helps. 👍 All the best. Roger

[@ferrarielvi]

Fantastic info please provide more

[@sportwalk]

More coming..... give it about an hour!

[@nicmarlow6388]

great video, i'm going to start to try these out. I've got a marathon in May and my first ultra (50k) in July and my normal running style is always run/walk so if I can implement the walk sections to be a bit faster and more efficient i'm confident I will be able to get my times down. thank you! I'll report back. :)

[@sportwalk]

Thanks Nic, glad you found it helpful. Good luck with your marathon & ultra. I’ve long felt that these techniques could help runners when ‘tactically’ walking during an ultra, so I’d be really interested to hear how you get on. All the best. Roger

[@nicmarlow6388]

@@sportwalk well, I tried it yesterday on a short 1 mile walk and wow. Took 2 mins off my mile pace (from a 16.24 min mile average down to 14.01 min mile). That's one hell of an improvement. I'll keep practicing and see how it gets better :)

[@sportwalk]

Fab! Really glad it worked so well for you! You’ll only get faster as you bed it in more & more too! Let us know how you get on in your events too 🙂

[@IamBMM]

Hi Roger. Would you suggest particular focus on any of these points the hillier the course gets? Talking marathon distance and trail course here, aiming for 13min/mi. Thanks.

[@sportwalk]

Hi! Yeah, so these technique elements stay constant regardless of the terrain, the only change being that when you’re climbing you regulate your effort by shortening your stride as the hill gets steeper but you maintain your cadence. Then, when descending, you lengthen your stride as the descent gets steeper, allowing you again to maintain your cadence but more importantly, to open up & attain the free speed potential from descending. Lengthening your stride on steeper descents also stops you from running out of control if you’re applying the ‘free speed’ approach we talk about in that video. Main thing though on hillier courses, is that your leg drive really comes to the fore when you go upwards & it becomes your secret weapon for staying strong & fast on climbs. Hope that helps. Roger

[@IamBMM]

@@sportwalk Thanks for the pointers. That’s helpful. What would your higher-end cadence be on the flat and how did you find out what your optimum cadence is?

[@sportwalk]

@IamBMM My normal cadence fluctuates between around 134 & 140 steps per minute, although the higher cadence tends to only occur when the terrain varies, so I’d say 133/135 is my norm. I settled on this essentially over time & that’s the way it works really. You find a cadence that feels comfortable but is fast & then, over time, it can increase a bit, as you get faster & stronger generally but that should be a natural evolution.

[@uzmakhan5305]

What advice would you give to avoid sore toes when walking downhill? Many thanks

[@sportwalk]

Sore toes downhill sounds like shoes pressing against them. First thing is to make sure shoes are tied tight around the top, so feet don’t slide forward on downhills. If shoes are letting the feet slide forward & you’re ’braking’ (holding yourself back) while descending, this can put pressure on your toes & cause discomfort. Check out our ‘Free Speed’ video for tips on how to go faster downhill, which would help with this. If it’s not shoes that are the issue, there isn’t anything specific about the walking action when going downhill that would cause sore toes, so the best thing would be to concentrate on how your toes feel when you walk downhill, also note how your walking style changes if at all & then to try & figure out any connections that might explain it. Hope that helps. All the best. Roger

[@voodooguitarz]

Wow, great video - learnt so much! Are there any more in depth videos on this stuff?

[@sportwalk]

Sure, check out our leg drive video or ‘Free Speed’ & how to climb. Glad you found it useful. 👍

[@jenillion]

Thank you

[@sportwalk]

No problem!

[@jayhawkmike1]

Is there an optimal cadence for sport walking?

[@sportwalk]

Hi. Yeah, somewhere between 125-140 steps per minute is optimal, depending on your leg length. Ideal cadence would be something in the 130s in my opinion, say around 132-134. Hope that helps. Cheers. Roger

[@joeskwara5823]

I don’t know if you will see this as your video is older but does walking like this do a big stretch on your front hip flexor

[@sportwalk]

Hi! Walking in general is considered to be good for the hip flexors & when you walk with a good leg drive there’s nothing going on that will exacerbate any tightness from sitting too long etc but it’s not a direct solution to this either. With a good walking form & active leg drive you’re not stretching your legs backwards more, you’re simply shifting the power to the leg drive. So it wouldn’t give more of a feeling of stretching. With hip flexors the best thing is to use stretches to loosen them up but, unlike running, walking, even with our recommended form is unlikely to cause any discomfort from tight flexors beyond what you might experience from walking any other way. The last thing is always to warm up before moving to an energetic phase in walking this way & that will help ensure there’s no adverse effects if flexors are tight. Hope that helps 🙂

[@joeskwara5823]

@@sportwalk thanks so much

[@mohitbhende5871]

Is there anyway/thought to trigger the brain to drive the back leg to gain momentum? By default, I end up focusing on my front leg always.

[@sportwalk]

Hi Mohit. I think the way we walk is so deeply routed that we don’t have a natural trigger for a more effective leg drive. We have to learn to change & then practice. We have to build that muscle memory, to rewire our natural instinct to focus on the front leg. It is something you need to work on & even I sometimes have to remind myself to drive backwards. You will get there though if you stick with it. All the best with it. Roger

[@mayankdabral1035]

Does practicing forward splits help

[@sportwalk]

Stretching is important but it’s better to do more dynamic stretches, rather than holding a static stretch like the splits. Dynamic stretching prepares your muscles for the action of walking or running which is what you want really. Hope that helps. 🙂

[@craigherriot4026]

Was wondering what your fastest speed over a mile is. I seem to have reached a plateau at about 16minutes. Have I reached my full potential I wonder, having incorporated all your tips. Another thing, I seem to kick my toes a lot when the back leg is swinging through. Maybe a video idea for you?

[@sportwalk]

Ah, not sure in miles but my normal fast speed is about 7-7.5 kmh, with pace around 7:45/km. There’s lots of different elements that dictate speed & my speed has evolved over about 4 years, while all the time maintaining the same effort, so even though it may feel like you’ve plateaued, it could be you’ve found your optimum pace for the time being but keeping on doing what you’re doing will bring further speed increases over time. Toe kicking could just mean that you want to lift your foot a little more at the end of the leg drive phase. Hard to say for sure but one of my athletes had a similar issue when she was working on her leg drive. It can also sometimes mean there’s an over extension, so maintaining the power with the glutes but lifting the foot a little earlier can help prevent scuffing.

[@richardprice9730]

QUESTION Then transitioning into running you want ? Do same rules apply ?

[@sportwalk]

Hi Richard. So, to a point, yes. It’s obviously a different movement but the principle of high cadence & driving the legs using your glutes is a key thing in good running form, in the same way as it is for walking. Roger

[@nikitaw1982]

Im now walking a lot and I wake up with a chilies pain and can't walk down the stairs. I'm finding I have to sit on end of bed do funny ankle movements to warm it up a little. What should I do? Strengthen and stretch? Ice after a walk?

[@sportwalk]

You want to be really careful with an achilles injury as it can easily get chronic & very difficult to shift. First thing is to give it lots of rest & not walk too hard or fast. It’s vital to lay up & not stress it. I’d avoid stretching too, as that can make it worse. Better to use ice packs to reduce any inflammation & very gently massage it with finger tips. I’d give it a week of very little activity to get on top of it, then ease back in carefully. Also, make sure you warm up well & then do some gentle stretching for you calves before you walk hard & fast. Hope it heals soon! 🙂

[@dilshankularathne2814]

What is the correct foot landing when walking? Some claim that it is forefoot, big toe & ball of the foot. They say heel landing first is inefficient and injury prone. Seems in this video the heel is the first contact with the ground. Could you please explain?

[@sportwalk]

Hi Dilshan. I think if people are telling you to land on your forefoot when walking you should walk away! It’s different for running, where forefoot landing is quite common but it would be a really awkward thing to do for walking and it would be a way of walking that you’d have to teach yourself to do, it wouldn’t be a natural way to walk at all. For all forms of walking, from just walking fast with a normal style right through to race walking, there’s a principle of ‘heel to toe’, always landing on the heel and then rolling the foot forward to push off on the toes. I hope that helps but just message again if you want any more info. Thanks for getting in touch and all the best. 👍

[@dilshankularathne2814]

Thanks for the explanation. This helps big time. If possible, kindly do a video on foot landing & how that fits in with leg drive and other important walking techinques.

[@sportwalk]

We’ll add that to the list for sure! 👍

[@deeparaveendran4671]

Can you explain why ankle hurts when you strike with heel first

[@sportwalk]

It’s difficult to know from here but there’s no bio mechanical reason why it should hurt simply from landing your heel first - that’s the natural way for the foot to land when you walk. If you’re walking normally but fast, then it might mean that you’re landing your food harder than before, perhaps being too physical to go faster but this is unlikely in my experience. It could be the shoes not giving enough support or cushioning but, again, unlikely. It could be rough terrain but you’d probably guess that anyway. It’s more likely, if it’s persistent discomfort that there’s either an injury or something bio mechanical with the ankle and that would need a doctor or physiotherapist to identify. As I said at the beginning, there’s no reason why simply landing your heel first should give ankle pain, so it must either be shoes, technique and level of impact or something medical. Hope that helps and I hope you’re able to find out what it is and get back to walking pain free! 🙂

[@keithalexander1984]

Hi Roger, many congratulations (and thanks) for the channel. Really interesting and insightful. I have been a keen mountain hiker (as well as biker) for many years where I live in the mountains just to the north of Madrid. I also used to run a little, especially when on holidays in the south west coast of Spain but due to recurrent injuries, I had decided to stop and wanted to focus more on beach walking (really good deep beaches with lots of hard sand at low tide) The technique you promote for shorter strides and faster rythm was a big change for me (I'm quite tall: 1.91 M) I used to try to increase speed by increasing stride but it didn't seem very efficient as your technique states. After modifying my walking style with your suggestions, I have a question regarding the heel touching the ground before the entire foot is in contact with the ground. In my old style of walking this didn't ocurr, but with my first attemps at Sport walking I have seen that I can actually be sliding the heel up to 15cm before full foot contact. I discovered this yesterday when I turned around after doing about 5 Km on the beach and when I looked at my footprints in the sand of the outward journey, I saw that the heel has been "sliding" on the sand between 10cm and 18 cm before each step and I hadn't even noticed!! Have you come across this before? Is it something to be avoided? How? by lifting the knee higher? Many thanks for your observations on this. Best regards Keith

[@sportwalk]

Hi Keith. Thanks for your support! This is a really interesting one. Heel landing is quite important in this technique because it sets up a really nice ‘rolling’ action but when you shorten the stride the heel would touch ground only slightly before the rest of the foot because it’s quite close to the body & then the foot would roll through to the ‘drive’ phase & push off for the next step. I’ve not encountered heel sliding myself but I’m wondering if the heel’s catching the ground as you move your leg through? I would say you’d want to avoid the heel sliding if you can, as you do want a nice firm landing to set up the rest of the motion of the step. Any slipping or sliding in your step will take power away from your stride, so you’d lose efficiency. Not entirely sure if you want to raise your leg without seeing your walking action but if you can try the technique on tarmac & see if you’re getting the same effect that would be a good idea. Generally, if there are any issues with technique, I’d always recommend trying to figure out what’s happening & then to rectify it by practicing on tarmac, as it’s such a regular surface. Do let me know how you get on & thanks again. Really glad you’re finding the videos helpful. All the best. Roger

[@keithalexander1984]

@@sportwalk Thanks Roger for your quick response. I actually already verified that when walking barefoot on the sand (and being conscious about sliding) it doesn't tend to happen. What does happen now and then (both barefoot and with running shoes) is than the heel catches on the way through, about halfway before landing. I'll take your advice about practicing on the tarmac in a couple of days when back home and be pleased to let you know. Many thanks again and good walking!

[@marcchadwick4271Mrbluesky]

Can you recommend a pair of trainers ? You have me hooked on this sport waking . Thank you . From Marc New Zealand

[@sportwalk]

Hi Mark. La Sportiva, Salomon & Hoka are worth looking at. Also Dynafit & Brooks Cascadia. Good shoes won’t come cheap but it’s a good investment! Glad you’re enjoying Sport Walking! 👍

[@sportwalk]

Sorry, spelt your name wrong! 🙄

[@nikitaw1982]

123 223 323423 423 523. That should be 5 seconds if cadence is 180. 3 steps per second. Whats best trick to check u have a good cadence? What device accurately shows this?

[@sportwalk]

Most devices we’ve tried struggle to give accurate cadence readings unless you use a foot pod. We’ve not found much benefit though in having a really precise cadence measure to follow, as opposed to just finding a good high cadence that feels right for you. I always work with music for this & recommend a tempo of between 125 & 130 beats per minute to walk to & dial in the cadence. I’d say 130 bpm is pretty much ideal but I know some people struggle with that to start with. Any kind of digital metronome would also work well. Overall though, I’d recommend using music to get started but long term not to worry too much about sticking to a precise tempo. Once you buy into the high cadence approach, you find you never go back & you just naturally find your rhythm.

[@YeNZeC]

Another tip. From your knees down "Let go" when walking fast people contract their shins = shin splits and tight shins.

[@sportwalk]

Too true!

[@JxT1957]

im into a lot of fast walking myself, i dont care about all that hip and arm swinging in powerwalking

[@stevie5484]

HIP MOVEMENT. What is your opinion on moving the hips as in race walking help extend the stride?

[@sportwalk]

It all depends on the type of walking really. So for just walking fast in a ‘normal’ way, achieving a speed of maybe 7-8kmh, especially off road, then we’d say no need. It’s better to focus on the leg drive & cadence. It’s only really when you want to walk faster than this & specifically to get into race walking that more pronounced hip movement becomes inevitable & necessary to be able to reach those high speeds of 10-13kmh. Otherwise, for general fast Sport Walking it’s not necessary. Hope that helps? We’re doing a piece on progression through different walking styles as you get faster in the March/April edition of the show. Cheers

[@craigherriot4026]

@@sportwalk Hi, is there a link to this piece please?

[@sportwalk]

Hi Craig. This should work: Sport Walk Quick Guide - Why Race Walkers walk as they do kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaq5l35ja9SpipI If not you can find the vid on the channel under that title. Cheers

[@Light_EnterTainmenT7]

My speed is 5.45 Km/Hr. Does that count in brisk walking or I need to increase the speed. Please answer. Thanks!

[@sportwalk]

If you’re walking fast for you & your heart beat is increased then yes, that’s brisk walking. Because everyone’s different with different body types, different leg lengths, the actual speed people can achieve will also be different. The main thing is that your walking feels like you’re getting a bit out of breath, maybe getting a bit hot & that you’re moving as fast as you’re able to. Then, as you do this more & more, you’ll be able to go faster & then, if you work on making your walking technique as effective & efficient as you can, you can increase your speed even further, just by being more effective in how you walk, rather than doing a race walking style. It’s amazing how much increase in speed you can achieve just by changing simple things about how you walk normally. When I first started, my pace was 4-5 kmh & now it’s about 7.4 / 7.5kmh. I’m not saying you can do the same because maybe your body type won’t allow (I’m tall with long legs) but you can always go faster by improving your technique. Stick with it & you will get faster if you want to but if your current speed is a good workout then you’re still getting benefits from it. Good luck & all the best! Roger

[@Light_EnterTainmenT7]

@@sportwalk thank you for you suggestions Roger, I am watching your videos to improve the walking style, I have gut feeling that I can improve my speed but somehow I am doing something wrong and as soon as I start walking faster my leg muscles start getting hurt. My heart rate increases even in 5:45 km/hr speed so I guess I have to give my body some more time to increase Endurance

[@sportwalk]

Yeah, it’s important to change things gradually and also to give yourself a really good amount of time to see significant changes. I’d start by just focusing on changing your walking technique first, while simply maintaining a comfortably fast pace, whatever that may be for you. Then you can start to work on increasing your speed by using that more effective technique. It could take a few months to really bed in the different way of walking and using the leg drive technique to propel you forward but whatever work you do on your technique up front will pay you back when you look to increase your speed. Good luck with it! 👍

[@Bartman259]

Thanks Roger. What do believe is your optimum rate of cadence in strides per minute?

[@sportwalk]

I’ve not measured mine precisely but it’s around 132 steps per minute. It fluctuates a bit but I’d say that’s pretty much my normal cadence. I always advocate something between 125 & 135 steps per minute for anyone & you’ll probably find that your cadence naturally increases over time, once you’ve tuned into the value of it & as you become more comfortable with a faster turnover.

[@shrawan0825]

Can you tell how long it should take to cover a kilometer away

[@sportwalk]

Hi Shrawan. We say that the starting point to aim for when Sport Walking on trails for a challenge or just walking fast normally for fitness is a pace of 10 minutes per kilometre. Now Race Walkers will go at around 5 minutes or less per kilometre but that’s a specific technique, so we always say to aim for 10 minutes per kilometre walking normally and then gradually get faster as you become stronger. A fast Sport Walker on a challenge will travel at around 7.30 - 7.45 per km, so you see starting at 10 per km gives you a lot of scope for improvement. 🙂

[@hannahtownsley4913]

Does it matter what your weight is? I’m a little on the heavier side...need to know this for work.

[@sportwalk]

Hi Hannah. Not at all, it’s all about the way you walk and it really doesn’t matter what shape, size or weight you are. In many ways, what we advocate for Sport Walking is just about being efficient with your walking style, so it’ll be efficient and effective regardless of your body make up. Hope that helps but if you want to know more just let us know. All the best. Roger

[@IaintAI-m9d]

I have a serious question that maybe someone can help answer. Last year I started training vigorously with high speed resistance training. That led me to start completing ultra marathons. Monday, I had 62 miles in 24 hours. And my Fitbit zone minutes total was about 1200. Last month I had a day of 1500 zone minutes. Furthermore, all the activity was within 16 hours.(after 8am). My question is . How many daily zone minutes are dangerous? At the age of 65. I feel great, and feel the possibility of increasing my distance further is doable.. However, I don't want to have an unexpected heart attack, because my aging heart doesn't have the capacity to withstand the extended exertion. Is 1500 zone minutes too high for 65 years of age? What's the science behind that? I am pausing my endurance training for now. And returning to resistance training. I would appreciate any information or thoughts on this.

[@sportwalk]

Hi! OK, tricky question to answer simply but I’ll give it a go (with the caveat that I’m not a sports scientist). First up, I think it’s important to say that there’s no way, without medical analysis, for anyone to be able to give guidance about what level of intensity will be safe for your heart. Heart health & safety should only be for the medics. I think the thing that stands out for me in your message is the conflict (as I see it) between training for ultras & higher intensity workouts. I don’t have the exact figures to hand but elite endurance athletes train about 80-90% of the time at a low intensity to build endurance & this would be the objective for ultras, especially if you’re looking to go longer. I think there’s a bit of a tricky side to the Fitbit ‘zone minutes’ too, in that they seem to incentivise intensity by rewarding more effort (although I’ve never used one, so can only go by what I’ve read on their site). So my concern overall is that you’re looking at what level of intensity is safe for you, when I would always advise that for ultras it should be about low intensity endurance based training. I certainly wouldn’t say that lower intensity long distance training carries lower heart risk because I’m not medically qualified to say that but the very thing that will give you the reliable endurance to go longer is working at a lower intensity, which is, by default, placing less strain on your heart (assuming there are no undiagnosed cardiovascular issues). So, I guess the advice I would give is to reframe how you’re looking at this from “extended exertion” to what training zones (levels of intensity) you need to be working in to achieve your aims. Ultras should not be about exertion, they should be about efficient application of movement at a steady low intensity. The speed comes from your technique & then it’s a question of applying that technique within a heart rate zone for you that feels relatively easy. Working hard on an ultra should be tactical - on climbs etc - & should be short lived, returning to that easy/moderate intensity asap. If you’re looking to go faster for longer, then the two things need to be viewed separately. Firstly, perfect your technique to be as effective & efficient as possible for you. Then, build or strengthen your endurance so you’re travelling at the fastest pace you’re able to, with that easy to moderate intensity zone. Growing your speed from there will depend on whether you’re running or walking but it would be a long process, using both strength work & some targeted speed work but as an example I increased my walking speed completely organically by around 3kmh (I think that’s about 1.5 miles per hour) just by consistently focusing on technique & by just training in these moderate intensity zones on challenging terrain. It took 3 years overall & I always say this is the sort of timescale for change people should allow. I don’t know if this helps you but I think, leaving aside any concerns you may have about your heart or it’s robustness, I definitely recommend moving away from the Fitbit approach & align yourself more the the approach taken by ultra athletes & you could do a lot worse than having a look around the Training Peaks blog for articles that could help you with that. I’d recommend moving to a time & distance based approach, always at an easy to moderate intensity, so performing 80-90% of your activity at an easy to moderate intensity & if this means a drop off in pace, look at adapting technique so it can deliver more speed from the lower output (such as perfecting leg drive etc). Once you’ve reset to this kind of approach, you can build speed back but you’ll always be doing it with efficient effort, not just working harder. If this hasn’t helped then I do hope you delve into the Training Peaks blog, as I feel you’ll find a lot of useful info there. Good luck with it & I hope you find a solution that works for you. All the best. Roger

[@IaintAI-m9d]

@@sportwalk thanks for the thorough reply. Ironically, I've tried some of what you mentioned. But you did mention some things that may help me pace my training and marathons better. I suppose my situation is rare. Especially, for a 65 year old. I appreciate your help. Maybe this might help someone else who is not training efficiently.

[@3ashishsreekumar815]

Is sport walking and race walk same?

[@sportwalk]

Hi Ashish. No, it's different to Race Walking but only in that you don't have to race if you go Sport Walking. Sport Walking is about taking on a challenge walk, so in theory, you could race walk a Sport Walking challenge but it's more about setting yourself a personal goal over a challenging route, normally on trails. It's kind of like a walking version of Ultra Running and because it's mainly on trails, it's very hard to get that super efficient flow you have with a Race Walking technique when you're off road. So, we focus on making 'normal' walking technique as fast and efficient as possible, so you can adapt better on steep or rugged climbs and other rough terrain. Also, race walking mostly stops at around 50km, whereas the ultimate goal with Sport Walking is more like the 100km distance or more, so again, keeping the style very loose and easy is better, in order to conserve energy. Hope that helps but let us know if you want further guidance. All the best!

[@3ashishsreekumar815]

@@sportwalk thank u so much

[@AlexBrown-do7rx]

outside walking to

[@emmanuelsaiko1891]

Am a bigger and need power for walking

[@arindamroy1117]

What is the correct long step or short step?

[@sportwalk]

Hi Arindam. For Sport Walking on trails, especially long distance, you want a short step because that way you can use the momentum from the previous step to help power the next step. Our video called ‘Move Fast’ gives a bit more explanation about this. Hope that helps 🙂

[@25inspector]

What pace per km is considered fast?

[@sportwalk]

I guess it depends on how you walk, so for Sport Walking with a normal walking style, 7-8 minutes per km would be fast, especially on trails. If it’s moving into the realm of Power/Race Walking on roads then I know these guys wouldn’t consider that fast, so then it would be 4-6 minutes per km but that’s quite a specific technique & although you could do a Sport Walk in a Race Walk style (because it’s all about doing a challenge not about technique) it wouldn’t be efficient over longer distances on trails. This is why we always advise on using a ‘normal’ walking style for trail challenges. With everything though, it’s all about a starting point, so we’d always recommend starting with a target of getting under 9 minutes per km, which is still going to give a strong time over, say, a 100km challenge.

[@ericulric223]

Tempting. I take long strides but my cadence must still be high (I think I reset position fast) because I put distance between 95% fairly fast even if they look like they're trying to go fast. I'm going to have to reassess. Instead of going faster I'm actually concerned with walking to minimize damage to the body long-term. Does the above long-term minimize wearing down the knees and other agents of motion? My walking is ridiculous, the slightest imbalance will throw me off (a pair of keys in one pocket but not the other).

[@sportwalk]

I can’t give a categorical assurance that the advice in this video will help with long term protection of joints and ligaments but everything I recommend is to make your walking style more efficient and to reduce stress on the legs because that’s what’s going to make walking faster easier. So I’d say that by keeping your legs ‘soft’, reducing the length of your stride and increasing your cadence, you will help to protect your joints because it’s the most efficient and least impactful way to walk. Or to put it another way, yes I believe these adaptations will give you protective benefits.…. I just can’t prove it! 😆 Hope that helps and good luck with your walking. Roger

[@ericulric223]

@@sportwalk Thanks sir!

[@halojimmy7]

normally takes me 6hrs to walk 14 miles this week when I walk 14.13 miles took me 5hrs 43mins 12secs 😀

[@sportwalk]

Nice one! And those times will just keep dropping. the more you do 👍😁

[@halojimmy7]

@@sportwalk I like number #14 miles when doing 10s miles But can't do it daily yet But I really want get to the 20s miles soon

[@kokabenthekrispy]

If you can see this, hello Mr. Depue

[@dukubee870]

How to complete 16 km in 2.5hours

[@futurestyle9746]

Record 150 step per minute. Yes this my life and i real like this

[@Burps___]

Wonderful videos! When I sport walk, like I did today for a 10K at the local park, my GPS watch and Strava have me at 140 steps per minute cadence. I have heard that for fast running, 180 is the optimal cadence (my running cadence is 173). Although I feel fast in my sport walking, my cadence is low compared to running. Is this a proper comparison? What is the typical cadence for an efficient and fast sport walker? Thank you. 🚶🏻

[@sportwalk]

Hi Burps! OK, cadence. So, I wouldn’t worry about putting a number to your walking cadence too much, although 140 sounds pretty decent to me. I measure mine using music tempo, which I guess is the same thing & my cadence works out at around 130 beats per minute, so allowing for any discrepancies with estimated cadence by Strava (unless you’re using foot pods to measure it accurately) I’d say it sounds like your walking cadence is pretty good. Really glad you like our videos & hope you continue to enjoy your Sport Walking. All the best. Roger

[@Burps___]

@@sportwalk Roger, thank you kindly for taking the time to answer and help me. Reassuring about my cadence. I make no conscious effort to push forward and use my glutes as you have coached us in the video. I’m excited to try that, Roger, thank you 😊

[@sportwalk]

No problem at all! Glad it helps 🙂

[@lostwisdom100]

Driving your legs backwards behind you too hard is a great way to injure the Achilles tendon.

[@sportwalk]

Doing any move too hard can lead to injury & all sorts of issues can cause Achilles strain. The key is to walk easy & to let the technique deliver the speed, not physical effort. Only then should additional power be added, once the technique becomes embedded.

[@guaparra2]

that was pretty good mate, i love the fact that by taking smaller strides and propelling or using your butt cheeks makes walk faster it really made a diferrence thanks!

[@sportwalk]

Great, glad you found it useful 👍

[@marcchadwick4271Mrbluesky]

Compression tights sorry misspelled the last . I walk 3 hrs a day and I feel better I'm walking up a small mountain

[@sportwalk]

Hi Mark. ‘Comprehension tights’, love it. Now that might actually be a good seller! 😆 I always use calf guards myself as I do find the compression support really helps with muscle fatigue, so I’d definitely recommend for anything over a half marathon or for strenuous work like hill or mountain walking. Glad you found it useful 🙂. Roger