How to Walk Fast: 3 Proven Ways to Increase Your Walking Speed

Are you ready to step up your walk and move faster without running? Whether you’re training for a race, power walking for fitness, or simply want to improve your pace, learning how to walk fast comes down to three core strategies:

1. Increase your tempo (cadence)
2. Lengthen your stride efficiently
3. Wear shoes designed for fast walking

Mastering these techniques can help you walk faster, burn more calories, and improve cardiovascular fitness – without adding unnecessary impact on your joints.

1. Increase Your Tempo (Cadence)

If you have shorter legs and struggle to keep up with taller walking partners, cadence is your secret weapon. Your arms control your speed – the faster and more efficiently you swing them, the faster your legs will move.

Focus on arm drive rather than overstriding. Keep your elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees and swing them backward, not upward.

Coach Carmen® Tip

Drive your elbows behind you, not in front of your body. Swinging your arms too high or across your chest will slow you down and waste energy.

Understanding Steps Per Minute (SPM)

Elite race walkers can reach up to 240 steps per minute (SPM) in competition; that’s four steps per second. While that pace isn’t sustainable for everyday training, it illustrates how important cadence is for speed.

Try this drill:

• Set a countdown timer for 1 minute
• Stand in place and pump your arms quickly
• Count one arm swing (e.g., right arm only) and double the number

Competitive walkers typically train at a variety of cadences:

• 140–160 SPM: Recovery walks and long-distance training (30–90+ minutes)
• 161–180 SPM: Tempo workouts (800 meters to 2 miles)
• 181+ SPM: Short sprints, speed work, warm-ups, and finishing drills

Mixing paces throughout the week helps build speed, endurance, and confidence – especially when finishing strong in races.

2. Lengthen Your Stride (Without Overstriding)

Another way to walk faster is to take fewer steps by slightly lengthening your stride – without reaching too far in front of your body.

For example:

• A 10,000‑meter race with a 1‑meter stride requires 10,000 steps
• Extending your push‑off by just 2–5 cm (1–2 inches) behind you can reduce total distance walked by 250–500 meters – without increasing cadence

The key is learning to roll fully through your foot and push off your toes, extending your stride behind you rather than in front.

Coach Carmen® Tip

Most people sit too much, leading to tight hip flexors that limit stride length. Stretching before trying to lengthen your stride can make a noticeable difference. A trainer or coach can help identify stretches that work best for your body.

A simple groin and hip flexor stretch can be done as:

• A 1‑minute static hold, or
• 10 slow repetitions lowering the knee toward the floor and rising again

3. Wear Shoes Designed for Fast Walking

Many athletic retailers recommend running shoes for fast walking, but runners have vertical motion, while walkers move forward, not upward. Running shoes aren’t designed for the unique mechanics of fast walking.

When Coach Carmen couldn’t find footwear that properly supported efficient walking, she created Reshod® Walking Shoes, earning utility patents from the US, Canada, Japan, China, Hong Kong and the EU.

Coach Carmen has been a competitive walker since 1986 and has coached walkers for over 20 years. Her patented Pushover® technology encourages:

• Strong toe‑off
• Efficient stride extension
• Forward propulsion without excess impact

Shoes That Help You Walk Faster

• Coach Carmen® Race Walk Shoe – Built for high‑cadence walking, zero‑drop mechanics, and efficient race walking technique.
• Reshod® Pushover® Walking Shoe – Ideal for power walkers and fitness walkers seeking stability, durability, and speed.

These shoes use angled foam components to support your foot through the entire heel‑to‑toe stride, helping you move faster with less effort.

Final Takeaway: Walk Fast, Have Fun

Walking faster doesn’t require running, it requires better technique, smarter training, and the right shoes. By increasing your cadence, improving your stride mechanics, and wearing footwear designed for walking, you can safely and confidently increase your pace.

Get fit. Have fun. Walk fast.