Picking up the pace: 4 tips for increasing your walking speed

Movement is important. It’s recommended that we should all aim for around 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. It’s great if you’re reaching this number, but it’s also important to complete some vigorous activity in your week.

That’s why you should take note of your walking speed so you can up the intensity and get those vital minutes of vigorous movement into your week without having to head to the gym every day!

Are you ready to start picking up the pace? Here are four top tips to help you increase your walking speed.

Use a timer and walk in short bursts

One of the best ways to speed up the pace while you’re walking is to time yourself.

Get yourself a timer or use the timer app on your phone and start it as soon as you set off. Time yourself walking at your normal pace at first. This will give you a great baseline to start with. After this, aim to walk the same distance within a shorter time frame. Having the timer there acts as a great motivation to encourage you to pick up the pace.

If you’re struggling to walk at a faster pace for the whole journey, you might find it helpful to walk in short bursts. Practice this interval-style walking for a few weeks before you progress onto speed walking the entire way!

Listen to upbeat music

Believe it or not, the music you listen to makes a huge difference to your walking speed. Music can be motivating, and it might just give you that extra push to increase your pace.

Create a playlist full of exciting and upbeat music, including all of your favorite songs. As you walk, make sure to take your headphones and listen to your playlist. You’ll immediately find that you start walking to the beat, and before you know it, you’ll be speed walking to your destination!

Walk with a speedy friend

If you have a friend who loves to power walk everywhere they go, ask them to join you on your walks. Their naturally fast pace will encourage you to speed up too. As you will be socializing with your friend, you’re less likely to feel tired even though you’re walking at a much faster pace. It’s a great way to increase your vigorous exercise in an enjoyable way.

Set yourself a goal

Having a goal can be great motivation to get you to walk faster. Set yourself a limited amount of time to arrive at a particular destination. Aim to make the goal realistic but also difficult enough to challenge yourself.

It might take a few weeks until you reach this goal, but you will get there! Once you reach your goal, you can set yourself a brand-new one!