How to Increase Your Walking Pace

Walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise: simple, low-impact, and beneficial for cardiovascular health, joint mobility, and mental well-being. But as your fitness improves, you may want to boost your pace for better results, whether that means walking farther in less time, improving endurance, or increasing calorie burn.

What Is a Good Walking Pace?

Understanding your current pace helps you set realistic goals. Walking pace is typically measured in miles per hour (mph) or minutes per mile (min/mi). While speed varies based on age, fitness level, terrain, and biomechanics, research provides some general benchmarks.

Normal Walking Pace

Most adults walk at 2.5–4.0 mph, and this translates to 15–24 minutes per mile. Factors that influence your normal pace include:

Age
Leg length
Cardiovascular fitness
Joint mobility
Walking terrain

Because pace naturally declines with age, maintaining a brisk pace is associated with better long-term health outcomes. Studies show that faster habitual walking speed is linked to reduced mortality risk.

What Is a Fast Walking Pace?

A “fast” or “brisk” walking pace typically falls between 3.5–4.5 mph (13–17 minutes per mile). For fitness walking, many trainers recommend aiming for a pace that elevates your heart rate while still allowing you to speak in short sentences, often referred to as the talk test. Fast walking improves aerobic capacity and endurance, and research shows it can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Man walking down sidewalk during the springtime

How to Improve Your Walking Pace

Boosting your speed doesn’t require running or intense training. It does, however, require focus, consistency, and an understanding of proper biomechanics.

1. Improve Your Walking Mechanics

Walking efficiently is the foundation of walking faster. Several small adjustments can significantly increase your pace:

Maintain upright posture: Keep your spine neutral and avoid leaning too far forward or backward.
Use a strong arm swing: Bend elbows to about 90 degrees and swing from the shoulders, not the elbows. Research shows arm swing improves walking efficiency and speed.
Increase your cadence: Taking quicker, shorter steps is more effective than overstriding.
Push off through your toes: Strong push-off improves stride power and forward momentum.

If you overpronate, supinate, or experience arch collapse while walking, your gait efficiency may suffer. Orthotic insoles, such as PowerStep’s Pinnacle Insoles, can help improve alignment and reduce compensatory strain.

2. Strengthen Key Muscles for Speed

Walking pace is closely tied to lower-body strength and stability, making strong, well-conditioned muscles essential for improving speed. Key muscle groups include the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and the core, all of which support efficient movement and help maintain proper posture and stride mechanics. Incorporating exercises like step-ups, calf raises, glute bridges, and planks can build the power and stability needed to walk faster with greater ease and control.

3. Add Interval Training

Alternating between faster and slower walking intervals helps train your cardiovascular system and improves leg turnover.

Example interval workout:

Warm-up: 5 minutes easy pace
1 minute brisk pace
2 minutes moderate pace
Repeat 6–10 times
Cool down: 5 minutes easy pace

This method teaches your body how to recover efficiently and hold higher speeds for longer periods.

4. Improve Your Footwear and Support

Running and walking shoes serve different biomechanical purposes, and when they become worn down or lack adequate support, increasing your walking pace can lead to fatigue or discomfort. To walk faster with better efficiency and reduced strain, your footwear should provide adequate arch support, a deep heel cup for stability, shock-absorbing cushioning to reduce impact, and a flexible forefoot that allows a smooth, powerful toe-off. Adding orthotic insoles can enhance these features. PowerStep’s bridge or Pinnacle insole support the arch, stabilize the heel, and reduce excess motion, key factors when increasing walking pace.

5. Build Up Gradually

Avoid injury by increasing your pace slowly. A good rule of thumb is to improve speed by no more than 5–10% per week. Sudden increases may overload the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, or shins, leading to issues like plantar fasciitis or shin splints. If you start experiencing discomfort, consider adding a heel lift or supportive walking insole to offset strain and improve mechanics.

6. Track Your Progress

Using a smartwatch, walking app, or pedometer can help you stay consistent and motivated by tracking key metrics during your walks. Monitoring your average pace, cadence (steps per minute), distance, and heart rate gives you a clearer picture of your progress and areas for improvement. Setting realistic milestones, such as shaving 30 to 60 seconds off your mile time over several weeks, can help you build speed gradually and sustainably.

Training Plan to Increase Your Walking Pace

Below is a simple 4-week plan designed for users who walk regularly but want to boost speed.

Week-by-Week Breakdown

Week 1:

3–4 walks per week
Maintain normal pace for 20–30 minutes
Add 3 short bursts of brisk pace (30–45 seconds)

Week 2:

Extend brisk intervals to 1 minute
Add strength training twice weekly
Be mindful of posture and arm swing

Week 3:

Walk 30–40 minutes
Brisk intervals: 90 seconds with 2-minute recovery
Add hill walking once this week

Week 4:

Aim for one full walk at brisk pace (15–20 minutes sustained)
Continue intervals in other sessions
Reassess footwear and support as pace increases

If your pace goals are higher, such as preparing for a charity walk or fitness challenge, you may benefit from adding additional strength and interval sessions or choosing footwear with enhanced support like PowerStep PULSE Performance Insoles.

How Orthotics Help Improve Walking Pace

Orthotic insoles support walking biomechanics by:

Reducing overpronation or supination
Improving foot alignment
Enhancing shock absorption
Reducing fatigue in the arch and heel

Research indicates that supportive insoles improve gait efficiency and walking comfort, for issues like plantar fasciitis. This means your body expends less energy to maintain form, allowing you to sustain a faster pace more comfortably. If you struggle with heel pain, arch pain, or general fatigue while walking, the Pinnacle line is a strong place to start.

Increasing your walking pace is an achievable goal that delivers meaningful health benefits, from improved cardiovascular fitness to greater endurance and mobility. With proper mechanics, supportive footwear, strength training, and thoughtful progression, you can gradually and safely build a faster, more efficient walking pace.

And if foot pain or fatigue is holding you back, PowerStep’s podiatrist-designed insoles can help keep your feet aligned and supported so you can walk farther, and faster with confidence.

Increasing Walking Pace FAQs

Q: What is a good walking pace for beginners?
A: A typical beginner pace is 2.5–3.0 mph. As fitness improves, aim for a brisk pace of 3.5–4.0 mph.

Q: What is considered a fast walking pace?
A: Fast walking typically ranges from 4.0–4.5 mph, depending on fitness level and stride mechanics.

Q: Does walking faster burn more calories?
A: Yes. Increasing pace boosts heart rate and energy expenditure, helping burn more calories in the same amount of time.

Q: Can walking faster help improve cardiovascular health?
A: Research shows brisk walking significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and improves aerobic capacity.

Q: Why do my feet hurt when I try to walk faster?
A: Foot pain may indicate poor biomechanics, worn footwear, or lack of arch support. Orthotics like PowerStep insoles can help redistribute pressure and improve mechanics.