Power Walking For Beginners

Power walking is my ride or die fitness activity. With countless studies proving the effectiveness of power walking in benefitting your health, learning how to power walk will keep you moving well into your future as you age. Walking is one of the most maintainable workouts a person can add to their life so if you haven’t added walking to your daily routine, the time to start is now.

Benefits of Power Walking

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There are so many benefits to power walking. I define power walking as walking at a good pace, with good form for a certain amount of time or mileage. Below is the top reason why power walking is a wonderful choice of exercise.

Power Walking Is Low Impact

Power walking gives you a great heart rate boost without wreaking havoc on your joints and connective tissue. This means you are less likely to have either acute or chronic injury from wear and tear that comes with time.

Power Walking Burns Calories

Depending on the speed, a power walk can burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories per hour or more.

Power Walking Is Important For Heart Health

It’s a great cardiovascular exercise working the heart and lungs.

You Can Power Walk Anywhere

No equipment or special outfit is needed to walk! That means you can do it nearly anytime and anywhere. Comfortable clothes and good shoes are important, and a treadmill or walking pad can help in the colder months.

Power Walking Is Suitable For Everyone

Obvious injuries or illnesses aside, walking is great for all ages, genders, sizes, and fitness levels. You choose your terrain and your speed based on what you are capable of, but nearly anyone can head out for a power walk.

Power Waking Can Decrease Disease and Illness

Studies show that power walking can help decrease your risk of multiple maladies. Harvard Medical School says that walking improves cardiac risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, vascular stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress, just to name a few!  Research also found walking can help reduce your risk of dementia, peripheral artery disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, colon cancer, and even erectile dysfunction!

How to Power Walk

Power walking is a safe, low-impact form of workout but it’s still important to know to follow the proper power walking technique to avoid injury.

Stretch Before Power Walking

Yes, you do need to stretch even before a walk. A power walk is an active exercise so you need to warm up those muscles. I recommend a dynamic stretching routine like these 8 Essential Stretches For Walkers but think about hip circles and ankle circles as ideas.

Power Walking Warm-Up

A proper warm-up is crucial for all types of exercise including power walking. Begin slowly. Walk for a few minutes and then consider some active stretches such as 10 walking lunges and 10 hip circles. Studies show that a proper warm-up helps prevent injury.

Remember Moderation

Power walking too many miles can lead to an increased risk of injury and soreness. Don’t be tempted to start aggressively in an attempt to burn more calories.

If you are new to power walking, shoot for 15-20 minutes or less on your first endeavor. Do this for the first few times out. After a week of regular movement, increase your time to 20-25 minutes. After a couple more weeks, you will be up to a solid 30-minute walk. The best place to start is with our power walking challenge.

Start Slowly

Just as walking too far your first time out can lead to injury or soreness, so can walking too fast. Make sure your first walk is moderate in pace. Just a stroll is fine.

A good way to judge? Walk with a buddy and carry on a conversation. If you can talk the entire time, you’re probably at a good pace.

Stretch At The End Of Your Power Walk

If you only have 30 minutes for a brisk walking workout, plan a 25-minute walk and save 5 minutes to stretch at the end. Stretching your calves, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and hips will help prevent soreness and keep you free from common walking injuries.

Proper Power Walking Technique 

Power walking exercise recruits all kinds of muscles in your body. In order to prevent overuse injuries or poor form hazards, here are some good power walking form tips for you to follow.

Good Posture

Stand tall. Pull your tummy in like you are zipping up tight jeans. Keep your head up and shoulders pulled back but relaxed. Lift your chest. 

Use Your Arms

Good arm motion will help you burn 5-10% more calories. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and keep elbows pulled in close to your body. Pump your arms straight forward, not diagonally, and be sure they stay low, not going past your breastbone. Make fists, but relaxed not tight.

Foot Motion

Your footsteps should be in a heel-to-toe motion. Your heel hits first then your foot rolls through your toe.

Keep Your Strides Natural

Don’t try to speed up by taking giant steps or an unnaturally long stride. Instead, lengthen your stride by your back foot by keeping that foot on the ground longer and giving you a more powerful stride forward. Don’t overthink it.

Power Walking Tips For Weight Loss

Power walking is great for weight loss and burning calories. You could burn up to 200 or more calories per 30-minute walk. That’s a great calorie burn for weight loss efforts.

Here are some tips to increase your calorie burn when you’re power walking:

Walk On An Incline

Thanks to gravity, it requires more energy to walk uphill. So according to studies for every 1% of the uphill grade, a 150-pound person burns roughly 10 more calories per mile.

Add Weight

We recommend a weighted vest vs ankle or wrist weights to help you keep your balance. A person who weighs more burns more calories per hour so by adding weight you will increase your calorie burn by about 13% when you power walk.

Pick-Up the Pase

According to medical editor William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR for emedicinehealth.com If you are power walking to lose weight you’ll have to pick up the pace. Strive for 15mph to 18 mph. If you have some sort of a fitness watch, it will monitor this for you. So this doesn’t mean run, just walk more briskly and you will increase your calories burned.

Add Intervals To Your Power Walk

Power Walking Miles Per Hour 

According to a study by Washington University in St. Louis, walking at 4.5 miles per hour can burn around 200 calories for an average 140-pound woman.

On the other hand, power walking too slowly might only net you 100 calories or less for 30 minutes. Keep your speed and intensity up.

Most fitness watches or trackers will tell you how far and how fast you are walking. This can be an invaluable tool to help you.

However, to track your pace on your own, measure a one-mile course using your car. Now walk that same course and time yourself. Here are your results:

20 minutes- 3 mph (this is a good starting pace)

15 minutes – 4 mph (this is a solid fast walk)

13 minutes – 4.5 mph (this is a very challenging power walk)

Remember that you are going to make progress. Don’t be discouraged if you have a slower speed to begin you’ll still get the benefits. Just use that pace and stay consistent with your walks.

Power Walking Workouts To Get Started With

3 Walking Workouts To Boost Your Weight Loss

14-Day Power Walking Challenge

The Best Low-Intensity Workouts

Power Walking Expert Tips 

Here are some other helpful tips to keep in mind as you learn how to power walk.

Choose Comfortable Clothes

This one probably seems obvious, but the more appropriate the clothing the more comfortable you will be. And the more comfortable you are, the longer you will last. Choose not only based on the temperature you are walking in but the fabric of the clothing as well. Moisture-wicking fabrics designed for exercise will help your temperature stay regulated as well as to stave off chafing under your arms or between your legs.

The Best Shoes for Power Walking

Proper footwear will be your best friend as you start a new power walking program. Did you know that running shoes can be used for waking. The motion is very similar.

Pick a pair with good ankle stability, cushioning, and in my case, a wide toe box. Also a breathable fabric is important too.

Power Walking Tip: Be sure there is at least a thumbs width of space between your toes and the front of the shoe.

Make A Plan

Don’t just open the door and go or hop on the treadmill without knowing what your intentions are. Whether you set a timer on your watch or plan a route on which you know the distance, be smart about your walk.

Follow Good Walking Form

Walking uses more than just your legs. Keep your shoulders back and chest lifted to avoid hunching forward. Pull your abs in as you walk and keep good posture. Leave your arms free from clutter so that you are able to swing them next to your side.

Find an Exercise Buddy

There’s nothing like a friend waiting on the corner to keep us accountable. Walking buddies can encourage one another and keep each other going. In addition, a walking buddy gives you an incentive to go further and makes the whole workout more pleasurable.

Track Your Progress

Whether you use a fitness app, smartwatch, or other fitness trackers or go the old-fashioned route and write it on your calendar, it is important to track your progress. Not only does this help you increase your pace and mileage, but it also motivates you as you see how much better you’re getting! Aim for four to six power walks a week. Beginners should strive to stride for 20 to 30 minutes. More experienced walkers can step it up to 45- or even 60-minute sessions (when time allows). Remember the tip about starting slowly! A good rule of thumb is to gradually increase your walks by 10% each week.