✱ Look straight ahead, not down, at the ground.
✱ With relaxed shoulders, swing your arms like a pendulum front to back without crossing your naval (your hands shouldn’t come up higher than your breastbone). On hills, bend your arms to 90 degrees for more pumping power.
✱ Stand tall and keep your hips directly above your feet. Don’t lean forward or back from the waist, even when going up hills.
✱ Stick with your natural stride length to help avoid shin pain, the most common complaint among walkers. To increase your speed, focus on taking quicker steps, not longer ones.
✱ Land on your heel first, then roll through to the ball of your foot.
✱ Choose a walking shoe with a rugged tread and rounded heel. It should bend easily at the ball (not the arch) of your foot.
