Why It’s Important to Pick Up Your Walking Pace

“Speed will increase if you walk at a faster cadence, assuming stride length does not decrease. That is how those two concepts are related,” Rubin continues.

Though reaching 14 steps more per minute may sound small, it will probably raise your speed also, says Stacy Fritz, chief health officer at University of South Carolina, who has published research on walking speed but wasn’t involved in the study. That increase will work your muscles, heart and lungs harder. “All those components translate to better health,” Fritz says.

Picking up the pace

As part of the study, 102 adults over the age of 60 were split into two groups: About half walked as fast as safely possible, and the others strolled at their usual speed. Everyone walked three times a week for 45 minutes over the course of four months. Research staff assisted them as they strode, as each had a device fitted to their thighs to measure cadence.

The intervention happened in three phases. Phase 1 included three sessions of casual, self-paced walking, while phase 2 included nine sessions. During phase 2, participants in the higher-intensity group were encouraged to reach 70 percent of their maximum heart rate by the end of the phase, which was measured with a heart rate monitor.

In phase 3, which included the remaining sessions up to 48 sessions, both groups walked, but the faster group was told to walk as fast and as safely as they could, while the others stayed at their usual pace.

When scientists compared six-minute walk test scores from before and after the study span, they saw that those who boosted their cadence by at least 14 steps per minute above their usual pace (to about 100 steps per minute) boosted their functional capacity. Specifically, they had better scores on the six-minute walk test, which assesses how far you can walk in six minutes to gauge overall fitness, compared with slower walkers. In other words, upping your cadence could be protective for physical function, protecting you from falls and preserving mobility.

Moderate-intensity exercise is defined as getting about 100 to 105 steps per minute in older adults. (Vigorous is around 130 steps per minute.)

The power of a faster pace

Scientists largely believe gait speed is a good indicator of overall health and how well we can perform everyday tasks.

One trial discovered that faster walkers have a greater risk of outdoor falls, while slower striders have a higher risk for falling indoors. Another report showed that older adults with a higher cadence and longer stride have lower odds of slowing down in terms of their walking speed.

Why walking?

Focusing on walking to evaluate physical function addresses three frailty criteria: slowness, low physical activity and exhaustion. The activity supports circulatory, cardiopulmonary and immune systems while lowering the risk for conditions like cognitive impairment, sleep interruptions and cardiovascular diseases, Rubin's team wrote.

Frail individuals have a lower aerobic capacity beyond normal age-related changes, which can make it difficult to tackle activities of daily life, they added. Improved functional capacity, even a little bit, is a “huge win” for older adults, as it makes activities a little easier, Rubin says.

Stepping up your stride — safely

If you’re interested in increasing your cadence, it’s relatively easy to do, thanks to technology in smartphones and wearables, says Rubin, whose app isn’t available yet.

1. Think safety

Any improvement in the number of steps you increase will help, especially if you’re frail, says Fritz. Be careful about other factors that could make raising your cadence potentially unsafe. Consider the environment where you walk: You may not want to make a huge jump in cadence if you’re walking on more uneven turf. Or if you’ve never walked on a treadmill, you may want to get used to that before increasing. A heat wave may not be the best time to try walking faster, Fritz says.

2. Create a baseline

Determine your current cadence. A metronome app can help; it produces an audible tick you can match to your pace and later customize to help you boost it.

“The most important step is simply getting started,” says Gerald J. Jerome, a kinesiology professor at Towson University.

3. Increase your cadence

If you’re comfortable striding at your baseline cadence, try to increase it slightly so you’re getting more steps in per minute, Rubin suggests. Track your higher cadence on your metronome and see if you can sustain that comfortably. If so, raise it again, Rubin advises. You can also use an app that recommends music set at a certain pace to match your desired cadence if the metronome is too bland, Fritz offers.

The goal is to reach around 100 steps per minute to get a moderate-intensity workout. You can go higher, into the vigorous zone, but you may want to consult your doctor about that if you’re frailer or not a regular exerciser, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

4. Pay attention to how you feel when you increase

Even if you go up one step per minute — an interval Fritz says is perfectly fine as you attempt to increase your pace — it’s important to assess how you feel with each increase. Your body has a natural pace that it likes to assume. When you start raising your cadence, you’ll need to maintain it to hopefully make that pace your new normal, Fritz adds.

If you feel unsteady, experience shortness of breath, have chest pains or become dizzy, talk to your doctor before you attempt to walk faster, Rubin points out.

5. Pay attention to any soreness

Increasing your pace may give you more of a workout that can cause soreness, Fritz says. Form matters, so try to tell if any soreness is due to changes in your gait due to the quicker pace.

6. Consult a pro

Boosting your cadence can be tricky for some people. It can force you to reevaluate your walking mechanics or present potential fall hazards. Seeing a physical therapist may be helpful for some folks, Fritz says, especially if you’re newer to exercise.

7. Keep going

Once a routine is established, consider setting personalized goals — such as gradually increasing the frequency, duration or intensity of activity, Jerome advises.

“This kind of self-tracking can be both fun and motivating, especially when comparing progress over months or years,” Jerome says.

Walking is effective for better physical function, but it’s “just one piece of the puzzle,” he adds. Maintaining independence also involves being able to complete activities of daily life, like carrying groceries. To do these tasks safely and effectively, you need to maintain strength, mobility and balance — so strength and balance exercises are crucial as well.

8. Know when to sit it out

If walking just isn’t for you, and if you’re at high risk for falling, ask your doctor about other ways to stay active, Rubin advises.