Leg power diminishes over time, which reduces the body’s ability to walk at the speeds you used to. Once speed drops off, so does strength. That’s why I use power exercises with all my clients over 65. Longer walks only leads to better endurance. If you want to restore your walking speed again, you need to perform targeted exercises that train your body to produce the adequate force and power. I’ve used the following movements with older clients over and they’ve seen dramatic improvements in stride speed.
When you walk your ankle pushes you forward at the end of each step. Your hip extends behind you to drive the body towards the following step. Your standing leg holds you steady long enough for the other leg to swing through. To build walking speed, you need to increase ankle strength and stability, hip extension, hip flexion, and you need to apply that strength quickly.
The following exercises emphasize powerful quick, but controlled, motions. Train them 3-4 times per week. I recommend 2-4 sets of each exercise.
Fast Chair Stand
The chair stand uses all the same muscles you’ll need to walk: quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Make sure to stand up forcefully, and lower slowly back into the chair. The descent builds control while the ascent teaches your muscles to fire quickly. The chair also gives you balance assistance if you need it. This means you’re able to do the exercise without risking injury. Keep good form, but remember to explode out of the chair with each stand.
How to Do It
- Sit tall near the front of a sturdy chair
- Place your feet flat beneath your knees
- Lower slowly with control
- Stand up as quickly as you safely can
- Pause briefly at the top
- Repeat for 8 to 10 repetitions.
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Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Most powerful movements in the body originate from the hip, including walking. If your hip is unable to flex and extend properly, you’ll end up placing the stress on your lower back. The Romanian Deadlift also targets the hamstrings. When you walk, your hamstrings provide the ability for the body to decelerate. If you want to walk quickly, the hamstring will let you stop safely.
As you push your hips back, make sure to engage your core.
How to Do It
- Stand tall holding dumbbells in front of your thighs
- Soften the knees slightly
- Push your hips back and lower the weights
- Keep your spine long and chest tall
- Drive through the heels to stand
- Squeeze the glutes at the top.
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High-Knee March
The hip flexors are an incredibly important part of the walking movement. Marching increases the range of motion of your hips and strengthens your ability to walk more quickly. Make sure to drive each knee up to hip height quickly. Find a good rhythm. This exercise teaches you proper pacing as well as speed. Pick a tempo that feels manageable and then increase your speed over time.
How to Do It
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart
- Drive one knee up to hip height
- Swing the opposite arm forward
- Place the foot down under control
- Alternate legs in a steady rhythm
- Continue for 30 to 45 seconds.
Single-Leg Stand
One of the primary limiters behind quick walking is the inability to balance properly on one leg. Walking is essentially a controlled fall. The front leg lifts off the ground and the back leg balances in time for the front limb to move forward. If you don’t build the stability needed to hold a single-leg stand you’ll never be able to restore your old walking speed safely. That’s why it’s important to train this skill. Start with your hand on a stable object to provide assistance and over time you can remove the extra help.
How to Do It
- Stand beside a counter for support
- Shift your weight onto one leg
- Lift the other foot a few inches
- Keep your eyes forward and knee soft
- Hold as still as possible
- Switch sides and repeat.
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Standing Calf Raise With Quick Drive
The calves help push with every step. Calf and ankle strength assist in keeping a proper walking pace, especially in that final foot push. Without calf strength, stride length shortens and your walking pace drops.
With each calf raise, remember to drive through your toes and stand as quickly as you can, and slow the descent. Push evenly through your toes. Avoid letting the ankle roll inward or outward.
How to Do It
- Stand tall with a hand on a wall or counter
- Place your feet hip-width apart
- Rise quickly onto the balls of your feet
- Pause briefly at the top
- Lower slowly to the floor
- Repeat for 12 to 15 repetitions.
The post 5 Exercises That Restore the Walking Speed You Had at 40 After 65 appeared first on Eat This Not That.
