Walking is a great fitness activity that will accommodate people of every level of fitness. From strolling through the local mall to racing in Olympic sanctioned events, walking has it all.
Race walking is a long distance athletic even that is quick but is in a different form than running. While running the athlete will have both feet off the ground at one point in their stride, but in race walking the athlete must have one foot in contact with the ground at all time.
And, because the length of the stride is shorter than running, the athlete must move their legs through the stride much more quickly.
Olympic events are often between 12.4 miles or 20 km and 31 miles or 50 km and can take hours to complete. The sport began in 1880 and added to the Olympic venue as a standalone event in 1908.
There are athletes who compete at all levels, from the very young to seniors. The sport is a combination of endurance and an attention to detail. While the athlete must have one foot in contact with the ground at all times, the lead leg must also be straight as the foot makes contact with the ground.
During events, normally held on a looped course, judges watch form and communicate to the athletes when they have violated one of those two rules. If a walker has 3 violations they are disqualified from the race. Because the race is on a looped course the judges have a chance to see each competitor more than once through the race.
Races are held around the world, both indoors and outdoors. Camps are also held to teach potential race walker the proper technique to get the greatest amount of speed and propulsion through their stride without breaking the only two rules of the sport.
Race walking doesn’t require expensive equipment and can be practiced almost anywhere you can find a street. The sport is more strenuous and active than “regular” walking, thus burning more calories and giving you a greater cardiovascular workout. Race walking is also easier on the joints than running or jogging, when do correctly. When done incorrectly you can do damage to your hip joint.
While the race walker may appear to be swiveling their hips, they are actually achieving a full rotation of the pelvis in order to minimize sideways motion and achieve maximum forward movement. If attempted incorrectly you can swivel the hips instead and create damage to the hip joints over time.
However, with the right training, race walking offers you the opportunity to take advantage of the higher calorie burn associated with greater effort and less damage to the joints than running. You can participate in athletic and competitive events around the world and do it at all ages! It’s the best of both worlds.
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