Why walk?

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Well why walk?
walking is the oldest mode of transportation for a start! It is also the cheapest and easiest form of aerobic exercise: all you have to do is...

open your front door
step outside
and GET MOVING !

Surrey Walking Club

What is race walking?

Walking is the most natural activity known to humankind and one that can be enjoyed by all - young and old, fast or slow, beginner or experienced.

The Rules

"Race walking is a progression of steps so taken that the walker makes contact with the ground so that no visible (to the human eye) loss of contact occurs. The advancing leg must be straightened (ie not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until in the vertical position"

Translated, this means that contact must be maintained at all times (the difference between walking and running).

The supporting leg must be straight at the knee from the moment of foot contact with the ground, until it passes under the body (ie the leg must be straight). When walking or strolling, the leg normally bends at the knee.

As with many sports, race walking is a judged event. Judges are positioned around the course and if 3 different judges think that a walker has violated the technical rules, then the walker is disqualified from the race.

Category A events are judged in the normal way.
Category B events are judged on contact only, bent knees being disregarded - good news for us old 'uns!
National, Area and County Championships. For all other events, the Category is at the discretion of the promoting body.

Fitness factors for race walking

skill - stamina - suppleness - strength - speed

Walkers have to develop various walking techniques:

	Smooth rhythmic strides with continuous contact
	Straightening of the supporting leg giving a strong forward drive with the foot rolling right up to the toes before lifting off
	Leading foot making contact at the heel and pointing directly in line of motion
	Smooth natural arm action with the arms angled to 90 degrees at the elbow.
	Developing the walking action for beginners
	Walk naturally but as though in a hurry. Use a smooth rythmic strides and a relaxed, upright upper body
	Do some hiking in the country for strength and long walks at normal speed
	Hip mobility exercises

Once the technical aspects of race walking have been achieved at low speed, start to raise the speed. This should result in a more powerful leg drive, longer strides, forward movement of the hip joint and the angling of the arms.
The beginner has to practice at various speeds and any faults can be corrected by slowing down and concentrating on correcting the action.

Benefits of walking

Race walking provides the same cardiovascular benefits as running, and like running, it can be done at any speed. The aim of both sports or any aerobic activity is to keep the heart rate to the athlete's maximum, as long as your heart rate is maintained at the same rate and for the same period of time.
Unlike running, the race walker also gets a good upper body work out due to the use of the back, arms and shoulders. It also tones the leg muscles.
With walking, the body lands with much less force than in running which makes our joints less prone to pounding on the back and the knees. Many runners, in fact, turn to race walking to continue their athletic careers after sustaining a running injury.

In a report (March 2001) Professor Klaas Wertersterp conducted a study of 30 men and women at Maastricht University. Whilst the subjects were walking "normally" and not race walking, the study revealed that frequent walking at a brisk pace of 8km an hour burns off as much energy as jogging at the same pace and more energy than short bursts of vigorous activity, such as a session at the gym.

Regular walking has many positive benefits.
It can improve your:
Confidence
Stamina
Energy
Weight Control
Life expectancy

It can help reduce the risk of:
Coronary heart disease
Strokes
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Bowel Cancer
Alzheimer's disease
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Anxiety
Stress

think about it!

Walking, whether it's race walking or strolling, it is a great way to relieve tension, it's relatively gentle on the joints and for all those injured runners (or other intense sports) out there, it is a good way to get your fitness fix.
In a nutshell, for everyone, walking is ..

	excellent for general fitness.
	strengthens the hips, gluteus muscles, quadriceps & hamstrings....
	accessible to everyone
	at speedier paces - the heart rate is elevated, thus burning off more calories..
	for race walkers ...
	reduces risk of injury
	techniques comes almost naturally
	great spirit of friendly competition

	try some interesting strolling and training routes
	try some friendly races and strolls

Surrey Walking Club

�2001-2008 Surrey Walking Club.
This page updated: 19 January, 2008