Walking Tips: Racewalking

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Racewalking
If injuries have cut short your running career, you still may be able to racewalk. Or, if you don‘t like running but want more challenge than power walking, you can try racewalking too. Racewalking, an Olympic sport, will give you a great running/fitness walking workout and allow you to compete without the jarring of running. You need to walk with a straight knee on your forward leg and a foot always on the ground, so find a coach to teach you the technique.

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Walking Tips: Nordic Walking

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Nordic Walking
You may want to try Nordic walking–fitness walking with poles–for a change of pace and to increase the intensity of your walking exercise workout. Nordic walking can also help you keep your balance. Cross country skiers use this technique during the summer. Special rubber tipped walking poles are available.

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Walking Tips: Hiking Poles

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Hiking Poles
Don’t forget to hike with poles when you’re walking to the North Pole (or you could take the Polar Express.) Although the use of hiking poles in uphill backpacking does not change the amount of energy expended during walking exercise, many people say they make the hike seem easier.

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Walking Tips: Walking Vacations

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Walking Vacations
All that strolling through the lines at Disneyland can actually help your health. Do research before making reservations to be sure there are walking opportunities near your hotel. Being active and keeping up your fitness walking improves your vacation. Plus, long walks are romantic!

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Walking Tips: Why We Do It

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Why We Do It
Racewalking technique will let you go faster without running, if you can’t walk fast enough for a good walking aerobic workout at your fitness level.

Racewalking has been an Olympic sport for 100 years. It is very technique-dependent and you can keep improving for a long time, as your walking exercise technique improves. Runners who have injured knees or feet may turn to racewalking for a similar workout without the impact, but there�s no reason you can’t go straight to racewalking, as some people just find it more enjoyable and a greater challenge than fitness walking. Racewalkers are not immune from overuse injuries, but the injury rate is lower than with running.

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Walking Tips: Racing

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Racing
Are you ready for the competition? Let’s get it on! This is not your grandmother’s fitness walking–unless Grandma is a triathlete!

Formal racewalking competitions are judged. The judge will warn you, and can disqualify you for breaking either of the rules (see Rules tip). You have to wear shorts so the judge can see your knees. Judges are helpful before and after the race, but tend to be tough on enforcing rules.

If you don’t want to do racewalking competitions, you can enter most any 5K or 10K or longer road race and racewalk it. You will pass most of the power walkers and some of the people who are running and walking for exercise.

If there is a racewalking division, don’t check that off unless you will use racewalking technique throughout. And if there is a walking division with prizes, don’t enter that if you are going to run any part of the race.

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Walking Tips: Technique

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Technique
Good racewalking technique includes an arm swing that takes your fist from your hip to mid-chest, with your elbow bent 90 degrees. Remember swinging your arms when walking as a kid?

Lift your toe as high as you can when your heel strikes the ground, and stride during walking exercise so your feet are almost one in front of the other. The high toe allows you to roll forward off your heel when power walking and racewalking, so you get a better push with your toes. Rotating your hips inward so your foot comes down in front of the other lengthens your walking stride.

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Walking Tips: Just Go

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Just Go
Remember the old children’s story about the caterpillar who got confused over which leg to use first? The proper walking technique is not as important as getting out there and walking for exercise. Keep in mind that healthy people are well overall. Their activities boost energy and help fend off heart disease and circulatory problems. The key is to stay active, and fitness walking is the best way.

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Walking Tips: Total Body Stretching

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Total Body Stretching
Clearly, it’s important to stretch lower body muscles after walking. It’s also a good idea to stretch upper body, especially the shoulders. Your arm swing actually drives your leg stride when you are walking briskly. Keeping your upper body flexible and moving easily, both sides, keeps your body in balance.

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Walking Tips: Speeding Up Your Walks

October 11th, 2008 Shaka

Exercise Tips >> Walking Tips

Walking Tips: Speeding Up Your Walks
Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer, er, Walker, er, Racewalker.

Walking speed is a function of stride length and turnover (how fast you move your legs.) There is a limit to how much you can lengthen your stride, so when fitness walking and racewalking, concentrate on increasing turnover. Artificially increasing your stride, overstriding, can actually slow you down as your heel comes down too far in front, causing a braking action.

And there’s good news for shorter people Long legs take longer to bring around, and some of the best racewalkers are of less than average height (think Speedy Gonzales.)

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