Health Benefits of Walking

Aug 17, 2011 by guestcontributor

Walking is one form of exercise that is best health enthusiasts who can no longer jog or run. Although jogging and running are the more popular forms of exercise for busy individuals, walking alone has offers a variety of health benefits that anyone can enjoy. Don’t ever think that walking is a lazy man’s exercise and you can’t benefit anything from it. In reality, walking basically offers more or less the same benefits as jogging and running. Walking though is the preferred choice because it is natural and doesn’t need any preparations. Here are some health benefits that health enthusiasts can achieve when they are walking.

Walking Exercise

Walking develops the leg muscles. Mountain climbers or hikers often exercise by several miles of walking in preparation for a major climb. They do this so that by the time when the climb proper arrives, their muscles have been prepared for the strenuous activity. Second, it keeps cardiovascular diseases away. Studies have shown that health enthusiasts that walk for at least thirty minutes are less prone to heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases. Blood test in Knoxville show that cholesterol level in those who walk everyday is less compared to those who rarely walk. It is therefore a must for corporate individuals.

Third benefit of walking is to improve sleep. Sometimes people complain of irregular sleeping pattern. This has become a problem for them because their sleeping pattern has already affected their work as well as their relationships with other people. Another study showed that after walking for at least thirty minutes, their sleeping patterns improved and one month later, sleep pattern has become normal. Walking after all is a simple yet effective way of exercise. So what are you waiting for? Grab your shoes now and go outside and enjoy all the benefits of walking.

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Why Race Walking is so healthy?

Aug 3, 2010 by admin

It is a fact that simple walking quickly never equate with race walking in healthiness because there is difference in techniques. Power walkers and fitness walkers do quick walking to remain fit and fine but people do not know that no walking technique is as healthy as race walking. As race walking is, an Olympic game and rules followed to play this enthusiastic game, so if any one violet the rules he/she announced as disqualified.

Many people do race walking but not all do this game for competition. A large number of people play this game to remain healthy andRace Walking fit, as they know the benefits of this healthy game. If you want to know the great advantages of race walking, then here is some information for you.

  • Compare with the same pace of running, race walking is more beneficial to burn calories per mile and higher muscular activity. James Rippe, MD of University of Massachusetts, compare race walking with running as that race walking burns 120-130 calories per mile, which is higher than 100-110 calories burn during running.
  • During race walking, the movement of arms is at very high rate and ultimately your body does healthy workout. This activity helps to strengthen your arms, neck and chest muscles.
  • According to new research conduct in Wayne State University, the competitive race walkers have better health and fitness profile than ordinary runners. They reported that professional race walkers have low body fat and balanced cholesterol level in their body. This is no doubt, a good sign of healthy body.
  • Due to one golden rule of race walking, which is as your one foot always remains in contact with the ground, the strain on ankle, knees and hip joints is less than free style running.

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Rules for Race Walking

May 30, 2010 by admin

Race walking is a game of rules and regulations, the violation from rules donor bear at any stage or at any event. Race walking is not an ordinary technique to moving legs, it is an efficiency based method and entirely different from running.  The thing, which differentiates race walking from running, is it rules.

When race walking became the part of international games due to its day-by-day increasing popularity, then USATF established twoRace Walking basic rules for this game which are # 39 & 150. The purpose to establish rules was that there should be a clear difference between race walking and running, so that people could understand it.  There are two rules of legal race walking, which are as under.

First Rule of Race Walking:

The first rule of race walking is that your toe of back foot must remain in contact with the ground until your front foot heel touches the ground. In simple words, a race walker cannot remain in contact with the ground for a single moment and to do this your back foot cannot leave the ground surface till your front foot comes in contact with the earth.  Violation from this rule called as loss of contact. It should be kept in mind that there should be no visible loss of contact to the human eye. It is a noticeable point that no zooms up or replay apply in this game. If you commit a loss of contact just for a very short span of time but it is invisible to human eye, then you have not violate the rule and did legal.

Second Rule of Race Walking:

The second rule is that your advancing leg must be straightened with the point of contact. It means the your that leg must be completely straight which carrying your weight, until your body has passed over it.

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What is Race Walking?

May 26, 2010 by admin

People do walking to lose weight and to remain healthy and fit. A very popular saying is “walking 100 steps is better than running 50 steps”. No one can deny with the importance of running but physics prefer walking for people to live fit and fine. However walking style is not only simple walking without any rules and regulations, there is another art of walking, called “Race Walking”.

Race walking is that athletic event which is very different from power walking or running. It is a spirited track and field sport. RaceRace Walkingwalking became the part of Olympics games in 1904 and now has a biennial world cup event.  I know, you are thinking that if it is a foot race than how it is different from running. To answer the question here are some points to understand race walking.

  • Race walking is a sport in which rules and regulations are applied.
  • There are two rules of race walking.
  • The first rule is that if you are doing race walking than your one foot should always remain in contact with the earth. It means during race walking you have not allowed, that keep your foot complete out of contact from ground for a single moment.
  • The second rule is that you have to keep your leg, which is carrying your weight, complete straight your front foot touches the ground.
  • Race walking is as faster than simple walking that some professional race walkers have the record of elite runners.
  • In Olympics, men can qualify for 20 km and 50 km race walking, while women can take a part in 20 km race walking.
  • As stride is short in race walking, so competitors must have to improve their cadence rate or number of revolutions per minute to become professional race walker.

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