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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Injuries and Treatments in Race Walking

Jun 27, 2010 by admin

Though race walking is healthy game and people prefer it than simple running. Race walking is a big source of burning calories and reducing fats in your body. But you know, where there is a game, chances are there to get injuries. Similarly race walking is not free from injuries but treatment is also there to cure these injuries. So advantages of race walking are more than disadvantages.Injuries

Records show that ratio to get injuries by race walking players is less and these injuries are also not traumatic. Some common injuries which players suffer are as below.

Injuries:

Tendonitis of knees, Planter fasciitis or feet injury and shin splints are the most common race walking injuries. These all injuries related to muscles, which can be in either form like pulling of muscles, hardening of muscles, and low flexibility in muscles by keeping them long time straightened. As we know tendons are those fibrous materials which connect muscles with bones. Tendonitis of knees in race walking occur due to decreasing flexibility of knees as race walkers have to move forward by contracting muscles. With the time being the muscles lose stretch ability and become tightened. This tightened muscle pulls at the origin point and also in insertion point. One more disadvantage of tight muscle is that friction increases in joints and bursa is irritated. Bursa is a fluid-filled sac in joints.

Treatments:

Normally common treatment in case of injury or pain is rest and aspirin, but these are not treatment of injuries. These precautions just kill the symptoms for some time not cause. For tight muscles isolation of muscles is necessary. To release strain on tendons is stretching of muscles. Another treatment to avoid hardening of muscles is to stretch them gently after exercise. However, if you are suffering from muscle hardness, then digging a scar in tissue is the only treatment which can cure your injury.

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Walking Clubs in America

Jun 19, 2010 by admin

Clubs are forums for interaction, where people meet and share their experiences. Many walking clubs are working in America, joining a walking club can serve many purposes. Like…

  • Meeting Other walking partners
  • Selection of walking routes
  • Sharing tips and walking techniques
  • Participation in walking trips and other social events

There are many types of walking clubs, here are few categories.

AVA/IVV clubs: The members of these clubs do not participate in competitions. They participate in 10K walking events. The IVV isRace Walking the largest club organization in the world, the number of member clubs is in thousands, including USA and Canada.

Race walk clubs: If you want to participate in race walk competitions, these clubs will help you to learn all the rules and regulations for the game and you can learn all necessary techniques as well. They arrange fun races for their members, so that they can practice for the rules of game.

Mall walking clubs: These clubs are organized by individuals, so you can look around and fins any such club. The aim of such clubs is to emphasis on walking as an indoor exercise.

Running Clubs: Many running clubs give memberships to walkers as well. They also organize events for walkers.  Road Runners Club of America is the good example of such clubs.

If are trying to find a walking club, but do not know how to locate one, you can try other options. Firstly, Medical centers have the information regarding walking clubs. Secondly, you can also ask local shoes stores, they have brochures and publications of walking and running clubs. Thirdly, Health clubs also sponsor many walking groups. If you participate in local events, like charity walks, you can find walking clubs. Moreover, you can also search the internet for the walking clubs in your area.

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Training For a Race

Jun 7, 2010 by admin

Both beginners and experienced race walkers have a complaint that there is no proper training guidance for them. As if they ask 100 coaches for training strategies, they receive 100 different answers. Therefore, there is so much confusion about exact training schedule and strategies. They do not know what to do for getting training of race walking.

One thing should be in your mind that before getting training, you should decide your goal. This means you should do training forRace Walkingrace walking with the clear aim of winning the upcoming race. You may think that what this is. Everyone who wants to learn a game gets training with the aim of winning. That’s true, but I add this thing because you should well aware about upcoming event that that what kind of strategies should be adapt to win this time and what were the short comings of loser in previous race. Now here are some tips regarding training for race walking.

  1. Warm up and Cool down: First warm up with 5-10 minutes of easy walking, after those 5-10 minutes of stretching arms and legs, finally 5 minutes of cool down with easy walking.
  2. Head and Posture: Adjust the head and eye level by looking straight and relax your neck and jaw.
  3. Arms movement: Arms should remain at 85-90 degree at the elbows always. Arm’s movement should be loosely and vigorously as well and pivoting from the shoulders.
  4. Body Posture: You should keep the body position straight and in relaxing position means walk tall and straight.
  5. Feet movement: The most important thing in race walking is your feet position. Your front foot must in contact with the ground before your rear foot loose the contact from ground.
  6. Legs and Stride: There should be no bend in advancing leg means knee of this leg should be straight.

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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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Judging a Race Walk

May 18, 2010 by admin

Like every sport competition, Judging is very important for race walk too. The basic reason to have judges in race walk competition is to insure the fair competition between all contestants.  There are mainly two things, which a judge considers while judging the game. Firstly, straight leg movement and secondly, continuous contact with the ground. The front foot must come on the ground, before the toes of back foot lose the contact with the ground.

Judging a Race WalkTo judge this contact is very difficult, when feet are moving quickly, it is very tough for the judge to focus. Human eye cannot concentrate on such tiny thing, but when judge see that feet are floating, it is time to take action.

Judges cannot use any camera or video equipment to judge the race; they have to make all decisions with unaided eye. Yes, eye is not a perfect tool to judge this event, but this is the method considered as most effective for a fair game.

Bent knee race walking is the incorrect way, which can also lead to loss of contact with the ground. When a judge in race walking competition notice a player breaking one or both rules of the game, the judge call out the violation to the walker and also show a black and yellow sign to the competitor. This sign has two symbols on both sides, one for loss of contact and other for bent knee. Showing of these signs are called as cautions, these cautions alone cannot disqualify a contestant from race.

If walker is losing contact with ground or walking with bent knees, the judge will write a disqualification, i.e. a red card. If a walker gets three red cards from three different, the competitor will be disqualified. Only head judge will notify the walker that he or she has been disqualified.

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