What Is Race Walking
Walking activities, including race walking, have become among the most popular forms of recreation and competition in the world.
Race walking refers to a specific style of walking. Participating and learning to racewalk does not mean you have to race. Anyone can racewalk without feeling the pressure of competition.
What Is the History and Background of Race Walking
Race walking events have been part of the Olympic Games since 1908. Distances have been set at 20K (12.4 miles) and 50K (31.1 miles) for men.
The 1992 Olympics was the first Olympics to include a race walking event for women, at the 10K (6.2 miles) distance. In 1999, the distance for women was changed to 20K. One of the main distinguishing factors of race walking is the pace of walking.
Presently elite male race walkers average 5:30–5:45 min/mile for the 20K, and women average near 7:00 min/mile for the 10K.
Race walking can be differentiated from strolling or fitness walking by the average minutes/mile or miles per hour:
■ Strolling = 20 min/mile or 3mph
■ Fitness walking = 15 min/mile or 4mph
■ Race walking = 12 min/mile or 5mph
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The rules of the sport also differentiate race walking from fitness walking. Race walking is defined by two rules:
1. The lead leg must make contact with the ground before the rear foot leaves the ground (that is, continuous contact) so that no visible loss of contact occurs, to differentiate race walking from running). If a race walker violates this rule, it is referred to as lifting.
2. The walker must straighten her/his advancing leg from the first moment of contact with the ground (that is, straightened leg, no bent knee) until it is in the vertical upright position (distinguishes race walking from running and fitness walking).
A straight leg does not mean a locked knee; locked joints can cause damage to soft tissues or bones. If a race walker violates this rule, it is referred to as creeping.
Figure: 1 Shows an example of the proper technique (legal race walking) and examples of improper technique (illegal race walking) that result in disqualification from a certified race walking competition.
Certified judges observe competitive race walking events, and when, in the opinion of three different judges, a walker violates either of the two rules, an athlete will be disqualified from the race.
As mentioned earlier regarding form, the two infractions are loss of contact lifting or bent knee creeping.
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| Proper Race Walking Technique |
Important Race Walking Techniques
Race walking technique is governed by the rules of the sport and by body mechanics. The following tips provide specific guidelines for developing proper race walking form:
■ Foot action—Your driving foot (back foot) and front foot should move in a straight line with full extension and flexion of the ankle joints.
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■ Leg action—Walk with smooth, rhythmic strides ensuring continuous contact with the ground. Maintain a straight lead leg until your leg is in a vertical position beneath your body.
Focus on a strong rear leg drive, moving your leg quickly in front of your body in preparation for the next foot strike.
■ Hip action—Rotate your hips in a smooth forward movement with as little vertical and lateral movement as is necessary.
■ Arm action—Your hands should come toward the mid-line of your trunk when pumping your arms forward, but not crossing the midline of your body.
On the back swing, your arms should move straight back with your elbow high behind your torso. Your arms should be angled at 90 degrees at the elbow.
■ Trunk position—Your torso should be upright and relaxed, except for a slight lean (5 degrees from the ankle), as your rear leg drives your body forward.
■ Shoulder action—Keep your shoulders as low as possible and relaxed. Limit side-to-side swaying motions.
■ Head position—Your head should be upright with your eyes focusing 10–15 feet in front of you, limiting oscillating motions and maintaining relaxed neck muscles.
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Figure: 2 Shows the results of putting all the action/position guidelines into practice. The numbers in Figure 6.2 correspond to the descriptions that follow.
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| Race Walking Technique |
1. Hips drop and roll while twisting back and forth. This allows your legs to move faster and easier, and gives you a longer stride. Note how the stripe on the side of the shorts moves from front to rear, indicating a twisting motion.
2. Arms should always be bent at a 90 degree angle and pumped vigorously. Let them swing across your chest toward, but not past, your trunk mid-line as they move back and forth.
3. The knee bends as your leg is swung forward. This allows the toes to clear the ground.
4. The knee is straightened from the point of contact with the ground until in a vertical position underneath your body. Your foot should feel like it is “pulling” the ground as your heal touches.
5. Toes and calf muscles push your body forward in a strong driving motion. Feet land in a straight line with the body, and toes are pointed directly forward.
6. Keep your neck and shoulders relaxed.
7. Your trunk and head should be in an upright position at all times.
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Concentrate on correct Race walking technique during training and competition. Proper form feels better, prevents injuries, and is required by the rules of the sport during competition to avoid disqualification.
Developing proper form will take time, but with regular practice Race walking will begin to feel natural.
(Tips for) Race Walking Technique?
Improve the way you move for “easy,” pain-free walking and running. Do you ever wonder why some people make walking and running look so easy and effortless? Have you wished that you could walk or run similarly?
You can! By focusing on some basic guidelines for improving Fitness walking, Race walking, and running form, you can begin to experience “easy” walking and running.
Improving the way you move also decreases the risk of developing an athletic-related injury, which will keep you on the road to fulfilling your goals.
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3 Steps to Improve Race Walking Technique?
Walking is a natural motion—a movement pattern that most people practice throughout the day. However, many people do not have proper walking form, especially when trying to walk fast enough for fitness. There are several reasons why people do not walk appropriately.
The first reason is poor postural habits and ingrained movement patterns. These habits and patterns are the result of our work environment (slouching at our desks, holding the phone between our ear and shoulder), our home environment (improper lifting and carrying techniques), or life-long poor standing posture.
Second, muscle strength and flexibility imbalances can cause irregularities in our stance and gait.
Third, in an attempt to walk more vigorously to improve fitness, many people adopt techniques such as an exaggerated arm swing or extra-long strides (called overstriding) that actually slow them down, lead to fatigue, and eventually contribute to athletic injuries.
The following do’s and don’ts can help to improve your fitness walking form, comfort level, and performance.
What Leads to Improper Race Walking Technique?
There are several walking form errors commonly seen in fitness walkers. Read through the following list (paraphrased in part from The Walking Magazine, September/October 1996) to determine if you have developed any bad habits:
■ Let your elbows flap out to the sides (elbows pointing towards your walking partner)
■ Swing your arms rigidly and straight at the elbows
■ Let your hips have an exaggerated side-to-side sashay
■ Droop or round your shoulders forward (slouching forward)
■ Excessively arch your lower back
■ Reach forward with your feet to get the longest possible stride
■ Swing your hands up above chest height and then drive your elbows back so hard that your hand goes past your waistband, beyond your torso.
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How Can You Optimize Race Walking Technique?
Now that you have reviewed everything you shouldn’t do while fitness walking, it is time to focus on the do’s. The following tips and hints (also paraphrased in part from The Walking Magazine, September/October 1996) will help you walk with ease and comfort:
■ Stand tall and look forward, not down at the ground
■ Relax your neck, back, and shoulders
■ Bend your elbows no more than a 90 degree angle
■ Have your hands trace an arc from your waistband to chest height
■ Gently contract your abdominal and lower back muscles to keep your body erect and stabilized
■ Take a comfortable stride so your feet touch down practically beneath you
■ Consciously push off with your toes at the end of every step
■ Focus on quick, comfortable steps
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How Can Race walking Drills Improve Your Form?
Race walking drills are strengthening, stretching, or technique exercises specifically geared toward improving your form.
Drills are practiced during your warm-up before completing the workout for the day. Eventually, the techniques emphasized in each drill will transfer into correct body positioning and a smoother stride.
The following drills can be practiced several times a week as part of your warm-up. The drills should be done after 5–10 minutes of easy walking and stretching. Begin with two sets of each drill you choose, traveling no further than 10 yards.
As you improve and your body adjusts, gradually increase the length from 10 to 40 yards for each drill:
1. Heel Walk—Walk on your heels, with your toes pointed up.
Objective: Strengthens the anterior, or front, part of your lower leg.
2. Cross Overs—Walk on a straight line, exaggerating the cross over with your feet, and drop your hand below your knee on the side of the leading leg.
Objective: Develops hip drop and mobility.
3. High Knees—Lift one knee towards your chest while pushing off from the balls of your feet; repeat on each side in a forward walking motion.
Objective: Develops push off.
4. Calf Raises—Stand, using a chair for balance. Raise up on the ball of one foot through a full range of motion, returning to the original position. Repeat with your other leg.
Objective: Increases calf strength for a strong push off.
5. Pool Walker—Keeping your arms down at your side, exaggerate your shoulder and trunk rotation and stride length, while walking forward.
Objective: Improves hip rotation.
6. Trunk Stability—Walk while holding your arms crossed in front of your chest or crossed behind your back. Holding a stick behind your back at waist height or shoulder height can also be used to stabilize your arms while performing this drill.
Objective: Decreases erratic upper body movements, limits horizontal forces and keeps the upper torso more rigid.
7. Windmills—Perform arm circles, keeping your arms straight, slightly brushing your ears when circling. Perform exercises in both forward and backward directions.
Objective: Develops coordination and decreases shoulder tightness.
8. Lunges—Step forward with one leg, allowing the knee of your trailing leg to dip down toward the ground. Repeat with your other leg.
Objective: Develops quadriceps and hamstring strength.
9. Quick Steps—Hold your arms behind your back and racewalk with short, quick steps.
Objective: Increases leg turnover or stride rate.
In Final Words:
If you want to start Rcewalk as a beginner I am sure this post is really helpful for you.
In this article I will discuss all the important workout moves and rules to improve your race walking technique.
To summerize the article we go some important points. There are several reasons why people do not walk appropriately.
The first reason is poor postural habits and ingrained movement patterns. Second, muscle strength and flexibility imbalances can cause irregularities in our stance and gait.
There are several walking form errors commonly seen in fitness walkers, we have to solve it first.
Always follow this two rules if you want to become a fitness walker
1. The lead leg must make contact with the ground before the rear foot leaves the ground (that is, continuous contact) so that no visible loss of contact occurs, to differentiate race walking from running). If a race walker violates this rule, it is referred to as lifting.
2. The walker must straighten her/his advancing leg from the first moment of contact with the ground (that is, straightened leg, no bent knee) until it is in the vertical upright position (distinguishes race walking from running and fitness walking).
And follow a proper guideline to become a successful fitness-walker.
Do this workouts at home, gym, playground, anywhere. If it is helpful for you give a feedback in comment box.
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