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Power walking or speed walking is the act of walking with a speed at the upper end of the natural range for the walking
In 1999, the Berlin Marathon included a Power Walking division.
Power walking is often confused with racewalking.
Power walking techniques involve the following:
* The walker must walk straight
* The walker must walk doing an alternating movement of feet and arms
* The walker must walk with one foot in permanent contact with the ground
* The leading leg must be bent
* Each advancing foot strike must be heel to toe at all times
* The walker must walk not doing an exaggerated swivel to the hip
* The arms spread completely from the elbows and these move back
World Ranking -National and World Race Walking
{{DEFAULTSORT:Power Walking Walking
gait
Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency. Di ...
, typically 7 to 9 km/h (4.5 to 5.5 mph). To qualify as power walking as opposed to jogging or running, at least one foot must be in contact with the ground at all times (see '' walking'' for a formal definition).
History and technique
In 1999, the Berlin Marathon included a Power Walking division.
Power walking is often confused with racewalking.
Power walking techniques involve the following:
* The walker must walk straight
* The walker must walk doing an alternating movement of feet and arms
* The walker must walk with one foot in permanent contact with the ground
* The leading leg must be bent
* Each advancing foot strike must be heel to toe at all times
* The walker must walk not doing an exaggerated swivel to the hip
* The arms spread completely from the elbows and these move back
Competitions and world records
Competitions are held for power walking competitions, with world records held in categories including 5 km, 10 km, half marathon, 30 km, marathon, and multiday distances.Health and fitness
Power walking has been recommended by health experts such as Kenneth H. Cooper as an alternative to jogging for a low-to-moderate exercise regime, for instance 60–80% of maximum heart rate (HRmax). At the upper range, walking and jogging are almost equally efficient, and the walking gait gives significantly less impact to the joints. Early bodybuilding championSteve Reeves
Stephen Lester "Steve" Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and philanthropist. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagon ...
was an early advocate and wrote the book ''Powerwalking'' about his experiences with it and its health benefits.
A recent study, where post coronary angioplasty patients were introduced power walking based on their ejection fraction, VO2 max calculation, heart rate monitoring and pedometer counts. Those participants in power walking group benefited significantly on quality of life and various physiological parameters.
Physiologically, a normal adult walking at a speed of 4–6 km/hr has the least aerobic requirement and low exercise intensity. Running is preferred over walking at a speed equal to or greater than eight km/hr, since running at a higher speed consumes less oxygen than walking. When running is a significant problem, particularly in patients with post-coronary angioplasty with or without stents, power walking was recommended. Power walking with 6-8 Km/h speed, patients can achieve the benefits of running i.e., significant improvement in V02 Max., maximal aerobic capacity. To put simply power walking is augmented with speed of walking.
Sources
* Reeves, Steve. (1982) ''Power Walking'', Bobbs-Merrill.References
External links
World Ranking -National and World Race Walking
{{DEFAULTSORT:Power Walking Walking