Power walking or speed walking is the act of

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

with a speed at the upper end of the natural range for the 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 ''

'' for a formal definition).

History and technique

In 1999, the

Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon (german: Berlin-Marathon, ) is a marathon event held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. Held annually since 1974, the event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of , inclu ...

included a Power Walking division. Power walking is often confused with

racewalking Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Referee, Race judges careful ...

. 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 Kenneth H. Cooper (born March 4, 1931, Oklahoma City) is a doctor of medicine and former Air Force lieutenant colonel from Oklahoma, who pioneered the benefits of doing aerobic exercise for maintaining and improving health. In 1966 he coined the ...

as an alternative to jogging for a low-to-moderate exercise regime, for instance 60–80% of

maximum heart rate Heart rate (or pulse rate) is the frequency of the heartbeat measured by the number of contractions (beats) of the heart per minute (bpm). The heart rate can vary according to the body's physical needs, including the need to absorb oxygen and excr ...

(HRmax). At the upper range, walking and

jogging Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase physical fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking, or to maintain a steady speed for longer periods ...

are almost equally efficient, and the walking gait gives significantly less impact to the joints. Early bodybuilding champion Steve Reeves 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 The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Company history The company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore and entered the publishing business. After his death in 1 ...

References

External links

World Ranking -National and World Race Walking
{{DEFAULTSORT:Power Walking Walking