The system of sports training in race walking. Race walking: the right technique and the secrets of effective training. What to wear for outdoor activities

Hello dear visitors of our blog! Today I want to tell you about what race walking is - how to walk correctly and what features of training to take into account in order to reduce excess body weight and improve the body.

Walking is a natural physical act for a person, the meaning and benefits of which we think little about. At the same time, there are significant differences between ordinary walking and sports walking.

What is the difference between race walking and normal walking?

The main difference between sports walking or in another way improving from the usual one is the execution technique, concluded in a certain speed, step frequency and leg movement:

Insignificant setting time lower extremities on the support at the same time. And at modern speeds of movement of athletes, such a situation does not exist at all;
Actively working hip joints, which is not present during normal movements;
There is a full extension of the knee joint of the supporting leg for greater speed;
Long stride length and active hand movements back and forth.

Healthy walking can affect everything muscle groups, making a person more resilient, coordinated and faster.

Correct technique
Steps in race walking constantly alternate with tight contact of the foot with the surface. The following rules must be observed:
Forward movement is accompanied by a straight raised leg - a bent position is prohibited.
Continuous constant contact with the ground - when the front foot goes forward, the back foot should be on the support and vice versa.

The main thing here is not to go from walking to running.
In sports, non-compliance with these conditions is punishable by removal from the competition and even disqualification. Ordinary people, of course, should not be afraid of this, but it is still necessary to observe the technique for greater efficiency.
Benefits of sports walking on the example of running
To briefly talk about the advantages of sports walking over such types physical activity like running, for example, it will come out something like this:
This is the least traumatic type, in which calories are burned faster, and the load on the knee joints and spine is less;
The correct position of the back during training will relieve her of pain;
Sports (recreational) walking can be practiced at any age;
It is shown to both men and women.

The maximum speed - 9 km / h allows you to burn a person weighing 70 kg approximately 450 kcal per hour. For beginners, it will be enough to move at a speed of 5-7 km / h to get a training effect.
About the benefits for humans
So, how is it useful?
This type of physical activity is suitable even for those who are prohibited from heavy shock loads in the form of running. IN this case walking is much better than running. At the same time, classes will bring a lot of pleasant moments from the movement to fresh air or/and environment of like-minded people.
You are guaranteed fast and effective calorie burning, which is necessary for weight loss. And for this it is important not to increase the speed, but only the duration of the workout - at least 40 minutes. But you shouldn’t be too zealous either - an hour of classes from 3 to 5 times a week is quite enough for these purposes. A month of regular training will save you from 2-5 kg excess weight, depending on the initial data.
For health, this type of exercise is useful in terms of strengthening the cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and increasing lung capacity. All the muscles of the body will always be in good shape, which concerns not only the buttocks, thighs and calves - the abs, back and arms also work during training.
And one cannot fail to say about improving mood and getting rid of depressive states - at about 10-15 minutes of training, hormones of joy (endorphins) begin to be produced that contribute to these processes in the body. This will allow you to prolong your life in the most natural way - active movement.
Walking training
It is very important to learn the right technique. To begin with, try walking and not bending your leg at the knee joint, without switching to running. Alternate steps so that one limb is always in contact with the surface. The front leg is perfectly straight.
The arms are bent at the elbows and move back and forth, the back is straight, the gaze is directed in front of you. You can imagine a straight line and put your feet strictly along it, actively working with your hips.
Keep the same speed of movement - no need to speed up or slow down. Even if you're going downhill, try to keep your pace as optimal as this will help you burn even more calories.
If you do not have the opportunity to train outside, you can do it on a treadmill at home or in a fitness room. Feedback from people indicates that in this way it is possible to adjust the angle of movement and intensity in the process.

Here is an instructional video of the program "Everything will be kind":

Choose the pace of movement, based on your well-being. You can control the load by simply measuring your heart rate. To find out the indicators that are optimal for you, you need to subtract your age in years from 220. And from the resulting figure calculate 60%.
For example, you are 30 years old:
220-30=190
60% of 190=114

That is, at the moment when your heart rate reaches 114, fat deposits begin to be intensively consumed. But it is not worth exceeding this indicator to any significant extent, increasing the speed of movement.
At the beginning of the workout and at its conclusion, be sure to perform warm-up and stretching exercises to prepare the body for the upcoming load.
Take a bottle of plain non-carbonated water with you to your workout. This will help maintain the water-salt balance and remove more harmful substances from the body.
It is best to engage in wellness walking in the morning and on an empty stomach. If this is not possible, then the last meal before training should be no less than 2 hours. And I do not recommend loading the body at night - from 15 to 19 hours will be the most optimal time.
Now let's talk about shoes. It is advisable to choose sneakers that are flexible and with shock-absorbing properties, as well as with a rounded heel that fixes the foot. If you have flat feet and big weight, then the choice should be stopped on shoes with a hard sole.

But if you want to get the most out of it, try sport walking. This type of aerobic exercise allows you to burn calories faster and injure your joints less than jogging.

In a nutshell, the essence of race walking is to move quickly without switching to a run. The main rule is that one of the feet should always be in contact with the ground. The step with such walking is slightly longer and noticeably faster than with a normal walk. The speed is usually between 5 and 9 km/h.

Calorie consumption

The number of calories you burn depends on your weight, the length of your workout, your walking pace, and how hard you work with your arms.

A person weighing 70 kg when walking at a speed of 9 km / h on flat terrain burns about 440 kcal per hour - about the same as when running slowly. People with greater body weight burn more calories during any physical activity, and those who weigh less, respectively, fall short of this figure. To increase the load, you can run on hilly terrain or on an incline treadmill.

If you increase the pace of walking, then the number of calories burned will increase slightly. To get a more tangible result, it is better to increase the training time.

Advantages

Walking a few times a week has many benefits. Studies have shown that women who walked one to three hours a week were 30% less likely to develop coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, compared with women who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Women who walked 3 hours a week were 35% less likely to develop heart disease. Walking for 5 or more hours a week reduces this risk by as much as 40%.

During race walking, the muscles of not only the lower, but also the upper half of the body are trained, especially the muscles of the back, shoulders and arms.

The risk of injury in race walking is minimal because here, unlike running, the foot does not hit the ground. According to some reports, when running, the load on the foot is three times the body weight, and when walking, this load is reduced by half. Maintaining good posture while walking also reduces the risk of back pain.

Walking for 20-60 minutes a day three or more times a week, like other aerobic workouts, relieves stress and positively affects psychological condition.

Other advantages: sports walking does not require large financial costs. You don't need partners or a team. All you need is a pair of comfortable running shoes and a place to practice (park, path, alley, treadmill or yard).

Flaws

Slow walking is difficult to achieve the same heart rate and cardiovascular benefits as other types of aerobic exercise.

Where you live and work may not be a safe place to walk on long distances. In the absence of a treadmill, bad weather can seriously affect the class schedule. Another problem stems from the fact that many people find race walking to be a boring, monotonous activity.

If you wear shoes with too thin, worn out soles, or your sneakers do not support the arch of the foot and dangle on the leg, foot pain can occur.

If you usually wear shoes with heels higher than 5 cm, when switching to running shoes you may experience pain in your heels.

Who can practice walking?

The main charm of sports walking is that any person who has not lost the ability to move can do it. Race walking is a great family activity.

Be sure to consult your doctor before starting exercise. A relative contraindication to sports walking is flat feet. With this pathology, body weight is not distributed correctly during walking, and this can lead to the development of plantar fasciitis and the appearance of pain in the foot.

Walking training

Many people learn to walk fast on their own by accelerating the pace of normal walking and swinging their arms more vigorously. If you would like to improve your technique, please consult an instructor or refer to specialized literature.

The technique of sports walking is not so simple. Here it is impossible, having pushed off, to fly through the air as a runner flies. The peculiarity of race walking is that the supporting leg remains straight from the moment it touches the ground in front of you until the moment you transfer the body through this point. Athletes also make strong swinging movements with their arms and rhythmically, in a peculiar manner, shake their torso and pelvis.

Proper posture is essential for athletic walking. The body is held straight, but without tension. The steps are uniform, the movement is carried out by the hips, which move in a horizontal plane with very little vertical moment.

Consult your doctor. This is especially important for patients with coronary heart disease, bronchial asthma, overweight, as well as for those who have not been involved in sports before.

Wear thick 100% cotton sports socks on your feet. They protect your feet well.

When exercising indoors, wear a tank top or T-shirt with comfortable shorts.

Pedometer. Use a pedometer to measure the distance travelled. However, be aware that this unit is fairly accurate when running on flat terrain, but may give erroneous readings when running on hills. This is due to the change in stride length.

Weighting agents. To increase the intensity of training and endurance training, use weights: for example, poles, like ski poles, which increase the load on the hands.

Using poles increases heart rate from 68% to 78% of its maximum value, and also increases calorie expenditure by 22% compared to running without poles.

Race walking- at least effective method keep yourself in good physical shape than running. This discipline can be practiced both for the general improvement of the body, and at a professional level, preparing for competitions.

Moreover, race walking- Olympic athletics discipline. In the Olympic program, competitions for men are held outside the stadium, at a distance of 20 km and 50 km, for women at 20 km. The first race walking competition was held in London in 1882 and consisted of five hours of uninterrupted walking. Walking a distance of 50 km has become Olympic discipline in 1932, for 20 km - in 1956. In 1992 in Olympic program included competitions among women.

Race walking is an alternation of steps that must be performed so that the walker has constant contact with the ground, observing the following rules:

It is essential that the athlete is in constant contact with the ground without any loss of contact visible to the human eye.
The extended leg must be fully extended (i.e. not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until passing the vertical.
The pelvis moves around a vertical axis.
The back should be straight, elbows bent at a right angle.
High hand speed.
Step frequency: 130-200 per minute.
Step length: 90-120 cm.

Walking in the track and field program is the only kind, in which there is subjective judging. If in running athletes are removed from the race only in exceptional cases, then in the practice of walking, disqualification at a distance is a common occurrence. There are cases when athletes are disqualified after the finish.

In addition to participating in competitions, millions of people use race walking for recreational purposes. Regular sports walking brings colossal benefit for the body:

the work of the heart is normalized - the activity of the myocardium improves, its contractility increases;
work improves respiratory system- lung tissue quickly removes metabolic products, the blood is saturated with oxygen;
the activity of the gastrointestinal system is normalized - motility increases, nutrients are better absorbed into the blood;
the muscles of the whole body are trained - especially the legs, hips, shoulders, back and arms;
the impact of stressful situations is reduced, nervous system hardens, mood rises;
calories are burned - 5 km of daily walks help maintain a slender body.

Health-improving running and distance walking can be used to prepare for competitions, as well as as a preventive measure against all kinds of vascular and heart diseases. Walking 5 hours a week at high speed reduces the risk of heart disease by almost 50%. This discipline can be attributed to one of the safest - unlike running, when walking, there is no foot hitting the ground (if shoes are chosen correctly), while the speed of movement is much lower.

Walking for weight loss will be very useful for people suffering from excess weight. If you are obese, jogging is usually not recommended because it puts an increased strain on the skeletal system. Walking for weight loss has a minimum of contraindications, but it is better to consult a doctor and choose the right shoes.

It's also great that race walking can also be a starting point for those who want to run properly. With it, many begin, smoothly moving into the phase of a measured run.

It should be noted that the benefits of sports walking will only be obtained if you walk the distance at a sufficiently high speed and in the right shoes. Slow walks do not bring such powerful benefits to the body as fast ones.

Types of sports walking

You can walk in different ways: slowly walk along the embankment, rush to work and knock everything in your path, or even engage in sports discipline. But the sport walking itself can also be divided into several subcategories:

Normal walking. The main thing is to work correctly with your hands. They should bend like athletes. The speed of movement reaches 7-8 kilometers per hour.
An accelerated form of sports walking. The speed can reach 12-14 kilometers per hour. So they can only walk professional athletes. To achieve this pace, you will have to practice a lot.
Sports Nordic walking. In the middle of the last century, Finnish skiers invented new way keep fit during the off-season high level. Later it turned out that their method is effective for rehabilitation after severe physical injuries. And in the nineties, Nordic walking with sticks became a popular sport. Its essence is the use of two poles resembling ski poles. Due to this, up to 90% of human muscles are simultaneously loaded, and calories are burned 20% -25% faster.

Whether the goal of race walking is to improve health or to prepare for competitions, it is extremely important to choose the right shoes and warm up thoroughly before training.

If walking lessons are carried out taking into account all the rules and analysis of mistakes, they will only bring benefits. Choose a training program based on your physical condition. At first, you need to observe moderation and not chase the high results that professional athletes show.

You should start with small walks of 3-4 km a day, weekly increasing the distance by 1 km and analyzing your well-being. For optimal benefit, men are advised to walk about 50 km per week, women - 40 km, but walking such distances is better for experienced people.

The first time you need to walk, controlling your pulse. If it is more than 110 beats per minute, it is desirable to reduce the pace or duration of walking. It happens that the pulse rises during the climb uphill. This is normal and should not cause concern. But pain in the muscles or joints is a bad sign. If they appear, you need to immediately stop classes, with a smooth transition to a slow step.

Choice of shoes

There are many factors to consider when choosing walking shoes. Walking shoes are very different from running shoes. Walking shoes should be flexible, with special orthopedic elements that will protect the foot during movement. Such elements of footwear include: a dense thick sole, a high rigid heel and high edges for fixing the ankle. If the sole of the sneakers is too thin, by the end of the distance, strong pressure will be felt in the legs, and the foot will feel every stone. In addition, if you walk with thin-soled sneakers, your feet quickly start to hurt in shoes.

For walking on a distance on rough terrain, it is necessary to select sneakers with shock-absorbing elements that will absorb shocks when moving. The midsole of the sneakers should have a soft cushion that protects the ankle from fatigue. The insoles inside the shoes must be removable and have good moisture permeability. The quality of the laces of sneakers should also be paid attention to - they should not spontaneously untie.

Properly chosen shoes will give a feeling of lightness while walking along the distance and not cause discomfort. The wrong choice of running shoes can lead to many health problems - back pain, blisters, flat feet and varicose veins.

The basic rules of sports walking are as follows:

Foot contact with the ground must be continuous. You need to step on the ground until the other foot comes off it.
The front leg should not bend until the free leg is level with it in the vertical plane.
The movement must be fast and swift.
Hands should be bent at the elbows to a right angle and intensively work them back and forth. This will help increase your movement speed.

Plays an important role in training correct breathing. Breathe deeply and measuredly, the rhythm of breathing should match the rhythm of steps. And in no case do not start breathing through your mouth, feeling tired, this will only take away your remaining strength. Inhalation during sports walking should be shorter than exhalation, then the lungs are better ventilated with air.
It is important to monitor compliance correct posture. The trunk should not be excessively strained and its position should not be changed abruptly. Keep your body straight, avoid tilting.
To improve your race walking technique, consult a professional instructor or read the relevant literature.
Do not take off the ground with both feet at the same time for a split second, otherwise walking will become a run. To increase speed, use sweeping arm movements and swing your pelvis, as athletes do. Remember: the steps should be uniform, and the repulsion from the ground should be strong.
If you suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems or have not been involved in sports before, be sure to consult a doctor before starting classes. It is important.
Take a few minutes to warm up before starting your workout. Warm up and stretch the muscles, especially those that are actively used during walking. Repeat the stretch after the end of the session, after waiting until the breathing and heartbeat calm down. This will help solidify the effect.
Remember safety. Exercise in safe places (parks, squares) and do not expose your body to excessive stress, risking injury. Increase the load gradually. If you have to walk along the road, dress in bright, conspicuous clothing. Fans of evening walking are advised to tie a reflective tape or use clothing with an appropriate insert.
Challenge yourself. Noticing progress in classes - accelerate the pace, take wider steps. Walk long distances. The health benefits will be greater, and you can feel like a winner.
A glass of water drunk a quarter of an hour before a workout will help to avoid dehydration.
To accurately measure the distance traveled, use a pedometer. But keep in mind that while showing accurate results when walking on a flat surface, it may be mistaken when walking on hills. Regardless of your desire, the stride length varies.
Special weighting agents will help to increase the intensity of classes. They can be sticks for nordic walking, small hand dumbbells, vests with extra weight. The heart rate and the rate of fat burning due to their use increases. True, the risk of injury to the joints is also growing. Be carefull.
So that sports walking does not harm the body, but rather improves your health, it is important to choose optimal load. It is individual for everyone. According to experts, a good load for men is 56 kilometers per week, for women - 49 kilometers.
Do not chase record distances to the detriment of health. Listen to your body and learn when to stop. If you, after walking the first kilometer, feel a slight fatigue, the pace can be considered optimal. If you are a little out of breath, slow down. When it starts to tingle in your side, switch to a quiet walk, and then stop to rest for a few minutes.

Walking will help you feel healthy and maintain excellent physical shape at any age. This is definitely a discipline worth trying out.

Walking is no less effective way to keep yourself in good physical shape than running. This discipline can be practiced both for the general improvement of the body, and at a professional level, preparing for competitions. Unlike ordinary walking, sports walking has its advantages and disadvantages, which should be known to any person who decides to choose this particular sports discipline.

The benefits of walking

In addition to participating in competitions, millions of people use race walking for recreational purposes. If you walk just 30 minutes a distance every day, you can live 3 more years. Regular sports walking brings tremendous benefits to the body:

the work of the heart is normalized - the activity of the myocardium improves, its contractility increases;
the work of the respiratory system improves - the lung tissue removes metabolic products faster, the blood is saturated with oxygen;
the activity of the gastrointestinal system is normalized - motility increases, nutrients are better absorbed into the blood;
the muscles of the whole body are trained - especially the legs, hips, shoulders, back and arms;
the influence of stressful situations decreases, the nervous system hardens, mood rises;
calories are burned - 5 km of daily walks help maintain a slender body.

General principles

The main feature of sports walking is the high speed of movement without switching to running. In this case, the following rules must be observed, which distinguish this discipline from running:

Types of sports walking

Every sport has its varieties. Race walking is no exception, and the type of these workouts should be chosen depending on the goals that a person sets for himself. There are 4 main types of sports walking:

Slow walking. Speed - 80 steps per minute. At this pace, a person covers a kilometer in 30 minutes.
Average temp. Speed - 120 steps per minute. A kilometer is covered in 13-15 minutes.
Sports walking. Speed - about 150 steps per minute, 7 km are overcome in an hour. It is race walking that is used in competitions.
Fast walk. It is used only by athletes to prepare for upcoming competitions. The speed can reach 12 km/h. This technique is not recommended for beginners, since it puts a lot of stress on an unprepared body.

Beginners are better off doing slow or medium paced walking. To improve the body, it will be enough to walk at an average pace for half an hour a day. If you need to prepare for the competition, walking is suitable, with a further transition to fast.

Teaching methodology

Before starting classes, you should study the analysis and basics of race walking technique under the guidance of a trainer. The teaching methodology will include the following points:

Introduction to technology. At this stage, the trainer shows at a slow pace what the sports walking technique is, explains the features of this sport. Then the beginner will have to repeat the correct body movements on his own, and the coach will analyze the mistakes and determine the training program.
Methodology for teaching the movement of the legs and pelvis. During slow walking, the beginner is taught how to properly turn the body and move the arms at the moment when the feet are placed on the ground. It uses the analysis and technique of opposite rotations: the shoulders are rotated to the right when the pelvis is rotated to the left. At the same time, the leg lowered to the ground remains straight until the second leg is lowered to the ground. Training is usually carried out in a straight drawn line - this allows the legs to move close to each other.
The method of teaching the movement of hands and shoulder girdle. Hands should be bent at an obtuse or right angle, not intersect and move in a straight line. Shoulders should be relaxed, hands should not be strained and move freely. If the range of motion of the hands is not wide enough, the training is carried out with the hands down.
Methods of teaching correct breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply and evenly. Breathing should not go astray - if this happens, you need to stop training.
Methodology for teaching individual elements of sports walking. To hone the technique, various exercises for the body, limbs, and head are used. The trainer analyzes the length of the step, the method of placing the foot, moving the legs.
Improvement of technology. This stage involves the integration of skills acquired in the process of learning and analysis, and long hard training to achieve coordination of movements.

In this sports discipline There are a number of methods and standards that are taken into account during the competition. In addition to technique, great importance is given to speed, which can be increased by lengthening the step, or by increasing the frequency of steps. In the second case, there is a risk of switching to running, which can be a reason for disqualification from the competition, so this method of increasing speed is recommended only for experienced athletes.

Warm up

Whether the goal of race walking is to improve health or to prepare for competitions, it is extremely important to choose the right shoes and warm up thoroughly before training.

Warm-up begins with stretching calf muscles. The following exercise will help with this: we rest our hands against the wall, we take one leg back, while slightly squatting on the second leg. The duration of the exercise is about 7 minutes.

Next, you need to stretch the back of the thigh: stretch one leg forward and put it on a chair. Now you need to tilt the torso to this leg. To stretch the front of the thigh, you need to stand on one leg, pull the other with your hands to the buttocks.

To stretch the hips, you need to perform several alternate lunges with the body forward and backward, while the leg should be on a chair with a bent knee. The total duration of the warm-up is at least 20 minutes. Such training will allow you to stretch and warm up your muscles well and avoid injuries.

How to calculate load

If walking lessons are carried out taking into account all the rules and analysis of mistakes, they will only bring benefits. You should select a training program based on your physical condition. At first, you need to observe moderation and not chase the high results that professional athletes show.

The first time you need to walk, controlling your pulse. If it is more than 110 beats per minute, it is desirable to reduce the pace or duration of walking. It happens that the pulse rises when climbing uphill. This is normal and should not cause concern. But pain in the muscles or joints is a bad sign. If they appear, you need to immediately stop classes, with a smooth transition to a slow step.

Choice of shoes

Race walking is one of the safest sports. A sedentary lifestyle has never been good for the body, which is why so many people exercise regularly to keep fit.

General principles

Race walking is based on aerobic exercise, which helps to effectively strengthen muscles, which contributes to the burning of calories. One of the advantages of this sport is the minimal likelihood of joint injury, in contrast to the same run. The essence of walking is to move quickly, when one foot is in full contact with the ground. Due to this, the steps are much longer and faster, and more muscles are also involved.

This sport is indicated for people with slight excess weight. In fact, anyone can walk, the main thing is that there are no serious health problems. That is why it is important to first consult a doctor for recommendations. On average, for 2 kilometers traveled at an average pace, you can burn up to 300 calories.

Benefits of walking

With the help of this sport, you can not only significantly lose weight, but also improve your health. Many people do not believe that it is enough just to walk. However, scientists have proven that a regular 30-minute brisk walk can extend life by 2 years.

Walking helps to normalize blood pressure and lower cholesterol, strengthen the skeletal system and improve insulin production, increase volume muscle mass and just improve your mood, bringing the body into tone. In addition, this sport is one of the fundamental ways to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

For weight loss, walking is also the best tool. Women around the world move at a fast pace every day in the fresh air in order to achieve perfect figure. It has been proven that 2000 steps every day allow a person to keep fit. However, for weight loss, you need to walk 5-7 times more, which is approximately equal to 4-5 kilometers. It is also worth noting that walking without a proper diet will never give results.

Getting Started

First, you need to understand why a person starts playing sports. If he wants to strengthen his muscles or just warm up, then it is enough to arrange daily half-hour classes. Some women set themselves the goal of losing weight. In this case, walks should take up to an hour at a fast pace.

Many beginners start classes without a warm-up and without knowledge of elementary skills. It is important to understand what race walking is, how to move correctly, how to breathe, etc. Tearing the body in the first month of training is strictly contraindicated. It is better to start classes early in the morning. At this time, it is easier to burn the maximum number of calories. In addition, morning workouts will tone the body for the rest of the day.

Types of walking

Like any other sport, walking has its variations:

Walk at a slow pace. The walking speed here is about 80 steps per minute, that is, in half an hour a person walks up to one kilometer.
Walk at a moderate pace. The speed is up to 120 steps per minute. It is comparable to when a person is in a hurry somewhere and accelerates the usual pace of movement. A kilometer at this speed will be covered in 12-15 minutes.
Traditional race walking. In this case, in one hour a person can walk up to 7 kilometers. Step speed - 140 per minute. With such walking, the arms should be bent at an angle and very actively work with them. Before class, a good warm-up is required.
Fast walk. Recommended only for athletes. These are daily hardened rocky/cross-country workouts. The speed of such walking is up to 12 km/h. It is better to switch to this mode after a year of systematic training.

Walking technique

The essence of this sport is to optimally calculate the load on the body. The average speed in this case should be in the range from 6 to 10 km / h.

The technique of race walking consists of 5 basic rules:

The arms should always be bent at the elbows at an angle of no more than 90 degrees. Throughout the distance, they help the body move. Proper hand placement will make movement much easier.
The back must be straight. It is important that the body is tilted a few degrees forward. In walking, maintaining a balance of the center of gravity is the main key to success.
When moving, the heel should touch the ground first, and only then the toe. Rolling in race walking is also important. It should be smooth and even throughout the foot.
Legs should never be bent. In such walking, the main load is taken by the muscles of the thighs and calves.
You need to move rhythmically, not forgetting about breathing. The entrance and exhalation should be uniform and deep. If the breath is lost, then the training can be completed.

To build muscle mass in the legs, you can take a backpack with a small load on your back. Before class, you need to warm up thoroughly. It will be useful to do a few exercises to warm up and stretch the muscles.

How to warm up properly

First, you need to start with stretching. caviar muscles. To do this, you need to rest with both hands on the wall, take one leg back, and raise and lower the body with the other (supporting) one. The exercise should consist of 8-10 sets and last up to 7 minutes.

To warm up the back of the thigh, stretch your leg forward and put it on a stool. Next, you need to slightly tilt the body towards it. Anterior thigh region warms up next exercise: one leg is the supporting one, and they try to bring the foot of the second as close as possible to the buttocks.

The hips are kneaded by alternate lunges of the body forward and backward with the foot placed on a stool. For this management, it is important to relax as much as possible.

According to athletes, the warm-up should last at least 20 minutes. During this time, all muscles should not only be stretched, but also warmed up well in order to protect yourself from unnecessary injury.

Proper breathing

In walking, you should never expose your body to high loads, especially if not even a month has passed since the first workout. The surest way to understand that the given pace of movement is optimally selected is breathing. If it is uniform, then the rhythm of walking should not be slowed down. If the loads seem insignificant, then you can increase the distance and time of the walk.

Walking technique is important for proper breathing. If you move your arms correctly and touch the ground with your foot, then the load on the body will be minimal. People most often go in for sports to keep fit or build muscle, but there is another reason that many do not even think about. Why does a person prefer walking in nature, and not in the gym? The fact is that the body needs oxygen saturation, especially during physical activity. That is why proper breathing while walking is so important. It should be uniform throughout the distance, and the breath should be deep.

Load calculation

If you approach walking wisely, then they will never harm your health. Each person is unique in itself, which means that for each there is individual program workouts. In the first couple, one should not take as a basis the indicators of people who have been involved in sports for a long time, since they are already subject to heavy loads.

As for the distance, for men a weekly walking is shown 50 km, for women - about 40 km. However, these indicators can only be guided by experienced runners. For beginners, it is best to start with 2-3 kilometers a day and increase the distance by 500 meters every week, if health permits.

This sport has no age restrictions, but it all depends on the body. In the first workouts, it is recommended to regularly check the current pulse, which should not exceed the threshold of 100 beats per minute. If at the beginning of the lesson there is discomfort in the muscles or joints, then you should immediately stop walking. In such cases, it is not worth stopping abruptly, it is better to gradually slow down the step.

Shoe selection

Walking shoes should not have thin soles. By the end of the long distance, the feet will experience tremendous pressure, so every stone will be felt. In addition, in sneakers with a thin sole, the legs will start to hurt after the first kilometers. It is a common mistake for women to wear hard-heeled shoes, such as ballet flats, to workouts.

The best option for training is a thick sole. In any case, walking shoes should be light. A hard rubber sole is excluded, as it will cause a lot of discomfort to the feet.

In rainy weather, sneakers with a protective film against slipping are best suited.

Walking on level ground

Before training, you should do a warm-up, which includes a few minutes of a quiet walk with parallel warming up of the calf and hip muscles. Then sports walking begins at a moderate pace. At this stage, it is important to determine the breathing rate and check the pulse.

Gradually, the walking speed increases to a maximum. Subsequently, it is recommended to alternate the pace of training. It is undesirable to conquer long distances in the first lessons, even on flat terrain. After a lesson, you can’t stop abruptly or sit down, as the body needs some time to get used to a slow pace.

Walking on hilly terrain

Walking on small slopes is useful for people regardless of age. However, training in hilly terrain is only indicated for experienced athletes who are accustomed to dealing with heavy loads on a daily basis.

In the photo, race walking when climbing a slope looks impressive. All muscles are tense, the wind blows the hair - and so the finish point at the top beckons, but in reality it is much more difficult than it might seem. Walking on a hilly surface requires many times more energy than on a flat one. For beginners, such classes are contraindicated.

As for the warm-up, it does not differ from the warm-up before training on flat ground, except that exercises for the muscles of the arms and forearms are added to the complex.

Monthly course for weight loss

In the first week, you should do three walking sessions at a slow pace. Each workout should not last more than 20 minutes. At this stage, it is important to understand how to breathe correctly and control the load.

In the second week, race walking begins. The speed varies depending on how you feel. The duration of one workout is up to 30 minutes. It is not worth testing yourself for serious loads. If you feel tired, then you can go to a slower pace.

In the third week, the duration of the lesson increases to 40 minutes. In addition, the number of workouts should already reach 4-5. At this stage, you can use special belts for weight loss.

The final 7-day should be held in an enhanced mode. The training time varies up to an hour, but their number is still up to 5 sessions. Here it is important to alternate the pace of walking from the maximum to the average every 10 minutes. As numerous reviews show, in a month of training using this technique, you can lose up to 12 kilograms.