benefits of competitive walking want to be slim and have long legs walk more every day

Race Walking is a sport developed from regular walking. The rules stipulate that the supporting leg must be straight, transitioning from single-leg support to double-leg support. Before the heel of the swinging leg touches the ground, the toe of the pushing leg must not leave the ground to ensure there is no 'floating' phenomenon. This is the main difference between race walking and running. The speed of regular walking is about five kilometers per hour, while the speed of race walking is much faster, at least twice as fast as regular walking even at a moderate pace.

Race walking competitions first appeared in the UK between 1775 and 1800. Men's race walking became an official event at the 1908 London Olympics. Women's race walking began in 1932, but it wasn't until the 1992 Olympics that the women's 10-kilometer race walk became an official event. As a strong event in Chinese athletics, race walking is a key gold medal target for the Chinese team at the Rio Olympics. Last year, Liu Hong won the gold medal in the women's 20-kilometer race walk at the World Championships. This year, China won seven gold medals at the Race Walking World Cup.

As a strong event in Chinese athletics, race walking is a key gold medal target for the Chinese team at the Rio Olympics. The first race walking event of this year's Olympics is the men's 20-kilometer race walk, starting at 1:30 AM on August 13. Who will win the gold medal for China? Let's wait and see.

Race walking may seem harsh, and some people even think that practicing race walking will deform the legs. However, from the competition field, we can see that participants have slim bodies and long legs. They do not have the bow-legged appearance that some worry about; instead, their legs are thin and straight.

Coach Xu Yongjiu says that race walking has many benefits: 'It can slim the calves and thighs, tighten the buttocks, flatten the upper and lower abdomen, shape the whole body, speed up gastrointestinal motility, prevent constipation, and improve body coordination.'

No need to be overly demanding on technique.

The movements in race walking are quite 'peculiar.' Race walkers move their bodies in a forward and backward twisting motion along a straight line, maintaining either an inclined or upright posture. Their arms are bent at 90 degrees, swinging in coordination with their legs, resembling the waddle of a penguin. Xu Yongjiu says that this posture has existed since the inception of race walking. Of course, amateur enthusiasts who wish to practice race walking for fitness do not need to be overly concerned with technique. They should gradually increase their movement frequency because it is unrealistic for amateurs to perform standard race walking techniques.

Fitness enthusiasts who enjoy walking for exercise have various options. They can start with brisk walking, which is between strolling and race walking in terms of speed and intensity. The most effective walking is 'brisk walking,' which involves taking more than 120 steps per minute at a speed of 5-6 kilometers per hour. During exercise, the heart rate should ideally be controlled between 120-150 beats per minute, with a slight feeling of fatigue and breathlessness. If the exercise intensity is too low, it will not achieve fitness results.

Beginners should not exercise for more than half an hour a day.

Xu Yongjiu says, 'Regular walking is about 100 to 120 steps per minute, while race walking can reach 180 to 200 steps per minute. Excellent race walkers exceed 200 steps per minute. Regular walking takes about 0.50 to 0.55 seconds per step, while race walking takes only 0.27 to 0.32 seconds per step, or even less. Because of this unique posture, race walkers move lightly and very quickly. Before starting to walk for exercise, after warming up, one should walk at a slower pace for about ten minutes. Then, fitness enthusiasts can perform fast race walking in the posture of professional race walkers, but they should not be too strict, as it can easily lead to injury. Race walking has a good weight loss effect, but initially, one should not be too eager for success. Exercising for no more than half an hour a day is sufficient.'

Avoid eating oily foods for breakfast.

Practicing race walking can develop leg muscle strength and hip joint flexibility, enhance physical fitness, and improve the functions of the circulatory and respiratory systems. But did you know? To race walk healthily, besides not overdoing it, you should not eat too much before race walking.

Coach Gao Hongmiao says that professional athletes eat before training, but not too much. 'Almost every team trains in the morning, so breakfast is important. Athletes usually eat easily digestible foods like eggs, steamed buns, and pickles, along with a small amount of porridge. They generally avoid oily foods because they can cause nausea during race walking, and severe cases can lead to vomiting, disrupting the training session. Additionally, professional athletes usually eat two and a half hours before training, which helps improve training quality.'

■ A reminder—watch out for pants legs rubbing against your legs.

Do fitness enthusiasts need special equipment for race walking? Gao Hongmiao says that shoes do not need to be branded; they just need to be light and soft, with a non-hard heel. If wearing shorts, the pants legs should not rub against the legs. If race walking in sunny conditions, sunglasses can be worn to protect the eyes, and headphones can be used to listen to music, which can help alleviate fatigue in the later stages of race walking.

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