BWA ► Categories walking sport

The walking sport is divided into three categories:

♦ the recreational group
♦ sportive walking (= power walking)
♦ race walking

The recreational group within the walking sports federations in Belgium

Numerous walkers who are affiliated at a federal walking club find their pleasure in the recreational walking sport.

Exercise through walking is presently a necessity for everyone because it leads to inner calm and it is undoubtedly an efficient means against worries and stress.
It gives people a fresh view on the reality and it supplies the necessary power and energy to say “yes” to life.

The model concept of the walking sport =

“Free individual or family walking at your own rhythm and according to the distance of choice on accurately marked out nature trails in Belgium”

undoubtedly meets the expectations of the recreational- and/or casual/ leisure walkers.

Recreational walking can be done on a self traced out track in your region. But you can also make use of the accurately marked out nature trails of the walking clubs that you can cover at your own rhythm and according to the distance of choice.
Furthermore the participants get opportunities to strike up easy social contacts.

Your walking calendar in Belgium: Walking in Belgium

The walking calendar "Walking in Belgium" is published by the Flemish federation << Wandelsport Vlaanderen >>.

URL site Wandelsport Vlaanderen: https://www.wandelsportvlaanderen.be/

Other federations in Belgium:

♦ Fédération Francophone Belge de Marches Populaires, abbreviated FFBMP

URL site FFBMP: https://www.ffbmp.be

♦ Wandersportverband Ostbelgien, abbreviated WSVO

URL site WSVO: https://www.wsvo-ostbelgien.be

Sportive walking (= power walking)

Sportive walking – also mentioned "Power walking", abbreviated pw – is in every way, a challenge for sporty people to push back your limits and thus to surpass yourself.

Hikers who are affiliated at the federations in the Benelux (= the non-competitive walking sport) can get more of their federal hikes by going deeper than a comfortable pace of 6 km/h.
To achieve high energy consumption via a sporty pace, young hikers can consider power walking.

Why choose power walking ?

♦ power walking is an ideal outdoor sport for the building and the conservation of a good physical condition;
♦ it has a favorable and beneficial effect on the mental and physical health and thus guarantees a better quality of life;
♦ it is an efficient training for the strengthening of the mental power: it increases the self-confidence, it leads to inner calm and lucidity of mind, it stimulates the concentration, it develops the mental capacity and finally, it improves the resistance towards stress and reverses;
♦ pw creates a particularly pleasant feeling of fitness and self-satisfaction through intensive effort;
♦ it is not a risky sport: there are no injuries by direct contact with the opponent and there is no danger for heavy falls;
♦ pw is the best natural solution for the prevention of illnesses and in particular for respiratory diseases;
♦ pw is compatible with other sports: running, football, tennis, fitness, swimming, mountaineering…

Race walking

Well-known exampels of race walking are the Centurion in England, the Continental Centurion in the Netherlands and the long distance race walk competitions “great fond 200 km/ 24 hour” in France.

It puts the sportsmen in the picture and it enhances a qualitative image to the walking sport in general.

You are young and you are looking for a healthy and a sportive challenge: choose then for the challenge of long distance race walking “Grand fond” (= the French term).

Overview of the sites concerned

France

Paris Alsace • Crédit Mutuel ► The longest athletic walk in the world / The Myth from A to Z / The 200 km/ 24 hour Race walks in France

URL site Paris Alsace: http://paris-alsace.fr/wp-pa/index.php

England

UK Centurions1911: https://centurions1911.org.uk/

The Netherlands

Continental Centurion Association: https://www.centurionverenigingnederland.nl/