Most people don't have to think too hard about walking. It's something we just do naturally. Then there are those of us who, literally, take things a step further...

The basics. You've probably heard it called a number of different things: power walking, wogging, speedwalking, racewalking, etc. Are there really that many different walking styles? The answer is no. "Power walking" is actually a phrase used to describe fast bent-knee walking, which can damage your joints. "Wogging" was a word coined in the 1980's by Wood Brothers Homes when they sponsored some walking events in the Denver area. "Racewalking" a term as senseless as racerunning, is used only in English; the rest of the world simply calls the competition sport "walking".

There are actually only two styles of walking: bent-knee and straight-leg. Most people, without even thinking about it, have a bent knee when their front heel first touches the ground, allowing the quadriceps to propel the leg and torso forward. This is how you probably walk to the store or wander around the house.

Straight-leg walking, on the other hand, is used in competition and is similar to bent-knee walking with a few key exceptions. In straight-leg walking, the front leg is straight at the knee when the heel contacts the ground, the leg stays straight until it is perpendicular underneath your hip, after which it bends normally as you finish out the step. The front heel must contact the ground before the back toe leaves the ground (slow walkers will do this automatically).

Straight-leg, or Olympic-style, walking allows you to move much faster than bent-knee walking does because the hips and arms move in a circular motion. This means that the speed of the straight-leg stride cycle is never interrupted. In bent-knee walking, however, every swing or stride requires a full stop, then a new build-up of momentum for each step forward and each extension back. In a race, a good straight-leg walker will invariably beat a bent-knee walker of the same fitness level — long as the bent-knee walker doesn't cheat and add a flight phase into his stride. Flying off the ground with bent knees is no longer walking — it's running!

Benefits of walking Though walking for fitness and sport is growing in popularity, many people still don't realize that participating in the activity can dramatically improve their health and fitness. Straight-leg walking is worth learning because it is aerobically demanding yet safer than almost any other sport.

In a 1960s study of all summer and winter Olympic participants, the top-rated athletes in all aspects of fitness (including strength, quick leg turnover, flexibility, endurance, plyometric power and minimal injury) were the walkers. This remarkable finding (though not much of a surprise to the walkers themselves) led many European Olympic developmental teams to teach the Olympic-style walking technique to their distance runners as a cross-training exercise. The walkers showed significant levels of success in improved racing performances.

In addition to being an excellent training tool, walking is also a great way for injured athletes to keep in shape. Today, several Japanese running teams use walking to keep their top runners limber when they are too injured to run. The continuous motion inherent in walking maintains flexibility and strength while protecting injured areas that can't handle the harsh impact of running. Walk training minimizes a loss of conditioning while the athlete "rests" and recovers.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of walking is this: You can do it slowly and still be training. Slow walking allows you to loosen the tight spots that develop from participating in other sports, especially in areas like the neck, shoulders and lower back. You can walk while you practice deep and slow abdominal breathing. You can walk while you stretch your spine, level your head and straighten your foot plant. You can even do mental training work while you walk, creating visualizations and affirmations that will benefit all your sports and activities.

Walking gives you a break from a routine that might otherwise have become a rut. You can also talk as you walk, squeezing in some quality time with a family member or friend who doesn't share your other athletic interests. Walking can make you feel relaxed, focused and peaceful. And let's face it: we all need more of that kind of time, whatever our sport.

Viisha Sedlak resides in Boulder, Colo. An American citizen from a military family, she grew up in the Far East, the Caribbean and the Pacific Basin, and later worked as a fashion and print model in the United States, Europe and Japan. Viisha speaks French, Spanish and English, with conversational ability in other languages. A respected athlete, author, artist and speaker, Viisha founded, and currently directs, the American Walking Association, the premier national organization for fitness and competition walking.

Viisha is a contributing writer at Built2XL.com, the site that is committed to motivating and empowering big people everywhere to achieve their personal fitness, sports and wellness goals. By helping big people thrive, we hope to empower them to live each day to its fullest potential and to always Dream Big.