Nordic walking is rapidly becoming more and more popular across all age groups. It is highly versatile, as it can be done anywhere, as long as there is a place to walk. Know more about it.
Rapidly rising in popularity, Nordic walking activates 90% of the body’s muscles, and doing so burns 20 to 40% more calories than regular walking, earning accolades as one of the most efficient, joint-friendly, and waistline-reducing forms of full-body exercise.
In an article published on May 1, 2024, on the Harvard Medical School consumer health information division website, Mathew Solam, Executive Editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch, talks about a fitness routine now heavily recommended by Harvard health researchers: Nordic walking. Read on to know what Nordic walking is, its origins, and its numerous benefits for the body.
Nordic walking is rapidly becoming more and more popular across all age groups. The reason? The sport allows one to gain strength and stamina and lose weight and reduce the waistline, all the while not damaging the joints whatsoever, making it accessible to all age groups. It is also highly versatile, as it can be done anywhere, as long as there is a place to walk.
What are the origins of Nordic Walking?
Nordic walking was first developed in the 1930s in Finland as an off-season training exercise for cross-country skiers in order for them to still enhance their technique when there was no snow to ski on. Following this goal, Nordic Walking mimics the motions of cross-country skiing, which explains its use of poles, one in each hand, for the walker to propel himself while advancing.
What is the technique of Nordic Walking?
Unlike trekking or hiking poles, which have loose straps that go around your wrists, Nordic poles have a special glove-like system attached to each pole, allowing power to be transmitted from the palm to the pole.
The sport is divided into several techniques, different according to the movement of the poles. The one most people start with is “single poling”, which involves the poles mimicking the movements of the feet, with one pole in front of the walker at each stride, be it on the same side as the foot or the opposite. The second technique, “double polling”, consists of planting both poles symmetrically in front of you and pulling yourself forward as you walk a few steps.
What are the benefits?
Nordic walking combines cardiovascular exercise with the use not only of the legs but also of the shoulders, arms, chest, core and back.
Cardiologist Aaron Baggish, director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, explains that “When you walk without poles, you activate muscles below the waist. When you add Nordic poles, you activate all the muscles of the upper body as well. You’re engaging 80% to 90% of your muscles, as opposed to 50%, providing a substantial calorie-burning benefit.” According to research, Nordic walking burns between 18 and up to 67% more calories than regular walking.
Moreover, Nordic walking is also associated with reductions in fat mass, cholesterol, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and waist circumference and increases in muscle strength and flexibility and cardiovascular fitness.
However, to work, the precise good technique has to be mastered to mobilise the right muscles.
An activity for the most vulnerable
By redistributing body weight through pole usage, Nordic walking minimises pressure on lower limbs, thus making it perfect for use by the most vulnerable. It can serve as a low-impact rehabilitative exercise for patients with joint, muscle, or neurological conditions, like individuals recovering from injury or dealing with chronic pain. The activity can also help elderly people managing diabetes and cardiovascular issues, breast cancer survivors or even those touched by Parkinson’s disease.
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