Nordic walking – is walking with poles only for older people?

Nordic walking, or simply walking with poles, has started to gain popularity in our part of Europe relatively recently. Although in Finland, where it was invented in the 1920s , it has long been a popular sport. Initially, it was intended to be a supplement to the training of Finnish cross-country skiers, but due to its numerous health benefits and easy accessibility, it quickly became almost a national sport . Apart from poles, no specialized equipment is needed, and even people who are not in the best shape and are elderly can practice Nordic walking.

Nordic walking – how to start?

You need poles and comfortable sports shoes. It is important that the poles have the appropriate length, adjusted to your height - holding them in your hands, stand straight and check: if a right angle is formed between the arm and forearm , they are of good length. Proper coordination of movements is as important as the length of the poles. Finding the right rhythm is a matter of experience . Therefore, the more we walk, the better we become at it. When we take a step with our right foot, we extend our left hand forward. These activities are performed alternately .

Nordic walking – for whom?

Although Nordic walking is recommended primarily to people with osteoporosis, which is usually older people, the benefits of this type of activity make it a sport suitable for (almost) everyone. Properly used poles cause the body weight to be distributed differently . The load on the joints is reduced. This, in turn, prevents muscle and joint pain that may occur during heavy exercise (e.g. when running). ¹ .

Walking with poles is also recommended for people who want to improve their cardio-respiratory system . Because Nordic walking uses the muscles of the upper body, the heart pumps more blood, resulting in greater efficiency. In addition, as it turns out, Nordic walking only slightly increases the level of perceived exertion (RPE), i.e. the subjective assessment of how physically difficult and heavy a given exercise is. That's excellent news! Even though your body is working hard, the effort you feel is less than with other exercises. One study found that people who walked with poles had better results in terms of exercise capacity, exercise duration, and oxygen consumption compared to those who participated in standard rehabilitation programs. ² .

Nordic walking also for low back pain and overweight.

When walking with poles, all muscles are involved in physical exercise - the arms, back, back and neck muscles, as well as the calves, hamstrings, buttocks and quadriceps muscles of the thighs. Interestingly, although "ordinary" walking also engages these muscles, research shows that the effort is more effective when walking with poles. ^3.4 . Compared to traditional walking, Nordic walking activates the erector spinae muscle to a lesser extent, so it is recommended for people with pain and tension in the lower back ⁵ .

Do you want to lose a few kilos? Great, because walking with poles allows you to burn up to 20% more calories than "ordinary" walking. ⁶ . Fat loss is 18% greater in those who exercise with poles compared to people who engage in more traditional physical activities ⁷ .

Bibliography:

1. Revord LP, Lomond KV, Loubert PV, Hammer RL. Acute effects of walking with Nordic poles in persons with mild to moderate low-back pain. Int J Exerc Sci. 2016;9(4):507-513.
2. Cugusi L, Manca A, Yeo TJ, Bassareo PP, Mercuro G, Kaski JC. Nordic walking for individuals with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2017 Dec;24(18):1938-1955.
3. Pellegrini B, Boccia G, Zoppirolli C, et al. Muscular and metabolic responses to different Nordic walking techniques, when style matters. PLoS One. 2018;13(4):e0195438.
4. Pellegrini B, Peyré-Tartaruga LA, Zoppirolli C, Bortolan L, Bacchi E, Figard-Fabre H, Schena F. Exploring Muscle Activation during Nordic Walking: A Comparison between Conventional and Uphill Walking. PLoS One. 2015 Sep 29;10(9):e0138906.
5. As above.
6. Tschentscher M, Niederseer D, Niebauer J. Health benefits of Nordic walking: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2013 Jan;44(1):76-84.
7. Runenko SD, Achkasov EE, Volodina KA, Zhukovskaya AV, Mushkambarov NN, Butko DY. Nordic Walking as an effective physical activity for weight loss among overweight young adults in high schools. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2020 Feb;60(2):294-301.