Nordic walking – advantages, preparation, outfit. How to choose Nordic walking poles?

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Nordic walking is a sport that mobilizes many muscles, but relieves the joints and spine at the same time. Walking with poles is a physical activity intended for people of all ages. Older people can lean on poles, but for children it can be a real attraction.

1. Walking with poles is not as easy as it seems at first glance
2. To start training, it is worth practicing a bit first
3. Below are some tips on how to start your adventure with this sport
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

What is Nordic walking?

Nordic walking is a sport that combines walking and cross-country skiing. The poles are equipped with non-slip grips, as well as a clasp system, which enables a special walking technique. They also have two tips. One is made of rubber, which is intended for walking on hard ground, and the other is pointed, which is used for walking on the beach or forest.

If you want to start your Nordic walking adventure and involve your family in it, you can buy poles with adjustable length – telescopic poles. Otherwise, it is worth choosing one-piece poles, matched to our height.

Find out more: Exercises for the senior – at home and outside. Why is it worth exercising?

How to prepare for Nordic walking?

Contrary to appearances, walking with poles is not that easy. Before starting Nordic walking, it is worth doing exercises that will prepare you for proper walking with poles. Thanks to them, you can learn the correct work of hands and taking long steps.

Here are some examples of exercises to prepare for Nordic walking.

1. To master the technique of taking long strides, you can grab the poles approximately 1/4 of their length. Then place your arms alongside your body so that the longer part of the poles is at the front. Then you can start walking in such a way that the steps are the length of the protruding poles. Remember to move your hands.
2. The technique of working with the hands is also important during Nordic walking. The preparatory exercise for this can be done at home in front of the mirror, because it is important to observe the position of the hand while abducting the stick. Stand in a lunge during the exercise. The stick should be tucked under the armpit. Then the elbow is straightened and the second stick is set at an acute angle to the ground. Do not twist your hand when you put your hand behind you. It is advisable to loosen the grip, open your hand, straightening your fingers.
3. The next exercise is the so-called lame march. With it, you can learn the synchronized work of arms and legs. The exercise begins with the posture presented in the previous point, i.e. the stick is first hidden under the armpit, the stick is stuck into the ground at an acute angle with the other straightened arm. Start walking by putting the stick behind you. It is important to step with the foot opposite to the outgoing hand. Lunges should be sweeping and long. Once you have mastered these exercises, you can try to combine the movements of your arms and legs together.

In addition, it is worth thinking about going to a professional trainer who will teach us how to hold the sticks, how to hammer and lead them away, or how to synchronize the work of the legs and arms, etc.

Check it out: One hour of exercise a day prevents you from becoming overweight in middle age

What are the advantages of Nordic walking?

Nordic walking has a very positive effect on health. This is a good way to lose weight, but also a rehabilitation technique. Walking with poles massages the intestines, and strengthened abdominal muscles keep them in such a position that digestion is accelerated, which promotes weight loss. Burning calories is faster than with a normal walk. During an hour of training, you can burn up to 400 kcal. In combination with a well-balanced diet and regular walking, you can lose up to 3-4 kg in a month (but remember that the rate of weight loss depends on many factors and is different for each person).

Thanks to such walks, you can overcome problems with constipation. Nordic walking is also a form of keeping fit. It relieves the knee and hip joints and tendons. The poles also relieve our spine and contribute to strengthening the muscles. Nordic walking is also good for people who suffer from frequent headaches or heart diseases, also after a heart attack.

It is a great form of physical activity for the elderly who suffer from ailments that exclude intense effort. The poles are a good solution for people struggling with diabetes, orthopedic diseases, cardiovascular diseases or pregnant women.

Regular training is also an opportunity to increase your respiratory efficiency. Thanks to this, the oxygenation of the body is improved, and the oxygen uptake increases by up to 20-58%. Better oxygenation is associated with improved thinking ability and improved well-being.

However, Nordic walking, apart from its many health benefits, also has social benefits. You can observe groups of people walking with poles. There are even clubs that agree to walk together. Thus, Nordic walking is not only a great form of physical activity, but also an opportunity for social meetings.

There are no contraindications for Nordic walkinghowever, if you notice any disturbing symptoms, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Leg fatigue is normal, but acute, persistent pain can be an important and disturbing signal. Rapid pain in the calf can be a disease of the blood vessels.

we recommend: You walk – you live longer

How to choose Nordic walking poles?

In Nordic walking, it is very important to choose the right poles, and so, for example, the poles that are used for trekking differ from those used in Nordic walking by the stripe at the top and the tip at the bottom.

Nordic walking poles are made of aluminum, fiberglass and carbon fiber, which makes them the strongest and lightest. Interestingly, at the top they have gloves that are responsible for transferring the movement of our arms to the sticks. As a result, we do not have to squeeze the handle tightly and the stick itself will stick to the hand, and in the case of trekking or ski poles, when released from the hand, they will hang freely on the belt.

When choosing the right poles, we should try on the gloves and check if they are comfortable for us. In addition, it is worth paying attention to whether we can clean them without major problems and whether they can be detached from the poles. In addition to gloves, at the other end of the poles, there are tips, on which rubber covers are attached. The length of the poles themselves is adjustable and their optimal length is 65 percent of the user’s height. It is said that beginners should choose poles 5 cm shorter.

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Nordic walking outfit

Before starting nordic walking, we should equip ourselves with the appropriate outfit. First of all, comfortable shoes, it would be good if they were half a size bigger than usual, because the toes need enough space when taking steps. In addition, socks made of a material that can wick moisture away. Secondly, sweat-wicking clothing (materials such as polypropylene or polyacrylic).

Alternatively, gloves may also be useful if our hands are susceptible to abrasions or when the temperature is low outside, a hip belt with pockets for a water bottle and a pedometer informing us about the distance traveled and calories burned.

The rest of the article is available under the video.

Nordic walking and mistakes made by beginners

Beginners usually make a few mistakes and, for example, they sometimes twist their hands behind each other, although when we move our hand behind us, we should open it. In addition, they put their arms and legs forward on the same side of the body, and in Nordic walking you should work them alternately, when you put your right leg out, simultaneously stretch your left hand forward and vice versa.

Another common mistake is to hammer the stick with the handle forward. This is a mistake, because during the march we should stick the sticks diagonally into the ground, with the handle backwards. In addition, when walking, beginners take steps that are too small, and they should perform them vigorously, placing their feet as far as their arms are stretched out. At the same time, it happens that those who try their hand at Nordic walking stick their sticks too far from the side, when the elbow should be close to the body all the time during the walk.

The most important mistake, however, is the complete lack of warm-up, and as before any physical exercise, also in the case of Nordic walking, you should warm up properly to avoid possible injuries.

Also check: Home exercises. Simple exercises for everyone

What is the difference between Nordic walking and ordinary walking?

In Nordic walking, the user engages about 90 percent of all muscles from the waist down while walking, and only 35 percent of normal walking. Unfortunately, in order to do so, we must meet one condition, namely we must march correctly so that we can feel the work of our arms and shoulders.

It is worth mentioning that the poles reduce the load on the knee, hip and foot joints, which is very important for the elderly, and those who have problems with excess weight, which, after all, these joints should save as much as possible. In Nordic walking, the load on the joints is reduced by 30 percent compared to jogging. In addition, the poles, which are used while walking, provide a sense of security and at the same time help maintain balance.

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