November 15, 2021

Nordic Walking: Are you following the latest fitness trend?

If there's one fitness trend that shows no signs of slowing down in recent years, it's Nordic Walking. And why not, according to Harvard Health Publishing, Nordic Walking burns more calories and activates more muscles than regular walking. It's also a lockdown-friendly workout format.

All you have to do is start walking in a certain way with special ski poles, the so-called Nordic poles. And you can tell how popular this trend is by the fact that you can see people with ski poles everywhere - in parks, on forest trails and sometimes even on the beach.

Why Nordic Walking

Nordic walking is a combination of cardiovascular training and training for the torso, shoulders, arms and legs. There is ample evidence that Nordic Walking burns more calories than regular walking. Estimates range from an increase of 18% to 67%.

Nordic walking is also believed to reduce bad cholesterol, anxiety, depression, pain from injuries etc. In fact, you can increase your good cholesterol, strength, flexibility, endurance, cardiovascular fitness, and most importantly, your quality of life.

Nordic Walking is also suitable for all age groups and fitness levels. The sticks provide more stability because they touch the ground. Nordic walking can be practiced as a fun sport by people of all ages.

How to start Nordic Walking

If you thought that Nordic walking is just walking with Nordic poles, then you are wrong. There's a lot more to it than that. You have to learn the technique of using the pole correctly. If you use the sticks incorrectly, you can injure your wrist or permanently damage your wrists.

Here are some tips to become a pro:

Start slow and small. Do not plan long distances at first. Once you get used to it and master the technique, you can gradually increase the distance and speed.
Use your shoulders to swing the sticks instead of using your wrist or elbows. Relax your shoulders or arms and start with a natural gait.
Don't hold the sticks too tight. Use the loops on the poles to loosen your grip. Be sure to place your poles in a way that supports your forward movement. In general, swinging the sticks backwards helps.
Lean slightly forward with each step. Try to land on your heels and roll your foot so that you push off your toes.
Keep your arms straight as you push off backwards. This is how you train your abs and back. Try to keep the bar close to your body. If you want to train 90% of the muscles in your body, you need to learn how to push off so your legs move properly.