Almost everyone dreams of a fit, beautiful and healthy body. But to achieve this is not so simple. In order for the dream to become a reality, it is necessary to make significant efforts, performing certain physical exercises. At the same time, each person can find for himself a certain type of sporting activity that will appeal to him. Thus, it will be possible not only to create the figure of your dreams, but also to strengthen your health.
Today, many people choose for themselves a very unusual type of activity for our country. It is Nordic walking. To make sure of this is not at all difficult, going to the park. Here you can meet many people who walk in comfortable sneakers, holding in their hands poles, similar to skiing. These are the fans of such a recreational sport. That is why it is so interesting to learn as much as possible about Nordic walking and the benefits and harms of these unusual activities.
What it is?
Nordic walking, during which a person uses sticks, is also called Northern, Finnish and Nordic. She is considered one of the types of amateur sports. The one who practices it conducts hiking, relying on walking on special poles like ski poles.
This type of recovery is relatively new, but nevertheless rapidly gaining popularity among those who seek to maintain and strengthen their health. Such walking was patented in 1997 by the Finnish Mark Kantan. But initially it was called somewhat differently. This idea was proposed as “original Nordic walking.”
It was invented by Finnish skiers professionally involved in sports. Thus, they continued to train even with the onset of summer. Somewhat later, it turned out that these athletes were able to achieve better results than their colleagues who did not use this method in the warm season. And after that it began to spread in the countries of Scandinavia, and after that - in the territory of North-Western Europe. Residents of Germany were especially fond of Nordic walking. In this country, even special tracks were created for practicing an unusual sport.
Mark Kantan, after he patented the name of this physical activity, developed and published the first manual, which described the technique of performing Scandinavian walking. He also significantly modified the design of the sticks. Thanks to this, the popularity of an unusual sport began to grow rapidly, having won the love of the inhabitants of many countries of the world.
Wellness potential
It is worth noting that German doctors conducted serious studies that revealed the benefits and harms of Scandinavian walking. Experts pointed to the highest health potential of this area in sports. Walking with sticks allows you to well train the muscles located in the shoulder girdle and in the back, which are little involved, for example, while running.
Scientists have obtained amazing results. They calculated that during a Scandinavian walk, almost 90% of the muscles of his body work in humans. Normal walking gives a load of only 70% of them. At the same time, reliance on sticks can significantly reduce the load on the calcaneus, as well as on the hip and knee joints. Which of these can be concluded? Nordic walking can be successfully used for gout, calcaneal spurs, various diseases of the joints, etc.
Another positive feature of this type of physical activity is that working with more muscle allows you to burn 1.5 times more fat than regular walks. In this regard, indications for the use of such a technique are people who are prone to fullness, as well as suffering from obesity.
What are the benefits of Nordic walking for health? At the time when a person is conducting classes, his heart rate rises by 10-15 beats per minute. This fact clearly indicates that Nordic walking perfectly trains the heart muscle.
According to the results of scientific research, this type of physical activity is important for coordination of movements. With it, you can improve posture and a sense of balance.
What else is the health benefits of Nordic walking? The use of this technique, due to the fact that it allows you to give a load on the muscles in the upper half of the body, contributes to an increase in the respiratory volume of the lungs, which increases by 30% or more as a result of training.
Clinical research data confirms that patients conducting regular training in this sport normalize metabolic processes, activate the digestive system, reduce bad cholesterol, and eliminate toxins. All these processes contribute to the rejuvenation of the body.
Another important advantage of Nordic walking is the comfort that a person experiences during his hiking trips. After all, he steps, leaning on sticks, and uses them during stops and when climbing uphill.
Use for diseases
In Germany, Nordic walking, during which special sticks are used, is considered by doctors as one of the essential elements of rehabilitation courses conducted after the patient has received injuries and surgical interventions due to pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Thanks to this type of physiotherapy exercises, patients who had to undergo hip replacement surgery can return to their usual rhythm of life a month later. Scandinavian walking is also indicated for such ailments as scoliosis and osteochondrosis, respiratory diseases (especially bronchial asthma), vegetovascular dystonia, psychological problems, Parkinson's disease, obesity, pain in the neck, shoulders and back.
As a preventive measure, it is prescribed at a high risk of developing hypertension, atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.
Harm
Scandinavian walking, patented by the Finns, is an almost universal sport that can be practiced by people of different levels of physical fitness and any age. Nevertheless, it is not worth taking hikes with a stick, in those cases when:
- chronic diseases are complicated;
- recently the patient survived abdominal surgery;
- fever and infectious diseases;
- a person has overtaken angina pectoris or hypertensive crisis;
- inflammatory processes occur;
- a person suffers from thrombophlebitis or has the last stage of diabetes.
In the absence of contraindications, Nordic walking will certainly preserve and improve health. But before starting training, it is still recommended to consult your doctor for advice. In addition, no matter how healthy a person feels, he should increase the load during training gradually.
Execution technique
How to walk with sticks? Looking at the people involved, you might think that they do not follow any special rules. However, this impression is misleading. If you look closely, it will become clear that these people perform movements in a certain sequence and adhering to a special algorithm.
How to walk with sticks? Those people who have already thoroughly studied this sport indicate that human movements must be natural. Outwardly, everything should resemble ordinary walking. The body, legs and arms move synchronously and freely. How to walk with sticks? For this, it is necessary to make a forward movement with the right foot, as well as with the left hand. After that, the next step is performed. In this case, the left leg and the right hand are moved forward.
How to walk with sticks? To comply with the training technique, you must first put your foot on the heel, and only after that - with a roll on the toe. The movements in this case should be smooth and not have any extra jerks.
The first step in Nordic walking should be accompanied by bending at the elbow and stretching the arms forward. At the same time, it is very important to ensure that the stick in the palm of your hand is at an angle. At this time, the second arm, also bent at the elbow, should be located at the level of the pelvis and directed back.
How to walk with scandinavian sticks? The pace when performing movements should be somewhat more intense than during hiking. But at the same time, the amplitude of the hands with this movement is equal to the width of the step. It also determines the level of load on the muscles of the body. That is, with a decrease in the scope of the hands, a step is made smaller. At the same time, the load is also reduced. If you want to increase the intensity of walking, you will need to increase the amplitude of the hands.
When studying the technique of Scandinavian walking for the elderly and for beginners, it is important to choose the right intensity of walking, which would allow to obtain the most significant result.
This type of physical activity provides for various options. For example, alternating between slow walking and fast walking can be done. It is allowed to move in small and wide steps. The possibility of short runs and breaks for relaxation, as well as the implementation of exercises involving sticks for walking. There are some options for those who prefer increased physical activity. Such people are recommended to use special weighting sticks.
Frequency of classes
On the recommendation of instructors, Nordic walking is desirable in standard mode. It provides for 2-3 trainings per week. The duration of each walk should be at least 30 minutes. Judging by the reviews of many fans of this type of physical activity, they came up with a regimen in which training is carried out daily for an hour. A similar rhythm of classes is able to provide a person with a charge of energy for every day.
Practicing the technique of Nordic walking with sticks for beginners is recommended every 3-4 days. Walking time should be 15 minutes. Gradually, the duration of the workouts and their pace should be increased based on the state of the body. In any case, overworking, bringing yourself to exhaustion, should not be.
Warm up
The development of the Scandinavian health-improving walking technique is possible only after performing special exercises.
Such a warm-up allows you to prepare all muscle groups. You can find a detailed description of the exercises in special manuals. The most popular and uncomplicated of them are the following:
- The stick for wellness walking must be taken at both ends and raised above the head. After that, you should tilt left and right.
- It is necessary to put one foot forward. After that, making a bend forward, you should point your hands back. Next, leaning back, point your hands forward. After several inclinations, the other leg should be advanced forward. After this, the exercise is repeated again.
- Holding sticks for walking, you need to take your hands back. The ends of the sticks should rest against the back. Using them as a support, you should do squats. Their number should be up to 15 (for beginners enough 3-5 times).
- Leaning on a stick with his left hand, bend his right leg at the knee, clasping her ankle with his right hand. Fix this position for 15-30 seconds. In this case, you need to try to bring the ankle as close to the gluteal muscles as possible. Further, this exercise should be done with the left foot.
Breathing rhythm
Having learned the technique of recreational walks, and after doing a warm-up, you can proceed to the classes themselves. What should be the right breath when Nordic walking? As for this point, there are no restrictions and clear rules. The instructors advise to start breathing through the nose. However, such walking is a fairly energetic sport. That is why it will soon be necessary to switch to breathing through the mouth.
Instructors recommend observing a certain rhythm of inspirations and exhalations, the ratio of which should be 1: 2. That is, you need to take a breath every two steps. Exhale - in four.
At the end of the walk, it is recommended to take a series of deep exhalations, and after that - simple exercises for stretching the muscles of the back.
Special sticks
What is needed for Nordic walking? A mandatory element for conducting classes is special sticks equipped with tips. On this equipment there are straps resembling gloves on which fingertips are cut off. Such a device allows you not to rub calluses on the palms of your hands.
At the end of the stick there is a sharp spike that helps while walking on ice, snow, and also on loose earth. When moving on concrete and asphalt, a rubber tip is used.
Such devices can be monolithic and folding. Telescopic poles for Nordic walking are especially convenient. Their length can be easily adjusted for any member of the family. They are perfect for children, as they will "grow" with their master. Another important advantage of folding sticks is the comfort during transportation. In addition, such a product is much cheaper than monolithic.
Equipment
What should be the shoes for Nordic walking? Judging by the reviews of fans of this direction, it is best if the legs are shod in ordinary sneakers. But you can wear something else. But in any case, Nordic walking shoes should be comfortable. It is important to pay attention to the sole. It should be flexible enough.
It will be more comfortable to move in lightweight sneakers. It is desirable that the weight of each of them does not exceed 400 g. In order to be comfortable, sneakers should have a high heel with a roll to the toe. This will allow you to smoothly move your foot while walking. In addition, sneakers should have a wide sole. It is necessary for stability on all surfaces. Such a platform will avoid twisting the legs.
When choosing clothes, no specific rules exist. The main thing is that she does not constrain movements, keep warm in the winter and be comfortable in the summer.