About Nordic Walking
THE BENEFITS OF NORDIC WALKING
By ~ David Downer - courtesy of Nordic Walking UK
Since 1989, major research has been conducted to determine the benefits of Nordic Walking. Can Nordic Walking help those with serious health issues, or the elderly? Does it increase fitness levels in individuals who are already active and healthy? Could it improve an athlete’s performance?
RESEARCH RELATED TO HEALTH ISSUES
Psychological Health
In 1992, Stoughton, Larkin, and Karawan, a group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, studied three groups of participants: a control group, a group of pole walkers (using Exerstrider® poles), and a group of regular walkers. After twelve weeks of walking thirty to forty-five minutes four times a week, the group using Exerstrider® poles showed a great deal of improvement psychologically. There was a significant decrease in depression, anger, fatigue, and other mood disturbances.
There was some speculation that the participants felt unique and special because they were given the opportunity to do a “new,” enjoyable form of walking, which also increased their positive moods. Additionally, researchers speculated that the cross-patterning that occurs (arms and legs working in opposition to each other) might stimulate a greater number of nerves and muscles, creating a more tranquil and rhythmic exercise. However, the conclusion was that using Exerstrider® poles possibly could enhance self-acceptance and promote a favorable attitude toward exercise.
Coronary Heart Patients
Walter et al (1996) investigated the effects of Nordic Walking on coronary heart patients. All of the subjects were 61-year-old men who had had either heart bypass surgeries or angioplasty procedures or had suffered heart attacks. The researchers concluded that walking with poles is a safe form of rehabilitation for heart patients.
Wilk et al (2005) studied sixteen acute coronary disease patients in Poland. They also concluded that Nordic Walking is an effective activity for cardiac rehabilitation.
Neck and Shoulder Pain
A Finnish study conducted by Anttila et al in 1999 compared Nordic Walking using Exel Nordic Walker® poles with regular walking. After twelve weeks, the study found that walking with poles decreased neck and shoulder pain, and upper body mobility increased as well.
Similar results were obtained by another team of researchers led by Karvonen in 2000 when they studied neck and shoulder pain with a group who had no previous experience with Nordic Walking.
The Elderly
In 2003, Koskinen et al. studied aging employees, focusing on their postural control as well as the muscular strength of their middle trunk and lower bodies. The participants walked with poles three times a week, and at the end of the study the entire group improved in health-related fitness parameters using the Fitness Test battery developed by UKK Institute (Urho Kaleva Kekkonen Institute) in Finland.
The goal of another study, done by Parkatti et al. in 2002, was to examine the benefits of Nordic Walking on everyday life functions in older, sedentary individuals. A group of 73-year-olds, exercised by Nordic Walking twice a week for sixty minutes at a time. The results showed significant improvement in functionality at the end of the twelve-week study and the researchers concluded that Nordic Walking is suitable for the elderly and positively affects an elderly person’s function capacity.
A group of MSC Rehabilitation Science students at the University of Brighton, England, are part of an ongoing project to find out if Nordic Walking offered cardiovascular benefits for older people. Led by Dr Raija Kuisma, a Nordic Walker and instructor herself, the student research showed that Nordic Walking raised heart rates by about 13% and burned 25% more calories than normal walking at the same speed. The students are conducting further studies to investigate the effects of Nordic Walking on lower limbs, joints, spinal mobility and muscle tension in the elderly.
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