While taking a stroll down a country lane two decades ago, it was occasionally possible to spot a rambler , striding out with what appeared to be a pair of ski sticks strapped to their wrists.
The rapid worldwide growth of Nordic walking has been quite a phenomenon to behold, especially among the over 50s. That all changed, however, in when an unexpected snow melt on January 5th forced the organisers of a high profile event to quickly change their plans. The climax of the ceremony was the unveiling of a statue of Tahko at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The original plan was for a group of skiers to ski from a nearby lodge to the Olympic Stadium as the opening of the celebration.
However, when the snow melted it was decided to simply equip everyone with ski poles and the group ended up pole walking the entire distance. This first public Nordic walking group march in the world was captured by photographers and by Finnish TV and the event provided the catalyst that was required to further advance the discipline. Another significant stride forward for Nordic walking came in September as a result of a small advert in the Helsinki Times advertising weekly guided walks.
Participants were encouraged to bring their own poles or rent some. Fifty people turned up to the first guided walk and within a matter of a few weeks that number had multiplied to three hundred. The media were at hand to report this remarkable explosion of participation and the sport then grew at a rapid pace throughout Finland, particularly in the rural areas. Nordic walking was officially launched as a new sport in and by the first instructor training courses were being rolled out.
In that same year, researchers found that , Finns were participating in Nordic walking at least three times a week and half a million had tried it at least once. Pioneers of the sport attribute the rapid growth in participation to the newly designed poles, the media interest …and middle aged women. Soon after its establishment, other countries started forming associations some of which joined INWA and some started working independently.
Nordic walking is now one of the fastest growing recreational fitness activities across the world with participants in around forty countries. Figures suggest that this figure has now grown to more than 10 million. The training sessions will help you gain forward propulsion from the poles by engaging the correct upper body muscles, understanding correct gait and co-ordination.
You move in a similar way to ordinary walking and swing your arms from your shoulder with your elbows straight as in marching. It is advisable to arrive at the start of sessions around 10 minutes before the start time to allow for individual fitting and adjustment of glove-straps.
When properly used, the poles take the weight off the knees and lower body joints which makes you feel lighter on your feet. Mastering the handgrip and use of the pole straps in order to develop technique is also part of the training.
You will also need to learn how to adapt the body position and pole angles for walking up and down hills. Start by carrying the poles.
Hold a pole in each hand, grasping it lightly. Walk with the poles at your sides, letting your arms swing in natural opposition to your legs i. Do this for several minutes, until it feels natural.
Like shoes, poles come in left and right models. Find the correct side, then slide your hand through the strap. If there's an additional Velcro strap, wrap it securely around your wrist. As you starting Nordic walking, open your hands and let the poles drag behind you. You'll skip this step once you move on.
Notice how the poles angle back behind you. Next, you plant. Plant the poles on the ground, rather than dragging them. Lightly hold the grips and keep the poles angled at about 45 degrees backward. Hold your elbows close to your body with your arms straight but relaxed. Focus on making good contact with the ground. Then, you push. As you get more comfortable Nordic walking, firmly push the poles backward with each step, applying force through the strap.
Push your arm past your hip, opening up your hand at the end of the arm swing. As each arm comes forward, pretend you're reaching forward to shake someone's hand. Finally, perfect it! To maximize your Nordic walking workouts, tweak your form. Roll from your heels through to your toes. Maintain good posture these strength training exercises can help and lean forward slightly from your ankles.
Also, lengthen your stride: You'll get a fuller arm swing while giving your legs a better workout. Level of Difficulty: Easy 30 minutes: Focus on a full but comfortable range of motion in your arms. Level of Difficulty : Moderate 30 minutes: Push forcefully with the poles while maintaining a fast pace.
Keep your eyes looking forward on the horizon so your chin is level; avoid hunching your shoulders. Level of Difficulty: Easy 30 minutes: Skip the poles and give your arms a break. Double pole; one, two, three," Dr. Another technique is "single poling," which mimics what your feet are doing, with just one pole in front of you for each stride. Do this either with the same-side arm and leg together or with the opposite arm and leg together.
The difference is whether it's on the same side or the opposite side," says Dr. He advises starting out with single poling, and gradually building up speed and vigorous arm swinging. Baggish says most people are candidates for Nordic walking, even if they have balance problems.
In fact, "if you have balance issues you're the best candidate for this, because of the increased stability from the poles," he says. Once you have the green light and a set of poles, you'll need a walking route.
You can walk on level surfaces or on varied terrain — anything from sidewalks to grassy fields or trails. Safe neighborhoods and parks are ideal. Stay hydrated. Otherwise, drink along your route," Dr. Baggish suggests. Do a minute warm-up and a minute cool-down.
Nordic walking is fun, but it's definitely a workout. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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