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Nordic Walking: stay fit with Nordic walking
By Naturale Bio
Who said that to stay fit you necessarily have to work hard and push yourself to the limit of your abilities?
Studies show that30 minutes of daily movement at a medium pacecan contribute to the general health of the entire organism, without the need for excesses, special equipment or an already athletic starting physique to support the activity itself.
Today we talk about Nordic walking, the walk nordica, a discipline that makes consistency its key to effectiveness. But how was it born and how can we put it into practice immediately?
What is Nordic walking, its origins
The word itself says it, it is a particular type of walking that originated in the North, in Europe in this case. Nordic walking originates in Finland, in the 1930s, when it was studied as a method for training cross-country skiing athletes even in good weather, in the absence of snow.
Then, starting from the 1980s, it began to take hold as a discipline in its own right, spreading from Scandinavia throughout the continent. Today there are more and more enthusiasts of this sport in Italy too, thanks to its simplicity of execution, the inexpensive equipment it requires and its "sober" way of keeping us fit.
It is especially liked by those who already love walking, by those who practice trekking in the mountains because they will be familiar with the practical "sticks", but also by those who simply want to get back into shape after a long break. For example, runner recovering after an injury, elderly people who cannot afford traumatic sports or those starting a path of weight loss.
The Nordic walking technique
This is not an "ordinary" walk, the right technique is fundamental.
According to the Italian School of Nordic Walking, there are 5 essential elements to take into consideration before performing all movements correctly:
- Recover your own natural walk, putting aside all the incorrect movements that the daily rush leads us to make;
- Understand the basics of the foot-hand alternation technique. If we take the step forward with the right foot, we will have to simultaneously bring the left hand forward and place the left stick on the ground, and vice versa. In the long run, it will come completely spontaneously;
- Pay attention to posture, keeping the muscles of the back, shoulders and neck relaxed, and making arm and leg movements of the right amplitude for us;
- Breathe in the right way, coordinating inhalations and exhalations with the steps. Breathing is always essential, as we have also seen when talking about yoga;
- The last point concerns advanced technique, that is, understanding how to behave on non-flat terrain, how to manage walking uphill or downhill.
Nordic walking equipment
TheNordic walking equipmentis quite basic: you just need to equip yourself withspecial poles, light but resistant, on the market there are now many brands and increasingly technological materials available, for all budgets. As a rule, they are different from trekking poles: Nordic walking poles are generally a single piece, while mountain ones are adjustable.
You may be wondering: Are these really necessary? The answer is: absolutely yes! Otherwise you are “just” walking. Sticks have at least two benefits.
One is postural: they help walking, give balance, keep the back straighter and help to feel less fatigue, because they offload part of the work onto the arms, while normally all the effort of a walk is on the legs.
Benefits of Nordic walking
The benefits of this sport truly suitable for everyone are many, here are the main ones:
- Improves posture and strengthens the entire musculoskeletal system without trauma. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, it helps to train many muscle groups together, even with the right technique you can activate 90% of the body's muscles!
- Supports cardiovascular health and increases respiratory capacity;
- The energy expenditure is higher than a normal walk, we are at almost +50%, so it is very suitable as a gentle but effective activity to combat overweight. Obviously, everything must be accompanied by correct hydration and a balanced diet, perhaps integrated with natural superfoods;
- It is also very good for themind: being outdoors, enjoying the landscape, concentrating on breathing and, perhaps, chatting with your Nordic walking partner helps fight stress and relax.
Some sources for further information:
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