Nordic Walking – more than just going for a walk with poles
“Endurance training is important.” Meanwhile, you hear this statement from all corners. It doesn’t matter whether you run, swim, jump rope or just go Nordic Walking. Wait a minute: Walking? That’s just going for a walk with two sticks. Quite the opposite. Today we’ll show you how effective this sport can be and what you can achieve with it.
Walking is not just for old people. It is also suitable for young people and beginners.Of course, walking is also suitable for people who, for example, are getting back into sports after a injury. Because with the right technique, it is a full-body workout and increases basic endurance.
This sport has many advantages. For example, did you know that you target more muscles with this sport than with running? In addition to the core muscles, you also use your arms. The latter is neglected in running. In total, up to 90 percent of the muscles are used. And one more thing: Walking is ideal for interval training. It makes you sweat even more.
It all depends on the technique
We have convinced you? Perfectly. Now come some hints about the technique. Basically, there are three factors: the gait, the posture and the breathing.
Regarding the gait: always make sure that one foot touches the ground, your steps are not too big and you roll your foot completely. If you want to walk faster, take several smaller steps instead of a few big ones. Also perform a cross-coordination walk. This means that you take your left arm and right foot forward at the same time and vice versa.
For posture: shoulders are straight and down. The head is straight. The upper body is slightly bent forward.
Breathing: Always breathe in and out evenly. You can also start by breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Now about the sticks: the following rule of thumb applies here: Body height [in cm] x 0.66 = pole length (please always round off the result here). If you are not sure, just get help from a specialist shop.
Place the poles under your body’s center of gravity, bend your arms slightly and let them swing as you walk. At best, the pole will touch the ground when your foot touches down as well.
Walking can do more than you think: it uses 90% of the muscles, can be done by anyone regardless of ability level, and is also a good change from other endurance sports.
Source cover: unsplash / Markus Spiske
