Exercise with the Nordic Walking

• April 25, 2024

With this new method of being in shape, experts say that 90% of the muscles are mobilized. All you need is comfortable clothes and a couple of special canes.

According to the Spanish physiotherapist Herminia García Bernárdez, the lack of exercise results in a deficient development of the musculoskeletal tissue and a greater predisposition to injuries, back and joint pains, besides being one of the main risk factors of hypertension and obesity, among other disorders.

Therefore, García Bernárdez points out, today's society needs several forms of soft movement that are also effective and this is what the Nordic walking or Nordic walk .

Who can do it?

According to the expert, it is not a sport but a concept of movement that consists of walking with two specific canes at a moderate pace. It is an activity that is revolutionizing the concept of exercise thanks to its particular characteristics: it is practiced outdoors and there is no restriction, with respect to who can do it.

The Nordic walking It is ideal for those who like to walk to burn fat or need it by medical prescription; Nordic walking can be done alone or in a group and in any terrain (beach, trails, parks or paths).

Health benefits

During the practice of this exercise, with the correct diagonal technique, 90% of the musculature is mobilized; "Not only work the lower extremities, but also arms, shoulders, pectorals, back, buttocks and abdominals," says García Bernárdez.

During the course of the march, the practitioner maintains an upright and physiological posture; a swinging or pendulum movement of the arms is performed with respect to the pelvis, which relaxes the tensions of the neck and shoulders as well as improving the general mobility of the spine.

The use of the canes facilitates the work of the joints, since the support is carried out in the four limbs and not only in the lower ones, decreasing the possibility of joint overload.

Benefits of Nordic walking

To practice Nordic walk increases oxygen consumption between 20 and 60%. In addition to comfortable clothes, you need a pair of specific canes for this activity. These have a kind of glove that ensures the correct movement of open-close the hand, as well as a tough and hard toe for dirt and a rubber asphalt.

The cane has to be resistant, light and stable to be able to develop its support-guide-cushioning function. The physiotherapist advises to learn the technique with a good instructor and then practice it on your own. It is a safe activity and provides enormous benefits. Try it!

Video Medicine: Nordic Walking Aerobic workout (April 2024).