Nordic walking: how to walk and practice with poles * Training

Do you want to know what Nordic walking is, how to walk correctly with poles, and what mistakes beginners make most often?

In order for the exercise to give the maximum effect, it is important to walk, tracking your movements - to place your arms correctly and move your legs rhythmically. A correctly performed warm-up is of great importance, which warms up the muscles and prepares them for physical activity.

In this article, we'll cover the basics of Nordic pole walking, techniques for beginners, and their most common mistakes.

Warm up before walking.

Nordic pole walking affects almost all muscle groups, so the warm-up should also cover the whole body.

By the way, if you give the complete Scandinavian walking technique for beginners step by step, you need to start with a warm-up, because it necessarily takes place with the participation of sticks.

Warm-up exercises are performed as in a school physical education lesson - from top to bottom.

Extend your arms with the stick forward in front of you. Start doing circular rotations and head tilts;
Raise your arms with the equipment up above your head and perform bends forward, backward, right, left;
Put one leg forward and hold the equipment above your head. Bend forward, hands back, and then, conversely, bend back, hands forward;
Take a stick in each hand and set them strictly horizontally to the floor. Start squatting with your back straight. The ideal squat depth is a position where your hips are parallel to the floor.
Place the left stick on the floor and lean on it. Bend your right leg at the knee and grab your ankle with your right hand, then try to pull it as close to your buttocks as possible. Freeze in this position for 20-30 seconds, then change your leg. Keep your back straight;

The above set is basic, you can easily supplement it with your own exercises. Remember - the main rule of Scandinavian walking for beginners is that all exercises are performed to light effort. Do not strain or overexert yourself, especially if your health is a concern. Here's a video for another warm-up example.

Learning to walk correctly: important nuances

Now, let's look at how to properly practice Nordic pole walking - what you need to know before starting the race, what benefits it has:

You need to adhere to the correct breathing rhythm. Try to walk, inhale oxygen through your nose and exhale through your mouth. The optimal pace is that you inhale for every second step, and exhale, respectively, for every fourth.
Do not abruptly end your workout - do breathing exercises, several stretching exercises, calm your heartbeat and allow your body to cool down smoothly.
Choose sportswear that is comfortable and comfortable to move around. When choosing sticks, be guided by the height - if you put the correct pair on the big toes, your arms will be bent at the elbows exactly 90 °;
The optimal training scheme for beginners is to walk 3 times a week for 50 minutes. Later, the duration can be increased to 1.5 hours, and in order to increase the load, especially diligent athletes install special weights on the equipment.

Scandinavian walking technique - how to walk correctly

Let's move on to the correct technique of Nordic walking with sticks: the instructions will allow even novice athletes to successfully conquer the running tracks.

By the way, did you know that Scandinavian walking has other names - Finnish, Canadian, Swedish, Nordic and Nordic. It's easy to guess where all these names came from - for the first time the sport appeared in the Scandinavian countries, where skiers in the summer decided to continue training with sticks, but without skis. And now, 75 years later, half of the world has been successfully practicing Finnish walking.

So, Finnish walking: how to walk correctly with poles - learn the step-by-step algorithm:

First, it is a mistake to think that the Nordic walking technique for beginners is similar to the sports walking technique, but with sticks. These are two completely different types of movement.
In fact, Nordic walking is more like normal walking, but more rhythmic, precise and synchronized;
How to walk in sync? The first step is the left arm and right leg forward, the second pair is backward, the second step is the right arm and left leg forward, etc.
Sticks help regulate stride length and pace;
The foot is placed on the heel, then the body weight is transferred to the toe;
Move smoothly, without jerks and jerks;
The instruction with the rules of Scandinavian walking for beginners recommends starting the movement like this:

During the first step, one arm, bent at the elbow, is pulled forward, while the stick forms an acute angle with the hand;
The other arm, also bent at the elbow, is pulled back, the equipment is also held at an angle;
Move your arms and legs rhythmically and synchronously, move vigorously, try to maintain the same range of motion.

If you decrease your arm span, your stride will become shallower, and vice versa. Thus, physical activity is also reduced.

If you understand well how to hold the Nordic walking poles properly, you will be walking as efficiently as possible. Your body will intuitively understand the amplitude and nature of movement.

The technique of the movement of the Norwegian walking with sticks allows alternating paces - from slow to fast. You can also change the stride width, supplement the workout with jogging (without equipment), a set of strength exercises.

How not to walk: basic mistakes of beginners

Now you know how to properly use Scandinavian poles when walking, but this will not save you from the most common mistakes, therefore, it is better to familiarize yourself with them:

The athlete does not straighten his arms, constantly keeping them bent at the elbows. At the same time, the shoulder girdle does not work at all, which is wrong;
The arm does not fully wind back - the flight stops at hip level. Walk correctly, bringing your hands to the same distance both forward and backward;
The Nordic walking technique requires holding the stick between your thumb and forefinger, rather than in your fist, as most beginners do;
The sticks move as if "on rails", they are not brought together or spread apart;
It is important not to imitate repulsion from the ground, but, namely, to repulse through effort. Otherwise, there will be no sense from the equipment;
The brush is not bent - it must be clearly and firmly fixed.

Why do you need to track your movements and walk correctly?

If you know how to walk Canadian pole walking properly, the exercise will really help you achieve the effect you are expecting;

The therapeutic effect of training occurs only if the correct technique is followed;

If you walk incorrectly, you can harm the body, especially if training is part of a recovery course after illness or injury.

If you are not sure if you have understood how to properly do exercises with Nordic walking poles, watch the video materials. Hire an experienced trainer for your first lesson to make sure you have a good grasp of movement techniques. In the future, you can walk on your own! I wish you sports success and health!