Nordic Nordic walking: rules for Finnish (Nordic) walking

Nordic walking with sticks today is a subject of bitter controversy between its opponents and defenders. One camp is confident in the uselessness of the lesson, the other argues about the huge benefits with a minimum of harm and contraindications. Let's clarify right away - we are in the camp of supporters, and in this article we will explain our point of view in the most detailed and accessible way. We will tell you what the benefits and harms of this sport are, teach you the technique and rules of Nordic walking with sticks, find out how to prepare for the lesson and how to avoid common mistakes.

Even if you are skeptical about Swedish walking, please read our material, we assure you that you will change your point of view!

Scandinavian walking is also called Swedish, Finnish, Alpine, Nordic, and Nordic. The common denominator of all these names is location. It was in the Scandinavian countries that they first thought of walking with sticks in their hands. Three quarters of a century later, the popularity of this activity surpassed all the expectations of its first supporters - half the world, both in winter and in summer, successfully conquer treadmills with sticks in hand, setting new records and attracting more and more allies.

What is Nordic Walking?

As we said above, this is a sport that involves walking on the ground with ski poles in hand. The benefit of Finnish pole walking is based on its low stress compared to running, strength training or other active sports. That is why she has fewer contraindications - exercise is allowed for pregnant women, the elderly, patients with diseases of the musculoskeletal system. And it goes well with other types of physical activity (even meditative walking).

Experienced athletes can also practice these activities by including them in their inter-workout days or warm-up complex. Scandinavian walking affects almost all muscle groups, helps to improve the figure, keeps the body in good shape, while not overloading a weak or not very developed physically body.

Let's look at how Nordic walking with ski poles is useful, in what cases it is harmful and for whom it is contraindicated.

The benefits and harms of Scandinavian walking

So, Swedish pole walking can be practiced by women, men, children and people of old age. What are the benefits of exercise?

1. Helps maintain muscle tone even when physical activity is contraindicated;
2. Helps eliminate feelings of anxiety, relieves stress, relaxes after strenuous activity;
3. Nourishes the body with oxygen, which has a positive effect on the appearance of the skin, hair, nails;
4. Strengthens ligaments, joints, tendons, while not injuring or overstraining;
5. It has a positive effect on the reproductive function of both women and men;
6. Promotes the development of flexibility, mobility;
7. Helps maintain clarity of mind, stimulates mental activity;
8. Promotes weight loss;
9. Stimulates metabolic processes;
10. Has a positive effect on the formation of posture and gait;
11. Strengthens the cardiovascular, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems;
12. It slows down the aging process of cells, strengthens the immune system.

What else is Scandinavian (Nordic) walking good for, you ask, and we will answer that it is not at all traumatic, does not exert stress on the knees, does not require going to the gym, hiring a coach, you can do it at any time of the day or year. It seems that there are enough pluses, by the way, another of its advantages is the minimum number of minuses - check them out below:

• Nordic pole walking can be harmful if practiced during an exacerbation of chronic illness;
• Pregnant women in a state of threat of miscarriage should also interrupt their classes for a while;
• Exercise can worsen the course of conditions such as glaucoma, anemia, acute respiratory viral infections, heart failure, asthma, and exacerbations of rheumatological diseases.

As you can see, sport walking with sticks can only harm if you practice it with contraindications. If you don't have any, forget about the harm and feel free to pick up Scandinavian sticks!

Another option for gentle training is walking on the spot to lose weight and to maintain general tone. There are practically no contraindications, and it is easy and simple to practice.

So, to whom and when is Canadian pole walking contraindicated?

1. Pregnant women during periods of threat of miscarriage;
2. With an exacerbation of any disease;
3. At elevated temperatures;
4. With glaucoma, high blood pressure, anemia, acute pain syndrome;
5. With acute heart failure;
6. With bleeding and after abdominal surgery.

Scandinavian walking technique

Next, we will consider the technique of Nordic walking with poles for beginners - the trajectory and range of motion, the training program, how to start and end a workout, how to breathe correctly.

• Any workout should begin with a warm-up that engages the muscles of your entire body. Remember the lessons of school physical education - we warm up from top to bottom, from neck to legs. A special feature of the warm-up complex here is that it is performed with Scandinavian sticks in hand. They will help maintain balance, act as a support.
• The lesson ends with a hitch - a simple set of stretching exercises and breathing exercises;
• Novice athletes are advised to go on the track 3 times a week for 40-60 minutes. When you feel that the load has ceased to load heavily, increase the training time to 1.5 hours or do it every day. And also, you can hang special weights on the sticks.

Consider how to use Nordic walking sticks - a lot of mistakes in technique are associated with them:

1. They just need to push off from the surface, and not just stick into the ground. You must feel the effort;
2. When moving, the sticks are held between the thumb and forefinger, and not in the fist;
3. During movement, they should form an acute angle with the brush;
4. They are not placed or brought together - imagine that they are "driving on rails";
5. The hand is fixed and not bent.

We talked about what Nordic walking with sticks gives, but in order to multiply the healing and beneficial effect, it is worth learning to breathe correctly:

• Develop the same rhythm and depth of breaths;
• Correctly inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth;
• In winter, you can breathe in with your nose and mouth at the same time, but breathe through a scarf or sweater collar;
• The recommended pace is in 2 steps. That is, step + inhale - step - step + exhale - step;
• If breathing is out of breath, stop, catch your breath, calm your heartbeat and continue the exercise.

Let's move on to the most important thing - how to walk Scandinavian walking with sticks correctly, let's find out the nature and range of motion:

1. Nordic walking is a sport similar to normal walking, but more dynamic and precise;
2. Synchronization is achieved precisely due to the sticks - they regulate the pace and width of the stride;
3. Start the movement with the working leg and the opposite arm, then alternate them in turn;
4. The foot is first placed with the heel, then gently rolled onto the toe;
5. During the movement, the working hand is brought forward, bent at the elbow, while the other hand is pulled back at the same distance. The brushes hold the sticks at an angle;
6. Arms and legs are rhythmically rearranged, sticking sticks into the ground, and pushing off from them for each new step. Avoid jerking or sudden movements.
7. The pace can be changed - alternate deceleration and acceleration.

A feature of Scandinavian walking is its flexibility - it is allowed to dilute the training with jogging, strength exercises, exercises to strengthen the muscles of the press, hips, buttocks.

If you are interested in whether the method of alpine walking with Scandinavian sticks will help you lose weight, we will answer positively, especially if you add the above exercises to the program, combine sports with diet, healthy sleep and a fighting spirit.

Do not forget to drink enough water - numerous counter applications that can be downloaded from the Play Market or ApStore will help you calculate the optimal amount for your age and weight.

The basis of proper nutrition is the balance between proteins, fats and carbohydrates. We will not recommend a specific diet - it depends on the goal you are pursuing. To lose weight, you need to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fats, in order to strengthen muscles - there is a lot of protein food, the elderly and children should eat more fruits, vegetables and cereals, the children's diet should, moreover, be abundant in meat and fish.

What do you need to prepare for a Scandinavian study?

Let's take a look at what is needed for Scandinavian walking so that the lesson is as productive and efficient as possible:

1. Excellent health;
2. Comfortable sportswear. It is not necessary to buy expensive branded equipment, but make sure that you are comfortable in the chosen set, nothing hinders movement, does not press, does not pull;
3. Take care of the right shoes - in summer, sneakers should be breathable, comfortable, lightweight and free. And in winter, add to that the warmth, embossed non-slip outsole and high lacing.
4. Sticks must be chosen wisely. We have a whole article on this topic, because you cannot tell all the nuances in a nutshell. Optimal length - if you put them on the toes of your boots, your elbows form a right angle.

What are the most common mistakes beginners make?

How can you learn Nordic walking if you have never practiced it before? We advise you to contact experienced athletes or hire an experienced coach for the first lesson. If you decide to learn by trial, avoid the most common mistakes:

• Hands should be straightened and bent at the elbow. If you constantly keep them bent, the shoulder girdle loses its load;
• Hands are brought back to the same distance that they are brought forward. You cannot brake at hip level;
• The sticks move in the same vertical plane. Imagine that each stick is clamped between two walls, and you can neither move them to each other, nor move them away;
• Do not imitate push, but push off.

To finally understand how to practice Nordic walking correctly, you must begin, that is, move from theory to practice.

Finally, let's look at who the Nordic walking principle is for - try to find yourself in the list below:

1. All adults;
2. Children from 5 years old;
3. Elderly people without age restrictions (with normal motor function);
4. Patients who are recovering from operations, injuries of the musculoskeletal system;
5. For professional athletes as a warm-up;
6. Heart patients;
7. Obese people;
8. People after strokes, heart attacks;
9. Those who want to lose weight;
10. People for whom intense exercise is prohibited;
11. Those with sore joints, ligaments, back.

As you can see, different types of Scandinavian walking are shown to a very wide audience, and, for the majority, they are the only permitted type of physical activity. If you are seriously thinking about buying poles and starting workouts - do not hesitate, you will definitely not be disappointed. If you have any health problems, before doing Nordic walking, we recommend that you visit your doctor and find out if such training is specifically allowed for you.

TRP norms for Nordic walking

Please note that this type of physical activity is included in the list of disciplines for passing the TRP standards. True, only starting from the 9th step for women and men aged 50 and older.

Watch the video: Nordic Walking - Finland - Lapland (November 2024).