Scandinavian walking: is the telescopic stick comfortable?

Nordic walking with sticks, also called Finnish, Nordic, Norwegian or Scandinavian, began to gain popularity among Europeans and our compatriots in the 90s of the last century. One of its attributes - a telescopic stick - has become a good companion for those who decided to first try this sport.

But is this fitness device comfortable for everyone? The opinions of experienced athletes are diametrically opposed: some advise to purchase telescopic walking sticks, others focus on the cons of collapsible construction.

The influence of Scandinavian walking on the human body

The improving potential of Finnish walking, in the opinion of Norwegian and German doctors, is very high. Published studies indicate a good and safe training of the muscles of the back, shoulder girdle and abdominal press, which during the movement is provided by Scandinavian sticks.

Unlike running and Hiking, loading the lower part of the body and weakly training the upper half of the body, northern walking involves 90 percent of the muscles of the body, providing a comprehensive training of virtually the entire musculature. At the same time, the acceleration of the heart rate by 10-20 beats per minute (in comparison with traditional walking) allows the blood flow faster to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues, it is better to ventilate the lungs, more powerful to burn calories (by 30-50%). For example, for half an hour of the northern walk, up to 300-400 kcal is burned (depending on the complexity of the route), which provides a double intensity of energy loss compared to a normal walk.

The level of endorphins - hormones of joy - during the northern walk rises 4-5 times.
In addition, Scandinavian walking forms a beautiful posture, trains the balance and coordination of movements, reduces the burden on the knees and spine. The beneficial effect of this popular sport is to get rid of the locomotor system, osteoporosis, depression, chronic fatigue, loss of strength, insomnia and stress, existing or preventing the onset of diseases. The oxygenated blood becomes liquid, which reduces the risk of heart attacks, thromboses and other cardiovascular problems.

Types of sticks and sizes

In retail and online stores of sports equipment, a wide selection of different types of sticks for Scandinavian walking is available today: from budget options to the premium segment.

When choosing suitable attributes, it is necessary to take into account that Scandinavian sticks differ from ski poles and from trekking constructions for hiking. The main feature of the sticks for Finnish walking is that they are much shorter than the sticks of skiers. This helps to significantly reduce the burden on the musculoskeletal system, especially on the knees, back and ankles.

The design of the pole in the Scandinavian pole can be of two types: one-piece, having a fixed length, and also folding, or telescopic.
The size of these sports devices is calculated by the formula in which the growth of the athlete is multiplied by a factor: 0.66 for a low pace of walking of the elderly, untrained people or those recovering from trauma, surgery or illness; 0,68 - for healthy users, fans of medium loads, wishing to combine an intensive campaign with communication in a friendly company; 0.70 - for professionals, athletes, choosing fast pace and maintaining a physical form at a high level.

The advantages of telescopic sticks

One of the main advantages that telescopic walking sticks possess is their collapsible construction. With its help it is easy to transport inventory, taking it on a trip, traveling, to the country. The length of the sticks can be varied for any member of the family, allowing you to save on buying several sports attributes.

Visually the correct length of the experienced "walkers" is determined by the following method: taking sticks by the handles, push the tips to the heels as close as possible, and the elbows are pressed against the body. If the size of the inventory is correctly chosen, then the arms will bend at the elbows at a right angle. Such designs are good for children, because sticks "grow up" with their owners.

Beginners telescopic stick Helps to choose the optimum load, adjusting its length. Manufacturers in most cases make them from aluminum - a light and relatively inexpensive metal. But there are also better models of various designs that have in their composition a strong and light carbon fiber (carbon). Such sticks differ from others in their maximum durability, especially those whose carbon index exceeds 20 percent. It is known that professional "walkers" prefer sports devices with a carbon fiber concentration of more than 60%.

Cons of a collapsible structure

The main disadvantage of such sporting equipment is that experienced athletes consider their low reliability. The fenders with which the telescopic stick is equipped, Help to fasten and block the elements, but over time they wear out due to the ingress of sand and water into them or the effects of frost. Failed devices can break when trying to push the stick or fold. Insecurity of the structure produces extraneous sounds or vibration. These symptoms signal the deterioration of the latch, which can lead to uncontrolled folding of the stick and causing injury to the owner. The most pronounced are the disadvantages of the cheapest sectional sticks.

Telescopic sticks: price, material and manufacturers

Choosing a folding inventory in a sports shop, you need to pay attention to the material from which it is made. For example, aluminum does not sufficiently absorb vibration, which can cause problems in the elbow and shoulder joints. But fiberglass in combination with carbon fiber guarantees a light weight and effective compensation of vibrations, but such an alloy is sufficiently fragile and does not exclude the risk of breaking the shaft.

Carbon - the most durable and comfortable material, its addition ensures the reliability of sticks. At the same time, it preserves all the advantages of fiberglass (low weight and vibration absorption). The strongest sticks for Finnish walking contain 50-80% of CFRP. For beginners such an inventory may seem tough. The telescopic stick with an index of 20-30% is an ideal variant of a combination of reliability of a design and comfortable walking on long distances.

It must be remembered that for different manufacturers, the same carbon index can mean a different degree of elasticity. In addition, when choosing telescopic poles, you need to pay attention to the number of sections: the smaller, the more reliable (no more than two). Although today in sports stores you can find folding structures of three or more elements.

The price of the product may also vary depending on the brand: the Italian company (Gabel), the Austrian (Kompardell), the Finnish (Karho or Exel), the German (Ergoforce or Leki), the Norwegian (Swix), the Estonian (Marco), and the sports equipment . The buyer can choose in accordance with their financial capabilities models from 1500-2000 to 6000-12 000 rubles.