Scandinavian walking: reviews, technology, benefits, contraindications

Exercising in the open air is one of the best ways to improve your health and lose weight. Sport should be present in the life of a person of any age, but it is training in nature, in a forest or park that has unique properties. They will help not only to strengthen the muscles, but also to relieve the stress that surrounds modern man.

What is Scandinavian walking?

The technique of Scandinavian walking was invented by Finnish skiers who started running with sticks to continue training in the summer. This became a new sport, which was developed in the 70's. Walking with cross-country sticks was included in the official training program for Finnish athletes.

The future Olympic champion Marco Kantaneva noted that the load on the body changes, if you use different sticks. On this subject, scientific research was carried out. As a result, surprising results were obtained.

Scandinavian walking, reviews of which are filled with ecstasy, is an affordable and highly productive sport. A certain walking technique is used using specially designed sticks, thanks to which the load is evenly distributed to all muscles.

Correct Scandinavian walking reduces pressure on the lower back by 35%, and also reduces the load on the hip, ankle, knee joints. If the sticks are chosen correctly, 90% of all the muscles of the body will be involved in the walking process.

What is useful?

Why is Scandinavian walking so popular? The use of this sport is obvious. A great contribution to the development of Nordic walking was made by German doctors. It was they who conducted the deepest research and established the high health potential of walking with sticks. Using the inventory allows you to distribute the load and involve the back and shoulder girdle in training. But when running the upper half of the torso is weakly involved.

The doctors determined that if only 70% of the muscles of a person are involved in ordinary walking, walking with sticks gives a load of 90% of the muscles. In this case, the use of equipment, namely sticks, reduces the load on the hip and knee joints, heel bones. Due to this circumstance, this sport suits elderly and obese people, patients with lower limb joints suffering from gout.

Effective Scandinavian walking for weight loss, as during training burns calories and a half times more than with a normal walk. Uniform loading is useful for the heart.

Walking with sticks will help develop endurance, a sense of balance and improve coordination of movements. Exercises help to improve posture. Since the muscles of the back and upper extremities are involved, the respiratory volume of the lungs increases by almost 30%. Clinical studies have shown that people who are engaged in this type of health gymnastics, lowering the level of cholesterol, normal functioning of the intestine and metabolism.

What else is good for Scandinavian walking? The benefit of this sport is so great that it leads to a general rejuvenation of the body and helps to eliminate toxins. Another advantage - a high level of comfort. If a person is tired or overcomes a steep climb, he can lean on sticks. They help to give rest to the legs and back during the stop.

Indications

In Europe, Scandinavian walking is used as an important part of restoring motor activity in rehabilitation centers. It perfectly helps after trauma, operations on the locomotor apparatus. Thanks to the course of curative physical education, the element of which is Scandinavian walking, patients return to the usual rhythm of life in a short time. Thus, patients who have undergone a complicated operation for hip replacement can return to normal life within a month. Scandinavian walking in Moscow and other large cities of Russia became popular. Active centers are opened, where instructors train those who want the right technique.

Scandinavian walking, contraindications to which we will study later, is shown for the restoration, treatment and prevention of a number of diseases. It can be:

• bronchial asthma;
• Vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• arterial hypertension;
• Parkinson's disease;
• Osteochondrosis;
• scoliosis;
• osteoporosis;
• atherosclerosis;
• Chronic pain in the neck, back, shoulders;
• obesity;
• neurosis;
• depression;
• insomnia.

Walking Technique

In order for lessons to be useful and effective, it is important to develop the right technique from the very beginning. How to walk Scandinavian walking? First, warm up the muscles and make a light workout. Start training on a flat surface. At the first stage it is important that the athlete is used to moving in the right rhythm.

First you need to learn and understand the possibility of attaching sticks. Put your hands in the hinges and lower them, as in a normal walk. It is not necessary to lean on sticks, they should slide freely behind you. Go, gradually increasing the pace and size of the step. At the same time, start lifting your hands to the level of your chest and leaning on the sticks. They should be kept as close to the body as possible. Go, rhythmically changing the position of the limbs and leaning on the sticks.

The legs should be kept bent. The right hand at the beginning of movement should be extended forward, and the left hand should be at the level of the pelvis. Walk, rolling from heel to toe, touching the ground with the entire foot. Keep hands near the body, they do not need to be placed widely. Tilt the body slightly forward. Move smoothly, do not sharply lower the sticks, this will disturb the correct rhythm of movement and will be harmful to the joints.

When walking, you need to lean on both your right foot and your left arm, move consistently, maintaining a steady pace. Do not abruptly gain speed and slow down. In this case, the sticks should not be cloaked behind you, smoothly lifted and put them on the ground, leaning.

Benefits for the elderly

Who is suitable for Scandinavian walking? Testimonies indicate that this sport is preferred by the elderly. It is really ideal for people of age, since it assumes a low and even load. For pensioners, many sports are not available, because they assume too high a load or difficult exercises.

As the aging process, coordination of movements decreases, so the elderly can not engage in active sports. In the Scandinavian struggle the movement is natural, serious preparation is not needed, and the intensity, duration of training and the difficulty of the route are regulated individually. It is because of the soft requirements and it is recommended that Scandinavian walking.

Contraindications

For this sport, there are almost no contraindications. Due to low training requirements and even load, walking with sticks is recommended for all ages, conditions and levels of health.

In order for exercises to be extremely beneficial, in no case can the body be overloaded. Load should be increased gradually. This simple rule is applicable to any exercise.

Thus, contraindications for walking are:

• Acute infectious diseases;
• Exacerbation of chronic diseases with severe pain syndrome;
• surgical intervention;
• The need for emergency care;
• Diseases that require adherence to bed or half-bed regime.

With cardiovascular disease, you need to consult with your doctor. The Scandinavian struggle will bring its fans strong health, new sensations and joy. Classes contribute to weight loss. Anyone who is in a stable state can start training, but the level of the load must be determined individually.

Equipment

For training, you will need sticks for Scandinavian walking. How to choose and use equipment? For classes, ordinary ski poles do not fit, as they do not fit in length. If the inventory is not chosen correctly, then the load on the locomotor apparatus, especially on the knees, increases.

Also on walking sticks there should be special straps that look like gloves with circumcised fingers. They allow you to work with sticks, while not squeezing the hilt and not stuffing the corns.

If walking on the ground, ice, snow, then the sticks must end with a sharp thorn. For asphalt and concrete, there are special rubber tips that soften impacts against a hard surface. They are gradually erased and replaced by new ones.

The rules do not define special clothes for walking, although in stores you can find the clothes and shoes intended for this sport. Clothing should be made of natural materials. Beginners can practice in a comfortable sports suit and well-fitting sneakers. The sole of the shoe must be flexible.

How to choose a stick

So, you need sticks for Nordic walking. How to choose the right equipment? First of all, the length of the sticks matters. There are various tables and formulas by which you can calculate the size of sticks, but you can determine it in a practical way.

We need to take the sticks in their hands, put them in their socks. The elbow should be bent by 90 degrees. Shorter sticks will reduce the load on the hands, heavy - increase. The length of the telescopic inventory can be changed independently.

What material is made of sticks for Nordic walking? The price largely depends on this parameter. You can find sticks from aluminum, carbon, a combination of carbon and fiberglass. The more composite material is included in the composition, the more expensive the equipment. The cheapest products are made of aluminum. They do not last long, they have a lot of weight and they do not damp the vibrations. Sticks made of carbon fiber and fiberglass are strong, lightweight and perfectly sprung, which affects the joints well. For obese people, carbon can best be used.

There are sticks with a fixed length, light and reliable. They are convenient to use. Telescopic inventory is adjusted to different lengths and allows you to change the load. However, they weigh more and are more expensive. In addition, the telescopic stick may fail.

The inventory can be equipped with different nozzles for different surfaces. The glove often has a universal size. The handle should not slide.

How to buy equipment

Sticks for Scandinavian walking, whose price can range from 1000 to 8000 rubles, can be bought in sports goods stores. In small towns, the right tool can be difficult to get, but you can contact online stores with delivery.

There are several points that you should pay attention to when buying.

1. Choose products of well-known manufacturers, for example, Exel or Leki. Cheap Chinese sticks will be of poor quality.
2. Refuse to buy a discounted and defective inventory.
3. Choose products with a carbon content of 20% or more.
4. Choose sticks with removable tips.
5. Do not buy inventory with plastic parts.
6. Pay attention to the warranty period. It must be a minimum of 2 years.

A few tips for beginners

Scandinavian walking for weight loss will bring only pleasure, if you take seriously lessons. Of great importance is the selection of suitable footwear. Running shoes with good cushioning are best. Shoes should not be rigid, restraining movement. But it does not fit too soft and thin shoes.

Carefully refer to the choice of inventory. Ski poles do not fit. Multiply your growth by a factor of 0.62 or 0.64 and get the length of the sticks. Older and fuller people will need lower sticks, but trained athletes can engage with longer sticks to increase the load.

If you have problems with the joints of the legs, then carry the weight on your hands. If the back hurts, then you do not need to do this. Make a variety of trainings, change routes. In this case, the load on the body varies with the surface. On the ground and grass, it is easier to walk, on sand and snow - heavier.

Do not forget that you train, and do not walk. You can slow down and accelerate to train both the front muscle of the thigh and the buttocks. With sticks you can not only walk, but also run, do gymnastic exercises, jumps.

Common Mistakes

Not all people like Scandinavian walking. The feedback of some people is disappointing. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to engage with an instructor, so they make mistakes at the initial stage.

1. Do not use sticks for other sports.
2. Do not cross, do not pull the stick.
3. Do not rotate the housing while driving.
4. Press on the inventory not with a brush, but with your elbow.
5. Do not wear one pair of socks, only two, to avoid calluses.

What good is Nordic walking? The reviews show that this sport is suitable for everyone. The load is regulated, and training can be conducted both in nature and in the park. Eco-fitness improves muscle tone, weight loss and health.