[户外观念] [讨论]What is Nordic Walking?

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Nordic Walking

Welcome ! In the very heart of the Black Forest, the home of ski jump champions Martin Schmitt, Alexander Herr, Christof Duffner and Georg Hettich, the "LEKI Nordic Walking Arena Holiday Land " has been created in our Holiday Land in co-operation with LEKI. The largest signposted network in the Black Forest provides all about the "new" sport Nordic Walking. · more than 60 km of signposted tours · pole hire at sports shops and Tourist Information offices · regular courses and training lessons provided by qualified instructors Please ask for our information flyer and we will send it to you free of charge!

What is Nordic Walking?

Nordic Walking means walking with poles and it is getting more and more popular. Nordic Walking has its origin in Finland and it has very quickly developed from a trend sport to an established movement. In the United States it's already very popular and slowly but surely it is spreading here as well. Nordic Walking is an endurance sport, permitting an outdoor fitness training for the whole body. The use of special poles makes the training more efficient than with the classical walking. By a systematic use of the poles, even ambitious athletes will experience an intensive workout. The poles improve the arm technique and the muscles of the upper body are actively trained as well. Nordic walking can be regarded as a performance enhancing variant of walking. The already positive effects of walking are further improved.

Nordic Walking technique The motions correspond roughly to those of cross-country skiing – diagonal steps with arm action. The walking speed is rather quick. The arms swing forward in an alternating rhythm in the height of the breast, the poles are set onto the ground and guided backwards along the body. The poles are to be pushed backwards individually as much as possible. The motions are repeated alternately. The natural motion of arms and legs should be maintained. 3 steps of Nordic Walking Step 1: This variant is for those starting with Nordic Walking or with sports in general. Whoever wants to enjoy nature and at the same time improve his fitness in a stress-free and safe way will find step 1 the right thing. In this variant, the step length is the same as with "normal walking", but the number of steps per minute is somewhat increased (about 110 steps per minute). What is important for step 1 is not the speed but the rhythm and the arm and leg motions. The more steady and harmonious, the better for body and soul. Step 2: This step is the right one if you want to have a specific workout. The steps get longer and the number of steps is again increased (about 120 steps per minute). At the same time, the shoulder and arm motions with the poles get more dynamic and powerful. All muscles are working but they are not overly strained. Step 3: This step is a power training for arm, shoulder and leg muscles as well as a fitness training. It is particularly suitable for those who are performance-orientated. The poles no longer serve (only) for stabilizing the body, but as a support for the body in situations where it is required. But for all steps you should remember that a warm-up of the cardiovascular system is an essential part of the training. After the strain, an extensive stretching should be carried out so that possible after-effects on the muscles are prevented. A large number of exercises have already been developed where the poles are included as aids, enhancing thus the effectiveness of Nordic Walking. Nordic Walking is most efficient with a duration of 0.5 to 2 hours in a slightly undulating terrain. The natural changes in the terrain make Nordic Walking even more interesting and the strain is varied. Beginners should, however, start on even or slightly rising ground.

For whom is Nordic Walking suitable?

Beginners: as recreational sport for all people who have stress in their daily life and work who have weight problems who want to return to sports in a "soft" way who want to keep fit as a preventive measure (also older people) People who want to have a change: as endurance training for all those who are already fit and are looking for something "new" to increase their range of exercises who want to prepare for skiing in winter who want to take up sports again after an operation (rehabilitation) who want to get better basic training as a foundation for all other sporting activities who are looking for an alternative to running which does not put so much strain on the joints People who want to get more: as an ambitious endurance sport for runners and walkers in the medium and long-distance range who want to strengthen their whole body rather than getting an unbalanced training.

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Benefits of Nordic Walking

· Adds training of the upper part of the body to the "normal" walking and is thus 40 – 50 % more effective · Nordic walking puts less strain on the backbone. Studies have shown that using poles reduces the strain on the joints of the leg and the backbone. The load of the body is reduced by up to 5 kg per step, when walking uphill/downhill even by up to 8 kg. · Strain on ankle, knee and hip joints as wells as on muscles and sinews is reduced · Supports an upright and stable posture, which facilitates lung ventilation and prevents malposition · Poles can be used as useful and efficient aids for functional gymnastics (stretching, strengthening, coordination, mobility). · Optimum cardiovascular training · Easy training which is ideal even for rehabilitation patients · Safe kind of moving in any out-door terrain, suitable for all seasons · Blends walking and cross-country skiing · Supports the ideal technique of arm action · Total body workout

Medical aspects

· Older people whose sense of balance is getting reduced can walk with greater safety. · Strain is taken off the hip, knee and foot joints when someone has arthritic problems and after a joint or hip operation. · Active therapeutic exercises balance the strain on arm, shoulder and backbone muscles, which can lead to an improvement of painful tenseness. · The strain on the leg muscles is relieved and the oxygen consumption reduced, which means that you can walk a longer distance without getting tired. · At the same time, the longer distance as an essential form of therapy gives a stimulus which widens the arteries not yet concerned. · Handicapped persons and persons with a heart disease can exercise their stamina by means of the poles. · When Nordic Walking is practised on a regular basis, vein problems can be improved in the sense of the muscular pump since the leg muscles are strengthened.

The Nordic Walking pole

The Nordic Walking pole as sport equipment In order to practise Nordic Walking you should note a few points when choosing a pole: · The grip should have a slim shape. This design permits moving the pole backwards in a dynamic way. The material should not rub against the hands. Cork grips are particularly comfortable, since they are sweat-absorbing and might even emit heat. The LEKI Nordic CorTec grip is very handy, heat-isolating, non-abrasive and extremely breakproof. · The wrist strap should give sufficient support and make it possible that the pole can be moved without holding tight to the grip. The LEKI Nordic Power strap fits the wrist snugly and has a velcro fastener. The individual length can be adjusted by means of a clamping part. Optimum support and power transmission provided by the poles. · The pole itself should be light and breakproof and have a tip that permits safe walking. A rubber buffer that can be put onto the tip has a shock-absorbing effect and thus protects the arm joints when walking on hard surfaces and it also provides additional support. Calculating the length of Nordic Walking poles Height Pole length Pole length Height 1.60 1.12 1.10 1.57 1.65 1.15 1.15 1.65 1.70 1.19 1.20 1.71 1.75 1.22 1.25 1.78 1.80 1.26 1.30 1.85 1.85 1.30 1.35 1.92 1.90 1.33 1.40 2.00 Values in cm. Intermediate sizes are rounded. For calculating the length of the poles, one can apply the formula: height * 0.7. But this is only a guideline. Telescope poles are especially suitable, since they can be adjusted individually to the person and the terrain. When used on an even surface, the pole should be adjusted so that upper and lower arm form an angle of 90°. When walking uphill, the pole should be somewhat shorter so that it can be comfortably put down in front of the body and thus make climbing easier. When walking downhill, the pole should be somewhat longer so that the strain on the joints is reduced as much as possible and an upright posture is guaranteed. You can adjust the pole length to your individual speed in order to ensure good coordination of arms and legs.