Nordic walking for the elderly with poles, as the most accessible form of physical activity

Most people choose sports based on their effectiveness and impact on different muscle groups. So, when riding a bicycle, 45% of the muscles of the body work, when running - 50%, and while swimming - 90% of all muscles. Recently, another sport came to Russia that allows you to develop muscles with the same impact - Nordic walking. Valentin Volkov, one of Moscow's leading Nordic walking instructors, shared the secrets of proper training. The exercises were demonstrated by Marina Obrazkova.

Valentin Volkov began practicing “northern” walking more than ten years ago, when few people knew about this sport. Today he not only trains himself, but also teaches intensive walking to participants in the Moscow Longevity project. Largely thanks to him, more than 11 thousand elderly people fell in love with Nordic walking, and 3.5 thousand will take part in the Nordic Walking Festival on August 31 and set a world record.

The essence of classes and their benefits for the elderly

I want to say right away that Nordic walking is a whole complex of physical therapy. During classes, almost all muscles are worked out. The special position of the body eliminates excess loads.

The essence of the method is as follows: by walking in the fresh air with the help of special devices called sticks, you activate every cell of your body. The benefits of exercise are especially noticeable for people who require gentle rehabilitation and strengthening of the body.

Let's consider how such gymnastics is useful:

• gentle training of the cardiovascular system;
• strengthening the respiratory system;
• decreased blood sugar levels;
• saturation of body cells with oxygen;
• formation of stable immunity;
• prevention of osteoporosis due to increased vitamin production

I would also like to note that group walking exercises are considered an excellent opportunity to make new acquaintances and relieve stress.

How often should I exercise?

When creating a routine, it is important to consider not only the frequency, but also the duration of one workout. Most trainers recommend conducting half-hour workouts with a frequency of 2-3 sessions per week. When people exercise without a coach, as a rule, they prefer to walk with Nordics for about an hour. At the very beginning, training should be short and easy, lasting no more than 15 minutes with a break of three days. You need to take into account your physical condition, level of strength and energy. But even the shortest lesson involves warming up before Nordic walking; this is a mandatory safety measure.

Nordic walking rules

Despite its apparent simplicity, this kind of activity should be approached with the utmost seriousness. After all, the body is under significant stress. The training program includes several stages:

1. Warm up.
2. Walking.
3. Hitch.

Don’t be lazy and be sure to pay enough attention to each point. Otherwise, instead of improving your health, you risk getting the opposite effect.

Let's look at each stage in more detail. Warm-up is carried out with the aim of warming up the muscles, joints and preparing the entire body for the upcoming loads. Here is a sample list of exercises:

• circular rotations of the head 8 times in each direction;
• warming up the shoulder joints. Bend your arms at the elbows and touch your shoulders with your fingers. Rotate your arms forward and backward 8 times in each direction;
• tilting the body back and forth, left and right. 8 times;
• warming up the hip joints. Place your hands on your hips and rotate your pelvis in a circle 12 times;
• circular rotations of the knees clockwise 8 times and counterclockwise the same amount.

Afterwards, you should start walking. You should also complete your workouts gradually to reduce fatigue and minimize stress on the body.

Cool down after Nordic walking exercises

• from a standing position, sticks in hands, lean forward and down. Gently stretch the spine;
• raise the stick in your hands above your head and bend to the side, do not bend your arms;
• arms extended in front of you, stick in hands. We make side turns without bending our arms;
• swing your legs back. Support yourself on poles, smoothly move your leg behind you.

Repeat each exercise 8-12 times depending on your general condition.

Norwegian walking with poles: what do doctors say?

The sport, which originated as training for professional skiers during the absence of snow, has long outgrown this framework. At the first stage of distribution, fans of innovations in sports and the company Exel Oyj, which made an invaluable contribution to the popularization of Nordic walking, became interested in it. She did this not out of love for art, but solely as a marketing ploy, after which sales of their products - walking poles - increased significantly.

photo from the site www.gabel.ru

When the gentle, gentle effects of walking with poles were studied well enough, official medicine, in particular, rehabilitation, became interested in it. Today Finland Walking is included in the programs of rehabilitation centers of various profiles and is widely used in the practice of physical therapy. If we omit the general healing effect and proceed only from medical indications, then the health benefits of Nordic walking will be invaluable for patients with the following diagnoses:

• Recovery from traumatic injuries to ligaments, muscles, joints or bones. After a long period of rest, it is unacceptable to fully load the damaged area due to the high probability of complications. Gradual adaptation to habitual efforts is what Nordic walking with poles provides in such cases.
• Diabetes. A constant companion of diabetics is microangiopathy, leading to a progressive decrease in vision and malnutrition of soft tissues, which is fraught with the development of gangrene and the threat of amputation of limbs. Regular training improves microcirculation, increases vascular tone and stimulates the opening of reserve capillaries, reducing the risk and consequences of microangiopathy.

photo from the site www.likar.info

• Obesity. Energy expenditure during the joint work of arms and legs increases significantly, which speeds up the process of weight loss. In addition, the poles take on part of the body weight, which allows patients to perform a volume of exercise that would be beyond their ability under normal conditions.
• Curvature of the spine. A long walk, during which a person is forced to keep his back straight, trains the corresponding muscle groups. A factor that prevents slouching is Nordic walking poles, which you don’t even need to ask for why. A strong muscle frame is gradually formed, and, with the timely start of classes, correct posture is formed.
• Bronchial asthma. Long-term aerobic exercise increases the vital capacity of the lungs and has a positive effect on the spastic readiness of the smooth muscles of the bronchi. With systematic exercise, this leads to a noticeable reduction in the frequency and intensity of attacks.
• Osteochondrosis and herniated discs. The strengthening of the muscular frame of the back described above is also important for such diagnoses. The muscles hold the vertebrae in a physiological position and reduce pressure on the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral disc.
• Psychoneurological pathology. The monotony of movements reduces the excitability of the nervous system, having a calming effect in depression, panic attacks and neuroses. Patients suffering from sleep and falling asleep disorders are recommended to walk an hour and a half before bedtime.

photo from the site zdorov-info.com.ua

• Parkinson's disease. Coordination disorder, which is one of the symptoms of parkinsonism, does not allow such patients to engage in alternative sports due to the increased risk of injury. The poles eliminate incoordination of movements and make it possible to maintain a physical activity regimen.
• Pregnancy. Weight control is important for the prevention of labor complications and fetal metabolic syndrome. Nordic walking for pregnant women is easier to tolerate, as it relieves the load on the lumbar spine and provides stability, minimizing the likelihood of an accidental fall.
• Hypertension and coronary heart disease. For cardiac patients, strengthening the heart muscle, which increases its resistance to work under load, is of paramount importance. In addition, normalization of vascular tone is important, due to the fact that the vascular component is one of the components of the biomechanism of increased blood pressure.

https://youtu.be/bQeQFXJdXVM

Nordic walking technique

Now I want to tell you how to practice Nordic walking correctly and achieve excellent results.

Instructions:

1. How to step: The width of the step is slightly wider than usual. The heel of the walking foot should be located where the stick touches the ground. Knees and elbows are slightly bent. When the right foot steps, the left hand brings the stick forward.
2. Breathing: only through the nose. If it’s difficult to do this right away, you can inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. It is optimal to inhale for 2 steps, exhale for the next 3-4 steps.

Also make sure that when walking, the pole laid back is at an angle of 60 degrees. And don't be afraid, the stick won't slip out of your hands. It is equipped with a special belt that securely fixes the product on the hand.

Here are a few more subtleties about moving with sticks, told to me by experts:

• You need to push off more energetically with your back leg;
• when the arm is pulled back, you need to relax the hand and give it the opportunity to rest;
• always keep your back straight.

The video shows the most common mistakes during Norwegian walking. I highly recommend watching them and protecting yourself:

https://youtu.be/Zi59PLjYmq0

Technique and intensity

When learning the technique of walking with sticks, certain difficulties arise in mastering the opposite movements of the arms and legs. People who know how to ski have a slight advantage, since they have already learned the necessary set of movements.

Key points when mastering the technique:

Coordinate your arm movements with your leg movements. Please note that the opposite arm moves along with the leg when walking (the left leg works simultaneously with the right arm, and vice versa). No poles are needed for this exercise.

Walk, dragging sticks along the ground. It's best to start by practicing the movements with one hand, without using the second stick. Achieve synchronization of the movements of your legs and arms.

In this sport, the arms move in the same way as when skiing. The leading leg is bent at an angle of 45 degrees, and the trailing leg is parallel to the thigh. The main thing is the position of the feet. They should stand straight. When pushing, a roll occurs, as when running.

When developing physical fitness, sooner or later the question of increasing the intensity of training will arise. In addition to the simple advice to strengthen the work of the shoulder muscles, there is a little trick related to the length of sports poles. When purchasing them, you need to multiply the growth by the coefficient:

• 0.66 – low training intensity;
• 0.68 – standard;
• 0.7 – to increase the load.

When using standard sports poles, it is necessary to round the result to the nearest standard length. An advantage here is telescopic walking poles, the size of which can be adjusted exactly to your height and, if necessary, increased.

A few more features of the classes

In order for the training to take place in a calm mode and really strengthen the body, you need to know some features:

1. You can exercise at any time of the year. In summer, training is carried out in the morning or evening hours, when solar activity is as low as possible. In winter, you will have to slow down a little, this will protect you from dangerous injuries and reduce the risk of slipping.
2. Breath control. In old age, any improper impact immediately affects the heart muscle and respiratory system. Therefore, during classes it is important to adhere to the basic rules of breathing exercises.
3. Regular breaks. Do not abuse it and bring the body to exhaustion. Stop every 15-25 minutes depending on your training.
4. The optimal duration of classes is 3-4 hours once a week for no more than 60 minutes.

It’s okay if you experience minor pain during the first few sessions after classes. This is just the body’s reaction to the activity of muscles that were previously simply deactivated due to their passivity.

How to end your workout

After finishing your workout, you should do a short cool-down. Take a few deep breaths in and out. It is important to relax the muscles after the received load.

To do this, you can do stretching exercises. It would also be a good idea to take a warm bath after a walk or visit the sauna.

Many people of all ages have already experienced the amazing effect of Nordic walking. You can get acquainted with detailed reviews of some of them, as well as with specialist comments, by reading the article “Nordic walking for weight loss - reviews.”

Tips for choosing ammunition

The hardest thing for beginners will be choosing poles. There are a lot of them and the cost can vary greatly. Therefore, I propose to consider the key points when choosing:

• length. To correctly determine its value, you need to multiply your own height by 0.68 and round the result to the nearest number that can be divided by 5 without a remainder. For example, your height is 165 cm. We count: 165*0.68=112. The closest multiple of 5 is 110. This will be the optimal length of the stick;
• quality. It’s better to buy a new item right away than to try several used ones. The walking stick is selected very individually, so you need to take the choice seriously;
• pens. You should never buy products with plastic handles. Although this material is somewhat cheaper, it behaves very poorly during classes. The handle should fit snugly in your hand and not slip;
• carbon content. The stores offer products made from aluminum alloys and carbon and fiberglass compounds. The percentage of carbon fiber is the main indicator of high quality, but at the same time it greatly increases the cost of the model;
• vibrations. While walking, they are inevitable, but a high-quality pole should reduce them as much as possible, so you will get the maximum benefit from the exercise;
• tips. I strongly recommend purchasing several replacement pairs at once. And I definitely don’t recommend buying poles with permanent tips. Their service life is very limited and will lead to additional material costs.

Important! By winter, you need to purchase special tips designed for walking on snow.

Types of pole designs

I think it’s important to note those available for sale:

1. Whole. Represents a hollow object with fixed dimensions. It should be selected as much as possible, having calculated the correct dimensions, since in the future it will not be possible to correct them. The downside is that this type of product is only suitable for those who prefer walking on the same terrain. The simplicity of the design guarantees the high strength of the stick.
2. Telescopic. They have several positions, allowing use by several people with different parameters. It should be noted that the more sections, the less reliable the design. It is in these places that the risk of breakdown increases. But telescopic models are called compact for a reason - they can be folded and easily fit even a small handbag.

Now let's talk about other, no less important elements of athletes' equipment.

Where to begin

To practice Nordic walking, you need to purchase special ski poles.
Before starting classes, you will need to purchase special equipment. Ordinary ski poles are not suitable for Scandinavian walks; you will need so-called Nordic ones - they are shorter and lighter than ski poles. They have a spike at the end, which makes it easier to walk on dirt paths or slippery surfaces. For walking on asphalt, a replaceable rubber cap is provided.

The length of Nordic poles is calculated using the formula: your height multiplied by 0.68. For example, with a height of 180 cm, a person will need poles 122 cm long. It is more convenient to purchase telescopic poles that are adjustable in length. Then several family members can use them at once.

No other special equipment is required. A tracksuit and sneakers can be found in the wardrobe of any novice walker.

It is better to master the Nordic walking technique under the guidance of an instructor. However, if this is not possible, you can complete the training yourself.

For the first training, it is recommended to use a 3-step technique proposed by the President of the International Nordic Walking Federation, Marco Cantaneva:

• 1st stage. Walk at your normal, even pace. Drag the sticks behind you, letting your arms hang freely along your body. Walk 500 m. Proceed to stage 2.
• 2nd stage. Continue the same walk. Just now start swinging your arms back and forth. At the same time, let the sticks still drag along the ground. Walk another 500 m, after that proceed to the 3rd stage.
• 3rd stage. Switch to Nordic walking itself. Starting position: right hand in front of you, the stick is on the ground, and you lean on it. The body is slightly tilted forward. The left hand is lowered - you are preparing to push off with the left stick. Take a step forward with your left foot, stand on your heel first, and then roll onto your toe. Shift your entire body weight to your left leg. Then push back forcefully with your right hand and step forward with your right foot. When pushing off, the right arm should straighten almost completely.

This technique teaches you how to hold poles correctly and coordinate hand movements when walking. Once you feel that you have mastered the basics of Nordic walking, you can abandon the first two stages.

During the first lessons, the steps should not be too wide. Gradually, their scope can be increased - the load on the muscles will increase. To keep yourself in good shape, it is enough to train 2-3 times a week for 30-40 minutes.

What is Nordic walking - says Elena Temirgalieva:

GuberniaTV TV channel, “Household Economics” program on the topic “Nordic walking lessons”:

What else might be useful?

You need to start with preparing sportswear. Here I advise you to adhere to the following rules:

• dress according to the weather and listen to your physical condition. It is almost impossible to freeze while walking, but you should not experience discomfort;
• shoes. Buy special sneakers designed for running or walking. They have the most competently formed sole and during exercise the body weight will be correctly distributed;
• Any clothing chosen must be breathable. In this case, your body will be able to remain functional longer, which means you will get more benefits from training.

Additionally, you may need the following items on your hike:

1. Backpack. You will put all the necessary things in it.
2. Water bottle. Adequate fluid intake is considered an integral part of athletes.
3. Pedometer. He will be able to record your next achievements.
4. Replaceable pole tips. For convenience, they can be changed depending on the surface on which you will walk.

As you can see, the starting set for a novice athlete is not that big. Manufacturers offer a wide range, so everyone can find ammunition to their liking and budget.

Food and drink

When you get used to training, the duration will be 40 minutes or more. In this case, you should always have a supply of water with you. During prolonged training, dehydration has a bad effect on the condition of the joints. Make it a habit to take some fluid when training in any weather. Plain still water or sports drink. The quantity depends on the weather, duration, individual needs.

For a productive workout you need energy, you need to eat about an hour and a half before. Food must be digested. Priority should be given to slow carbohydrates. You also need to have something high-calorie in reserve in order to urgently replenish your energy. This could be an energy bar or a banana.

Do not drink coffee or energy drinks after a long exercise - plain water or a cocktail with a high content of carbohydrates (but not sugar!) will bring much more benefit. Drink BEFORE meals, not AFTER them.

Contraindications to classes

I would like to remind you that any load should be taken very seriously, even if we are talking about such a safe form of activity as walking. Before starting training, I would recommend visiting specialists and, if necessary, undergoing a study.

In some cases, gymnastics can cause serious harm. Let's look at who should not use this technique:

1. Injuries to the arms and shoulder joints.
2. High blood pressure.
3. Flat feet.
4. Anemia.
5. Heart failure.
6. Changes in the joints and lower spine.
7. During rehabilitation after abdominal surgery.

In addition, walking is extremely undesirable during the development of viral or infectious diseases. You should start training if your body is in good condition.

Ignoring these points can lead to a worsening of the situation and serious health problems. Therefore, you should always start training thoughtfully and sensibly assessing your capabilities.

Features of poles

The design of Finnish walking equipment makes it impossible to let go of them. With the help of a special hand loop, which is more like a glove, the stick is well attached to the hand. Such a device also protects the athlete from incorrect hand movements.

When using for the first time, adjust the size of the strap to your hand and make sure that the glove does not interfere with blood circulation. Otherwise, it can lead to injuries and problems during long training sessions. For walking on asphalt and other hard surfaces, a rubber tip is used; when walking in the forest, it is removed and pushed off with a metal spike.