Nordic Walking benefits are clear within the first few minutes of trying and the Cooper Institute in Texas has issued the following findings following comprehensive tests into the activity.

1.  Burn more calories in less time

Consumes approximately 400 calories per hour (compared with 280 calories per hour for normal walking)

Energy consumption increases when using poles by an average of 20% compared with ordinary walking at the same speed without poles

Heart rate is 5-17 beats per minute higher.

Up to a 46% increase in energy consumption when fully utilising the correct technique (Cooper Institute research, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sports 2002 publication).

2.  Low rate of perceived exertion & easy to master

You can walk for extended periods and not feel exhausted because, you are utilising more of your body's muscle groups to propel you.

3.  A total body activity

The lateral mobility of the neck and spine increases significantly

The muscles most actively involved are the forearm extensor and flexor muscles, biceps, triceps, the rear part of the shoulder muscles, the large pectoral muscles, chest, abdominals, back muscles, and your butt!

4.  Reduced load and relaxed muscles

Reduces the load on knees and other joints.

Improves balance and co-ordination

Releases pain and muscle tension in the neck/shoulder region

Poles are a safety factor on slippery surfaces

5.  Varied levels of intensity

6.  Energetic, Relaxing and Fun

The Ministry of Health and SPARC recommend that all adults get at least 30 minutes of activity five or more days per week, and Nordic Walking is the ideal way to do so. This low impact, total-body movement is easy and effective - and so fun you'll likely want to do more than the 30 minutes minimum. And if you want to boost the intensity for greater calorie burn and improved fitness you can simply pole harder, tackle more challenging terrain or walk for a longer time with a low level of perceived exertion.

The complete Cooper Institute study can be found at this reference: Timothy S. Church et. al. Field testing of Physiological Responses Associated with Nordic Walking. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, vol. 73, No. 3., pp 296-300

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Nordic Walking Benefits COPD Patients

MedWire News:

Nordic walking is a simple and effective training technique for improving physical activity levels and capacity, and reducing breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), say researchers.

Please click on the link below to read more:

http://www.az-air.com/respiratory-medical-news/89045?itemId=11186275

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Want to Grow Your Brain?  Then Walk!

Healthy people who walk at least 9.7km (6 miles) per week have bigger brains, better memories and improved mental function compared with "couch potatoes" a recent study has found.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. found that walking is the best way of preserving both mental and physical health in old age.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Ann Lukits explained that the study found that a year of modest aerobic exercise reversed normal brain shrinkage by one to two years in older adults and improved their memory function. "As people age, the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, loses 1% to 2% of its volume annually, affecting memory and possibly increasing the risk for dementia."

She explained, "A growing body of evidence has pointed to aerobic exercise as a low-cost hedge against neurocognitive decline. In the study, magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the effects of aerobic exercise on the hippocampus in 120 Americans in their late 50s to early 80s. Half the group walked three times a week for 40 minutes, aiming for their target heart rate, while the other half did yoga and toning exercises. The hippocampus in walkers increased by 2% after a year and shrank by 1.4% in controls."

While both the walking group and the yoga group showed improvements on spatial memory tests conducted before and after the study, it was argued that this could be due to taking the test repeated times. In the walking group, however, changes in hippocampus volume were directly related to improved memory performance, the researchers said.

Given that the study involved people "just" walking, could we argue that by Nordic Walking, engaging up to 90% of the muscles, Nordic Walkers will end up being even smarter?

References:

Ann Lukits, "Exercise Improves Memory"; Wall Street Journal, 21 February 2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476604576158453716983010.html

Erickson, Voss et al,  "Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory";  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; December 2010.

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/01/25/1015950108.abstract?sid=82ba1542-3753-49b2-a1e0-2b16c0b8686b

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