Scandinavian walking is a new popular form of fitness. What you need for Nordic walking.
More often on the streets of our cities you can see people walking with sticks, similar to ski poles. At first glance this sight seems strange and strange. Someone will decide that these people are disabled, but in fact these people are engaged in a new kind of fitness - Scandinavian walking.
True, new only for us Russians. In fact, this kind of physical training has been known since the 40s of the last century and was used by Finnish skiers to keep fit in a season when there is no snow. They trained, running with ski poles.
In the late 1990s, outdoor walks with ski poles began to gain popularity in Finland and gradually spread around the world. For the practice of Scandinavian walking, special sticks were issued.
What you need to do Nordic walking
To practice Scandinavian walking, you need special sticks with a handle on the strap, with metal spikes on the ends of walking poles on the ground, along the sand and with a rubber tip that is worn on a spike when you walk on hard surfaces.
The tip is needed to prevent damage to asphalt, pavers, and also to soften the sound of a grinding sound with a metal spike on the asphalt. The stick should be light, but strong, with a comfortable grip, so as not to rub the hand. The strap should support the hand tightly, but do not squeeze it. The length of the stick should be selected for its growth, for this there is a formula for picking a stick( an increase in centimeters multiplied by 0.68: for example, growth of 165 cm x 0.68 = 112.2), a discrepancy of 5 centimeters is allowed. Sticks need to be selected so that you can conveniently and easily do Scandinavian walking.
And more comfortable shoes, preferably sports - sneakers, sneakers. You can practice in any clothes - in sports uniforms, in jeans, most importantly, to make you comfortable and comfortable, so that clothes do not obstruct movement. You can wear gloves to avoid rubbing your hands. And you can also buy a small backpack, in which there must be drinking water, so that your body does not suffer from dehydration.
Scandinavian walking as a method of healing
The modern person basically leads a sedentary lifestyle. At work gets sitting in a personal car or in public transport. Yes, and work for many of us sitting, the whole day spent in a stuffy office, bending over the desk or at the computer.
Coming home, we also sit down at the computer to chat with friends or relax in online games, or we lie down on the sofa and watch TV, resting from work.
We all know that a sedentary lifestyle causes great damage to our body - extra pounds appear, health deteriorates. And to get rid of excess weight, someone sits on rigid diets, denying himself everything, someone striving to the gym, exhausting himself with training, someone starts running.
Strict diets cause great harm to health, and always a hungry person becomes angry, irritated. Many quit playing sports, experiencing wild pain in the muscles after the first workout. But there is a way out. You can do Scandinavian walking. You just go for a walk, take a stick with you and walk in the fresh air. You can walk alone, or you can join friends, friends, and you can also join the Scandinavian Walking Club( northern walking is another name), they are now opening in many cities of Russia.
Scandinavian walking has a healing effect on the whole body, strengthens the muscles of the whole body, has a positive effect on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, will help burn more calories and lose excess pounds, which means your figure will become slim and fit. With normal walking, only 30% of the muscles are involved, and the load falls on the lower part of the trunk, and Nordic walking involves 90% of the muscles of the whole body, pushing from the ground with sticks, the muscles of the hands, back, and neck are active.
Scandinavian or northern walking is suitable for people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, who are advised not to engage in other sports, as well as those who are not allowed to run for medical reasons.
When walking, the load on the knees, joints, spine and heart, is much less than when running. If there are problems in the neck, shoulder, back with Nordic walking, they are eliminated, posture and flexibility of the spine improves, as well as the work of the lungs, the heart, joints and vessels are strengthened.
Scandinavian walking is suitable for people of any age from small children to the elderly. Classes can be held at any time of the year, in any weather. Regular walks with chopsticks will help you regain strength after illness, normalize the pressure, get a charge of vivacity and joy, and even strengthen your immunity.
How to start classes?
If you are tired of getting sick or you can not calmly look at your blurred figure, take care of yourself, or rather, do Scandinavian walking. You can sign up for Nordic walking lovers, where the instructor will show you the walking technique( how to walk properly on the ground, asphalt, snow), help pick up the sticks, teach you how to adjust the length of the stitches and sticks, answer all questions.
Nordic walking should be started with a little warm-up( to warm up muscles, joints), after walking you need to do stretching exercises for muscles.
Walking technique, the same as when running on skis. The right leg and the left arm or the left leg and the right arm move simultaneously, the leg is placed on the heel and smoothly transferred to the toe. We keep our back straight, we relax the shoulders. We breathe quietly - the exhalation is longer than inhalation,( one can count the steps - "one, two - inhale, three, four, five - exhale").
How much to exercise and at what pace depends on your physical fitness, on the state of your health. The first lesson should not exceed 20 minutes, and the speed of movement should not be too high. To maintain the shape of your body, 3 lessons a week for 30 minutes, and if you want to lose weight or improve your health, you need daily training. Each person decides how much time to give to strengthen their health.
And you can learn the technique yourself by video.
For many people, the challenge is to overcome the psychological barrier: "what people will think, how stupid I will look, walking alone( alone) with sticks."But for this there are girlfriends and friends. Invite them for a walk, and you will be more cheerful, and all bewildered and surprised to invite to join your training.