Nordic walking and regular walking
A comparison of Nordic walkers and regular walkers (without poles) yielded some encouraging results about Nordic walking. Here’s some information:
- Participants: 11 women, 11 men. Late 20s to early 30s.
- Distance: 1,600 meters on 200-meter track.
Results:
|
Dimension
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Women
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Men
|
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Oxygen consumption
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Greater than regular walking
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Greater than regular walking
|
|
Caloric expenditure
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Greater than regular walking
|
Greater than regular walking
|
|
Heart rate
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Greater than regular walking
|
Greater than regular walking
|
There’s why the results are interesting:
- The age of the participants indicates Nordic walking is worthwhile for younger people. The stereotype is that Nordic walking is only for senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses.
- The greater oxygen consumption and caloric expenditure comes from involving muscles in the upper body.
- The greater heart rate means a stronger heart and the ability to get to a fat burning zone.
Most interesting is another observation in the study that the improvements came “without significantly increasing perceived exertion.”
Give Nordic walking a try.
#NordicWalkingGuy