Nordic walking
Encyclopedia
Nordic walking, originally known as ski walking, is a physical activity and a sport consisting of walk
ing with poles similar to ski pole
s.
-training activity known as ski walking, hill bounding or ski striding to become a way of exercising year-round. Ski walking and hill bounding with poles has been practiced for decades as dry land training for competitive Nordic skiers
. Ski coaches saw the success of world class cross country skiers who used ski poles in the summer for ski walking and hill bounding and it became a staple of off-season Nordic ski training. Hikers and backpackers discovered that they could walk more powerfully with a pair of ski poles or trekking poles, often eliminating hip, knee, foot and back pain.
The first fitness walking poles with optional rubber tips (for hard surfaces, such as pavement) were designed by Tom Rutlin, utilizing Reflex strapless downhill ski pole grips and Reflex downhill ski pole shafts. They were introduced in the U.S. in 1988. These poles are a heavier design similar to trekking poles with a simple loop strap. Later the poles were sold without the loop straps.
In 1997, a Finnish ski pole manufacturer Exel, working with Marko Kantaneva, introduced the trademarked Nordic Walker poles utilizing lighter one-piece cross country or Nordic ski pole shafts plus user-friendly Nordic style straps and "Nordic walking" became the accepted term for fitness walking with specially designed poles which are now marketed by nearly all major ski and trekking-pole manufacturers.
Nordic walking can produce up to a 46% increase in energy consumption compared to walking without poles. It also has been demonstrated to increase upper body muscle endurance by 38% in just twelve weeks.
Unlike trekking poles, Nordic walking poles come with removable rubber
tips for use on hard surfaces and hardened metal tips for trails, the beach, snow and ice. Most poles are made from lightweight aluminum, carbon fiber
, or composite materials. Special walking shoes are not required. However there are shoes being marketed as designed for the sport, but comfortable walking, running or trail running shoes work great.
The six principal variables distinguishing the different Nordic walking styles are (a) the location of the pole plant (from close to the front foot to close to the rear foot), (b) shoulder range of motion (from none to considerable), (c) elbow range of motion (from none to considerable), (d) elbow angle at pole plant (from nearly straight to an angle of 90 degrees or less), and (e) pole grip/strap configuration (from strapless poles, simple loops straps, Velcro slings to the true Nordic style fingerless-glove type straps).
WALK
WALK may refer to:*WALK , a radio station licensed to East Patchogue, New York, United States*WALK-FM, a radio station licensed to Patchogue, New York, United States...
ing with poles similar to ski pole
Ski pole
Ski poles are used by skiers to improve balance and timing. Early ski poles were simply sticks, then bamboo , then steel . In 1958, Ed Scott invented the aluminium ski pole...
s.
Origin
Nordic walking is defined as fitness walking with specially designed poles. It developed from an off-season skiSkiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
-training activity known as ski walking, hill bounding or ski striding to become a way of exercising year-round. Ski walking and hill bounding with poles has been practiced for decades as dry land training for competitive Nordic skiers
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. Ski coaches saw the success of world class cross country skiers who used ski poles in the summer for ski walking and hill bounding and it became a staple of off-season Nordic ski training. Hikers and backpackers discovered that they could walk more powerfully with a pair of ski poles or trekking poles, often eliminating hip, knee, foot and back pain.
The first fitness walking poles with optional rubber tips (for hard surfaces, such as pavement) were designed by Tom Rutlin, utilizing Reflex strapless downhill ski pole grips and Reflex downhill ski pole shafts. They were introduced in the U.S. in 1988. These poles are a heavier design similar to trekking poles with a simple loop strap. Later the poles were sold without the loop straps.
In 1997, a Finnish ski pole manufacturer Exel, working with Marko Kantaneva, introduced the trademarked Nordic Walker poles utilizing lighter one-piece cross country or Nordic ski pole shafts plus user-friendly Nordic style straps and "Nordic walking" became the accepted term for fitness walking with specially designed poles which are now marketed by nearly all major ski and trekking-pole manufacturers.
Description
Nordic walking is growing as an alternative to ordinary fitness walking because it can easily be mastered and can be performed year-round in any climate anywhere by a person of any age or ability who might otherwise walk without poles. It combines simplicity and accessibility of walking with simultaneous core and upper body conditioning and significantly enhanced aerobic effects quite similar to those of Nordic skiing. The result is a full-body walking workout that expends significantly more calories without a change in perceived exertion or having to walk faster, due to the incorporation of many large core, and other upper-body muscles which comprise more than 90% of the body's total muscle mass and do work against resistance with each stride. 'Normal walking' utilizes only 70% of muscle mass with full impact on the joints of the legs and feet.Nordic walking can produce up to a 46% increase in energy consumption compared to walking without poles. It also has been demonstrated to increase upper body muscle endurance by 38% in just twelve weeks.
Benefits
Compared to regular walking, Nordic walking - also called poling, pole walking or urban poling, involves applying force to the poles with each stride. Nordic walkers use more of their entire body (with greater intensity) and receive fitness building stimulation not as present in normal walking for the chest, lats, triceps, biceps, shoulder, abdominals, spinal and other core muscles. This extra muscle involvement may lead to enhancements over ordinary walking at EQUAL paces such as:- increased overall strength and endurance in the core muscles and the entire upper body
- significant increases in heart rate at a given pace
- increasing vascular pathways and oxygen delivery efficiency
- greater ease in climbing hills
- burning more calories than in plain walking
- improved balance and stability with use of the poles
- significant un-weighting of hip, knee and ankle joints
- provides density preserving stress to bones
Equipment
Nordic walking poles are significantly shorter than those recommended for cross-country skiing. Using poles of incorrect length may add stress to the walker's knees, hips and/or back, diminishing the benefits of walking with poles. Nordic walking poles come in both one-piece, non-adjustable shaft versions, and telescoping two-piece twist-locking adjustable length versions. Nordic walking poles feature either grips with no straps, simple loop straps, Velcro sling type straps or special Nordic walking straps - a kind of fingerless glove, allowing power transmission through the strap and eliminates the need to tightly grasp the pole grips.Unlike trekking poles, Nordic walking poles come with removable rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
tips for use on hard surfaces and hardened metal tips for trails, the beach, snow and ice. Most poles are made from lightweight aluminum, carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
, or composite materials. Special walking shoes are not required. However there are shoes being marketed as designed for the sport, but comfortable walking, running or trail running shoes work great.
Styles
Ski walking, hill bounding, hiking and trekking with poles were the original dry land training for cross country skiing. Accepted Nordic walking techniques vary offering a variety of viable choices making the activity accessible to the athletically challenged, and accommodating people of all ages and all fitness levels—including those with balance, stability and gait issues. One-piece poles will provide added security to those with balance issues because they do not include twist-locks or flip-lock systems that tend to rattle, vibrate and/or collapse unexpectedly.The six principal variables distinguishing the different Nordic walking styles are (a) the location of the pole plant (from close to the front foot to close to the rear foot), (b) shoulder range of motion (from none to considerable), (c) elbow range of motion (from none to considerable), (d) elbow angle at pole plant (from nearly straight to an angle of 90 degrees or less), and (e) pole grip/strap configuration (from strapless poles, simple loops straps, Velcro slings to the true Nordic style fingerless-glove type straps).