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Nordic Walking
What do you
get when you combine walking with shortened ski poles? You get Nordic
walking, a truly remarkable complete body workout. Frigid temperatures
and snow are not required. Professional skiers have used this unique
combination for training in the off season to stay in shape for quite
awhile. In the late 1980s fitness experts took notice of the benefits,
both health and fitness, that skiers training this way in the off season
were experiencing. Nordic walking is now popular among athletes, fitness
professionals, and ordinary folks wanting to workout their entire body
for the best and most complete health and fitness levels possible.
The poles
used in Nordic walking are not as long as regulation ski poles are, and
they do not need to be. You would not be able to correctly Nordic walk
if they were, so do not think that you could up the benefits of this
form of exercising by forsaking Nordic poles for regulation ski poles.
The Nordic poles have metal tips for traversing over different terrains
and under different conditions such as snow covered areas, mountainous
trails, and sandy beaches. They also have tips made out of rubber that
can be removed for traversing over concrete, blacktop, and similar hard
surfaces. The poles can be made out of carbon fiber, steel, or aluminum.
Some Nordic walking poles have hand straps for added gripping power.
Nordic
walking consumes a higher percentage of calories compared to the amount
of calories consumed by walking without poles. Nordic walking
strengthens the upper, lower, and mid sections of the body
simultaneously. That is why Nordic walking has become such a hit with
those seeking a full body workout without having to hop from machine to
machine or alternating machines with various targeted exercises. I
should also mention that Nordic walking lessens the strain on back
muscles, knees, hips, and joints, which significantly reduces the risk
of spraining or tearing muscles or joint cartilage.
Since the
body receives a complete workout through Nordic walking, it benefits
inside and out. Lung capacity and functioning are increased through
regular Nordic walking. Lung tissue expands with exercise as the
exertion causes a demand for more oxygen. Nordic walking improves not
just the amount of air you take into your lungs, but also how that air
is transported throughout the body to nourish and fuel your internal
organs. The cardiac muscles of the heart are strengthened through Nordic
walking which results in the seamless pumping and exchanging of blood
through the four chambers of the heart and back into the bloodstream of
the body. Well nourished internal organs work properly and are more
resistant to disease and injury.
Nordic
walking benefits your internal health and fitness even as it also
benefits your exterior fitness with a toned and firm body. Some many
consider the skin tightening benefits of Nordic walking to be a vain
concern, but few can argue that taught skin has a better appearance on
the body than loose skin.
You do not
have to be a skilled athlete to engage in Nordic walking and you do not
need to scale the side of a large mountain to gain the benefits either.
A consistent program of that includes different elevations, terrains,
and conditions, and the proper all terrain footwear, is all that is
required to harvest the health and fitness benefits of Nordic walking.
The
benefits of walking with poles are not a riddle to the millions of
people who have caught on to Nordic walking for health and fitness.
Nordic walking poles can be easily purchased online or at your local
sporting goods store and information is readily available online
so that you can create your own Nordic walking program.
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