The Benefits of Nordic Walking
Copyright © 2011 FootePath: Walking for Health. All Rights Reserved.
**"Bob", our animated Nordic Walking Guy, comes to us from http://www.nordicportal.net/. We gratefully use him on our web site with their permission.
The benefits of Nordic Walking over regular walking are numerous and sometimes unexpected.
- Increased oxygen consumption by up to 25%
- Burn up to 40% more calories
- Heel strike force reduced by up to 26%
- Reduced stress on ankles, knees and hips
- There is no perceived increase of exertion over regular walking
And anecdotally, a person new to Nordic Walking is routinely able to go twice as far with their poles as they can without them before reaching the same level of tiredness.
One of the best things about Nordic Walking is that it allows two people of different athletic abilities and needs to walk together, at the same pace, and have each get the benefits they need. This is accomplished by walking at the slowest person's most comfortable pace, and having the other person press down harder with his poles, creating more resistance for his upper body. Each gets the intensity he needs, and they have the wonderful opportunity of working out together.
