Nordic Walking Can Help Improve Heart Health—Here’s How To Do It

Walking has been considered an easy and gentle form of exercise for years. But while it’s generally not as vigorous as other types of higher-intensity workouts, there’s one particular walking style that’s suddenly getting a lot of attention. It’s called Nordic walking, and recent research has linked it to improved heart health.

The new study, published in Canadian Journal of Cardiologyfound that people with heart disease had the best improvements in heart function after three months of Nordic walking compared to other common forms of exercise.

“Traditional walking is a great way to improve health,” said study lead author Tasuku Terada, Ph.D., senior postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Health. “However, by activating muscles that are less recruited during walking, Nordic walking may provide additional benefits.”

In addition to the new study, the topic of Nordic walking has recently appeared in search trends and on social media. Here you can find out exactly what Nordic Walking is and why experts say this type of walking is so much better for you.

For the study, Terada and his colleagues recruited 130 people with coronary artery disease and randomly assigned them to one of three groups. One group completed a 12-week high-intensity interval training program, another completed a 12-week moderate-to-high-intensity training program, and the final group completed 12 weeks of Nordic walking.

After the program ended, study participants were followed up for 14 weeks. During that time, the researchers monitored each participant’s functional capacity — a measure of a person’s ability to exercise or do things that require some physical exertion — by seeing how far they could walk in six minutes.

As the study explains, functional capacity is an important predictor of future heart problems in someone with coronary artery disease.

While all study participants achieved good results, the researchers found that those who followed the Nordic walking program had the most notable increase in functional capacity compared to baseline.

The study did not specifically compare Nordic walking to regular walking, but experts generally consider Nordic walking to be better than regular walking for a number of reasons.

For starters, Nordic walking is a bit more involved than traditional walking. “Nordic walking is a unique type of gait exercise that uses specially designed poles – similar to ski poles – to further engage the upper body muscles in addition to the lower body muscles,” explained Terada. “Using poles reduces stress on the knees, and activating the core and upper body muscles increases energy expenditure.” Basically, it’s easier on your knees and forces you to work a little harder than a traditional walk.

Nordic walking can also help with stability, balance and coordination, Terada said.

The whole idea of ​​Nordic walking is actually taking cross-country activities with poles and retooling them for hiking or walking, said Kirk Shave, program director at Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat and Health Spa in British Columbia, which trains Nordic walkers Health.

To properly practice Nordic walking, you should stand up straight and use the poles to touch the ground as you walk, aiming to hit the ground in the middle of your stride, Shave said. The bars are designed to be held at a 45-degree angle behind you, Shave added. “You’re squeezing them behind you with your triceps and pushing yourself forward with every step,” he explained. The bars should “never be at a 90 degree angle unless you’re in super rocky terrain”.

“Hikers grab their pole and push it down each time it hits the ground, releasing their grip when the pole is pulled back behind the body,” Terada added. “The walker swings the bar by the wrist strap while moving forward on his leading leg.”

Overall, the bars are “intended to be a propulsion tool — not a stabilization tool,” Shave said.

While Nordic poles may seem like an extra expense for a simple activity like walking, they are essential if you want to do Nordic walking. Experts say you can’t really do Nordic walking without sticks.

“It’s all about the bars,” Shave said. They help you leverage your core and propel you forward, he explained. “I highly recommend the sticks,” continued Shave. “I’ve been using them for over 25 years.”

Additionally, if you want to reap the same benefits as studying, you’ll need to invest in a pair of sticks. “In order to perform the same Nordic walking technique as in our study, specially designed Nordic walking poles must be purchased,” Terada said.

If you’re interested in trying Nordic Walking, Shave recommends investing in the poles and Watch instructional videos on YouTube to learn proper technique. “I would definitely recommend an in-bar shock absorber, whether it’s an air cushion or a spring, so you don’t feel a shock when you hit the ground hard,” added Shave. He also suggests paying attention to your bar grip. “Most people hold the grip too tightly, but it should be with a light, soft hand,” Shave said. “Just let the tip land and then push.”

While Nordic walking is a little less accessible than regular walking because of the equipment, Terada said hiking poles are “relatively cheap” (you can find a pair for $22 on Amazon). He also noted that Nordic walking “is an activity that can easily be incorporated into daily exercise.”

While “it may take some practice to get used to the grip and release technique, ‘Nordic walking’ will be an alternative option to perform full-body aerobic exercise,” Terada said.

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