Nordic Walking for rehabilitation

By Steve Crossley



The latest group of enthusiastic Nordic walking students learned how to adapt their technique for climbing and descending hills today. Back, hip and knee problems just weren’t an issue for any of the students once they learned how to use the poles in the correct way so as to spread the load throughout the whole body through their shoulders, arms, torso and core muscles as well as through the legs.



People who previously had felt intimidated by hills were attacking them with gusto and not suffering from any overloading of weak and painful muscles and joints. In fact, with the correct Nordic walking technique, one can climb and descend hills almost as quickly and easily as walking on the flat. The poles give you a leverage advantage enabling you to propel yourself forwards and upwards on hills and they become like a pair of brakes with shock absorbers to cushion and control your momentum as you make your way downhill.



Perhaps this is one of the main reasons that Nordic walking is becoming such a favourite form of exercise and training for orthopaedic and medical rehabilitation.



Here is what ‘Nordic Walking Rehabilitation’ can offer you:



Better stability leading to added confidence and improved results

Posture enhancement as the poles stop you from slumping as you walk

You will tire less easily because your arms and legs share the work load

Joint stress is reduced by as much as 30% versus walking without poles: Great news for people suffering from joint pain or associated soft tissue damage

A safe way to exercise up to 90% of your body’s muscles and improve your range of mobility in a controlled way





Here are some of the presenting conditions Nordic walking instructors work with for rehabilitation.





Replacement knee joints

Replacement hip joints

Osteoarthritis

Osteoporosis

Spinal injuries

Lower back muscular pain

Congenital hip disorder

Ankle surgery

Achilles tendon damage

Broken legs

Clients with limited mobility and balance problems, along with the associated lack of confidence



As you can see, Nordic walking has much to offer to many different types of person, whatever age, shape, size or fitness level. Why not try a taster session and find out for yourself just how much fun and benefit you could derive from one of the worlds fastest growing outdoor exercise trends.




1 comment:

American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM said...

Great post!

Nordic Walking’s winning combination of improved posture, a unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action and shock absorbing benefits - helping many individuals to walk comfortably again. Nordic Walking Poles are helping individuals with balance issues, knee issues or new knees, hip issues or new hips, back issues (including those with rods in their back), weight issues, multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinson's (PD), neuropathy, arthritis, bursitis, scoliosis, lumbar stenosis, fibromyalgia, post polio, osteoporosis, stroke recovery, cancer recovery and other limitations to walking. Quality one-piece Nordic Walking poles are helping thousands of Americans get off the couch, successfully get outside, start walking safely and effectively launch much needed walking campaigns.

I especially enjoy hosting Nordic Walking clinics for MS, Parkinson’s, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Diabetes support groups, plus Wounded Warrior Programs.

I only use one-piece Nordic Walking Poles in all of my classes. One-piece poles that are sized correctly are safer, lighter and much more user-friendly than 2-piece and 3-piece twist-lock and flip-lock collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate and/or collapse unexpectedly. Individuals with balance issues should especially avoid cheap collapsible poles and opt for quality one-piece poles.