A study on the Nordic Walking method is said to maximize the health benefits of walking. According to the study, “Sustained effects of different exercise modalities on physical and mental health in patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial,” Nordic walking (NW) has been shown to improve functional capacity, quality of life, and depression symptoms in patients with coronary artery disease when compared to other exercise training programs, including those used for cardiovascular rehab. However, their long-term effects and whether the improvements can be maintained are unknown.

In a nutshell, NW is an improved walking technique that employs poles to promote upper body and leg exercise. Walking with poles used in NW burns more calories and works more muscles than regular walking, providing a highly effective overall workout. It is also a total-body workout that can be done at low, medium, or high intensity.

According to Dr. Aaron Baggish, cardiologist and director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, who investigated the health benefits of NW, this exercise combines cardiovascular exercise with a vigorous muscle workout for your shoulders, arms, core, and legs. Walking without poles only activates the muscles below the waist, but adding poles to the exercise activates all of the upper body muscles as well. NW is said to burn 18% to 67% more calories than standard walking.

Nordic walking has also been linked to weight loss, lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and waist size, among other benefits, as well as increased endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility.

Nordic poles are equipped with loose straps that wrap around the wrists. They also have a special glove-like system attached to each pole, into which one slides their hand and transmits power to the poles using the palm rather than the fingers, as Baggish explains.

NW techniques vary: double poling entails planting both poles symmetrically in front of the user and pulling themselves forward as they walk a few steps; single poling involves synchronizing your striding foot with your walking pole and pushing off at the same time. Single poling can be done with either the same-side arm and leg or the opposite arm and leg.

Most people, regardless of age or gender, can do NW, including those with balance issues such as the elderly. Baggish cautions, however, that people with serious health risks, such as those with cardiac problems, should consult their doctors before beginning the regimen.

Sources:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/fitness-trend-nordic-walking

https://www.onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-282X(22)00213-6/fulltext

The first-of-its-kind research to look at how walking pace may influence health and biological age has put forth a genetic link: scientists from the University of Leicester, UK, now confirm that walking faster is likely to lead to a younger biological age, as measured by cell structures known as telomeres.

Scientists analysed pooled movement activity data from more than 400,000 middle-aged English adults to find that walking pace influences the length of telomeres – the caps on the end of chromosomes that protect them from damage and determine a cell’s likelihood of dividing. Telomere length is indicative of biological age. This is backed by research data which showed a 16-year difference between adults classified as fast and slow walkers, the scientists said.

Telomeres become shorter each time a cell divides – until a point where they become so short that the cell can no longer divide, a stage known as “replicative senescence.” The build-up of these senescent cells is believed to contribute to a range of symptoms associated with aging, including physical and cognitive impairments.

“This research uses genetic data to provide stronger evidence for a causal link between faster walking pace and longer telomere length,” said Dr. Paddy Dempsey, lecturer and research fellow at the University of Leicester and within the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. According to Dr. Dempsey, data from wrist-worn wearable activity tracking devices used to measure movement activity also supported the theory of a stronger role of habitual activity intensity (e.g., faster walking) in relation to telomere length.

“This suggests measures such as a habitually slower walking speed are a simple way of identifying people at greater risk of chronic disease or unhealthy ageing, and that activity intensity may play an important role in optimising interventions. For example, in addition to increasing overall walking, those who are able could aim to increase the number of steps completed in a given time (e.g., by walking faster to the bus stop).

Previous research from the University of Leicester has shown that as little as 10 minutes of brisk walking a day is associated with longer life expectancy, and that brisk walkers have up to 20 years of greater life expectancy compared to slow walkers.

Read: Experimental ankle exoskeleton system increases walking speed

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A novel stimulator device developed at the National University of Ireland-Galway (NUI Galway) harnesses energy from mechanical action, such as walking, to speed up musculoskeletal tissue regeneration – timely tissue regeneration is important notably for tendons or vital support structures damaged either by disease or injury.

The stimulator device by NUI Galway uses a piezoelectric material-based mesh that produces electricity when stretched or is put under mechanical pressure. Similar to fabric, it is made using a scaffold of nano-fibres which are one-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair.

The device is powered by the simple and repetitive act of walking: in in-vitro experiments and experiments in rats with acute Achilles injuries, applying electrical currents to the site of an injury activated tissue regeneration signaling specific to the tendon.

Related: Experimental ankle exoskeleton system increases walking speed

“Successful treatment of tendon damage and disease represents a critical medical challenge,” said principal researcher Dr. Marc Fernandez.

“Our discovery shows that an electrical charge is produced in the treatment target area – the damaged or injured tendon – when the implanted device is stretched during walking. The potential gamechanger here is like a power switch in a cell – the electrical stimulus turns on tendon-specific regenerative processes in the damaged tendon.”

The research establishes the engineering foundations for new treatment devices that take bioelectric cues for repair, without the use of drugs or external stimulation.

According to the NUI Galway’s Dr. Manus Biggs: “This unique strategy of combining a device which is powered through body-movement, and which can induce accelerated tendon healing is expected to significantly impact the field of regenerative devices, specifically in the area of sports or trauma associated injuries.”

“These devices are cost-effective, relatively easy to implant and may pave the way for a whole new class of regenerative electrical therapies,” he added.

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