Back pain and Nordic Walking: One way to health

I came across the abstracts from the International Nordic Walking Federation's annual conference. Here is some information from one of the presentations. This one was by Jacqueline Zoro, physiotherapist, trainer and massage – practitioner, INWA National Trainer, Italy, NW National Technician Master’s degree 1 lev.

Results for the participants in the study included:

• Reduced back pain
• Posture improvement
• Improved stability, flexibility, and strength
• Improved social relations
• Better sleep

Exploring Muscle Activation during Nordic Walking

I came across the abstracts from the International Nordic Walking Federation's annual conference. Here is some information from one of the presentations. This one was by Barbara Pellegrini, PhD Centro Ricerca Sport Montagna e Salute , Dept of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement sciences - Università degli studi di Verona.

The researchers used electrodes to measure muscle activation.

Results:

• Triceps were 16-40 times more engaged than in regular walking depending on intensity.
• The upper back was 4 times more engaged than in regular walking.
• The biceps and shoulders were 2-3 times more engaged than in regular walking.
• The abdominal muscles were more engaged than in regular walking.
• Oxygen intake was higher than in regular walking.
• There was less stress to the back muscles than in regular walking.

One study yielded interesting results related to low back pain

Some research is being done about the relationship between Nordic walking and chronic low back pain. One study was neutral about whether there were positive effects. There was significant pain reduction after warming up with Nordic walking poles but no further pain reduction during the rest of the walk. The researcher theorized, "With many participants rating pain near the lowest point on the scale at the start of the walking course ratings may have been susceptible to a floor effect with little room for further reductions of their pain." In other words, pain reduction was so significant, there wasn't much more to do.

Background.

• Not as many sufferers walk for exercise as we would expect.
• Nordic walking increases heart rate, oxygen use, and caloric expenditure without increasing perceived exertion. In other words, Nordic walkers don't feel like they're working harder even though the numbers say so.
• Other studies suggested reduced lower back pain after 6 to 8 weeks of Nordic walking.

Method.

• 20 adults: 12 male, 8 female.
• None of the participants had Nordic walked before.
• Participants walked 1 mile after a warmup walk.
• Participants were randomly chosen to walk without poles or to Nordic walk. That would provide a comparison of walking methods.

Outcomes.

• Significant pain reduction from warmup with poles. Pain levels remained low during the rest of the walk.
• Confirmed other studies that perceived effort didn't change even though actual effort increased.
• Participants continued to walk slowly even though pain levels didn't increase.

Making Strides 

Check out this walking event on October 29. I signed up for it and will Nordic walk the route. Join me!

Let’s meet on October 20  to Nordic walk!

A change of pace to prep for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Tuscaloosa! I signed up to Nordic walk at that event. If you signed up, prep for it by practicing some Nordic walking, a fun and effective way to exercise. It’s also a great social activity because you can walk with other people and enjoy their company.

Dress for the weather and sun and bring some water. I'll bring the Nordic walking poles so you can burn calories, tone muscle, and improve overall health.

This will be a free session. For more information about Nordic walking, check out the Nordic Walking Guy blog and the Facebook page.

Are you a beginner and never Nordic walked? Don't worry. I'll take time to teach the technique so you can get started.

  

Instructor: Leroy Hurt, Associate Dean at The University of Alabama and a certified Nordic walking instructor

When: Thursday, October 20, at 5:30 PM

Location: Annette N. Shelby Park. 1614 15th Street, Tuscaloosa

Let’s meet on October 15  to Nordic walk in Tuscaloosa, AL!

I convinced the Crimson Tide to play an away game so can meet to Nordic walk on 10/15! Come out for some Nordic walking, a fun and effective way to exercise. It’s also a great social activity because you can walk with other people and enjoy their company.

Dress for the weather and sun and bring some water. I'll bring the Nordic walking poles so you can burn calories, tone muscle, and improve overall health.

This will be a free session. For more information about Nordic walking, check out the Nordic Walking Guy blog and the Facebook page.

Are you a beginner and never Nordic walked? Don't worry. I'll take time to teach the technique so you can get started.

Certification training available if you register and pay ahead of time. Do you want to teach Nordic walking? Register to get certified with the American Nordic Walking Association (ANWA), and I will take you through certification training. ANWA charges a registration fee based on the type of certification you want. Check out the information at Nordic Walking Guy.

Instructor: Leroy Hurt, Associate Dean at The University of Alabama and a certified Nordic walking instructor

When: Saturday, October 15, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. If you come to be certified, bring a lunch because certification training will go additional hours. Please note: You must register for the certification session ahead of time with the American Nordic Walking Association! See the item above.

Location: Munny Sokol Park (trail head; shelter looks like a barn and is across from the dog park; parking is available). 5901 Watermelon Rd, Northport, AL 35406

Why you need coaching

Why should you pay for Nordic walking instruction? Can't you do it on your own? Yes, but…

A comparison of Nordic walking under supervision and home exercise done without supervision showed that supervision (coaching) contributed to improved fitness of Nordic walkers over those working out on their own. The Nordic walkers walked farther without discomfort.

The study didn't dwell too much on why the Nordic walkers did better. It seems to me developing the skill to Nordic walk requires coaching, and coaches encourage their students. Nordic walking technique, properly executed, allows walkers to make the most of the exercise, and coaches help walkers master the technique.

Check out a local Nordic walking coach. None in your area? Contact me for help.

International Nordic Walking Convention

Has started...

 

Increasing physical activity

A research article described an investigation to determine factors that led to increased physical activity. The participants were overweight middle-aged men with impaired glucose regulation, and one group Nordic walked, another group took up resistance training, and the third group didn't do anything different (control group). The control group acted as the part of population that doesn't do anything different from what they normally do.

All the groups started the study at similar levels of total physical activity. Total physical activity in the study consisted of:

• Occupational (or other daytime) physical activity (OPA): What you do at work.
• Commuting (or transition) physical activity (CPA): What you do to get to work.
• Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA): What you do for fun.
• Miscellaneous home physical activity (MHPA): The household chores you do.
• Structured physical exercise activity (SPEA = Nordic walking or resistance training activities): What you do when you set aside time to work out.
• Sleep: What you do when your eyes are closed.

In structured physical activity (workout sessions), intensity was higher in the Nordic walking group than in the resistance training group. Increasing intensity was seen as more beneficial to fitness than increasing the amount of exercise. We need to understand a key point, however.

Intensity was measured by metabolic equivalent of task (MET). It's a multiple of your energy expended at rest. If you do an activity where the MET is rated as 5, you're expending 5 times the energy expended at rest. Then you multiply the minutes you do that activity to get a final result. If you perform that MET 5 activity for 50 minutes, your total intensity is 5 X 50 = 250. MET provides a way to compare different activities.

Note: MET looks like it's really more of an aerobic measure, so I'm not sure how resistance exercise can really be compared. Weight lifters have to manage their sessions closely because the lifts break down muscle and require recovery time. Nordic walkers can go longer and more frequently.

Overall physical activity didn't increase, but, in comparison to the control group, the researchers reported the Nordic walking group increased their leisure-time physical activity significantly but not in the resistance training group. However, as leisure-time physical activity increased, other kinds of physical activity decreased to compensate. The researchers stopped short of reflecting on why the increase happened. I think the low impact of Nordic walking and how Nordic walkers don't feel like they're working harder even if they really are is a factor in encouraging people to step up their activity.