Nordic walking and muscle mass in older adults

A research article about Nordic walking and older women with sarcopenia, the decline of skeletal muscle mass with age. 45 women, aged 63-79 years old, took part in the study. They had osteopenia or osteoporosis.

After 12 weeks of Nordic walking, the women showed significant improvement in:

• Skeletal muscle mass
• Skeletal muscle index (where the skeletal muscle mass falls relative to the general population)
• Strength index of the knee extensor
• Strength index of the knee flexor
• Functional mobility (how long it takes to rise from a chair, walk approximately 10 feet, turn around and return to the chair, and sit down)
• Functional performance (how far the participants walked in 6 minutes)

The improvement included:

• Decrease in body mass
• Body mass index
• Percent body fat

There wasn't an increase in grip strength, which may be due to the use of the specially designed gloves that are part of the Nordic walking poles. The gloves are designed to allow walkers to support walkers' weight so their hands and forearms don't get tired.

The researchers suggested the importance of building up muscle mass to preserve balance in older people. Nordic walking was useful in increasing strength and improving posture by strengthening muscles.