Nordic walking around the world

Via Matthew Gibbs and Nordic Walking Preston on Facebook, it's big in the United Kingdom and gets featured in lifestyle magazines.

Via Facebook, how some people feel about a recent Nordic walking excursion

Exercise, core muscles, and stress

Via a summary at Business Insider, it appears that core exercises have a direct influence on controlling our reactions to stress. The broader implication is actually more about the reality of psychosomatic illnesses. You know the drill. The doctor runs tests and doesn't find a physical reason for the pain and discomfort you claim. The linked research article described how areas of your brain that control movement are closely linked to your adrenal glands that produce adrenaline. The relationship even affected how you felt emotionally and physically.

It's possible there's actually a connection between what goes on in your mind and how your body feels. Conversely, the researchers suggested that physical movement, i.e., exercise, might affect how you're feeling in your mind. Now, keep in mind this research was conducted with monkeys, and the relationship between feelings and motion was inferred from the findings and other research. However, if you've exercised, you probably recall you felt pretty good afterwards.

Since the relationship between mind and body was closest through the movement of core muscles (those around your torso), the researchers went a little further and pointed to core exercises like yoga and Pilates as approaches to managing feelings of stress.

That's an interesting idea, but can other activities have a similar effect? Here are some ideas about the relationship of walking and activating the core muscles.

• Sound walking technique can contribute to core strength. It even mentions Nordic walking.
• Posture plays a role in walking that can strengthen your core.
• Varying the walking movement can involve your abdominal muscles in different ways.