Nordic Walking

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Lifecare Fitness

“Helping you feel fit for life!”

Pilates for those in and around Faversham and Maidstone.

Professional Fitness Care with Lifecare Fitness!

Nordic Walking is fitness walking with specially designed Nordic Walking poles which give an extremely efficient and easy way for someone to improve their cardio-vascular fitness, endurance and body strength. It can work for people of all ages and physical abilities.

The movement is an enhanced natural walking movement using opposite arms and legs. The placement of the poles can increase stride length and speed. The full technique increases the rotation in the spine and pelvis and roll through the foot. The arms, in turn, move through a fuller shoulder movement. All this helps to increase mobility of these joints and to strengthen the muscles around them. It is also a very effective way to strengthen the abdominals!

Walking on fields and pathways is so much better for the body and all its functions than plodding along on a treadmill. You are in the great outdoors experiencing the weather and the scenery in its many guises which is both healthy and stimulating.

The upper body gets an excellent workout - toning the shoulders and upper arms. Nordic Walking helps you to concentrate on form and movement through the upper body and neck.

The rotation strengthens the muscles around the spine and centre and the downward push through the poles on every stride really uses the abdominals. The stride lengthens and therefore stretches the hips and thighs.

Emphasis can be changed by small changes in technique - the poles can help you along making walking seem speedy and effortless and then you can make a small change and suddenly realize that your arms are really working before returning to your easy movement.

Excellent for cardio-vascular fitness and coordination for all ages and for people who need to take strain off knees and hips.

Give it a try - you'll love it!

Nordic Walking began in Finland in the 1930's. It was used by competitive skiers in the off season to help them keep fit and coordinated and to maintain the use of the full range of muscles. It then developed into a recreational activity for many thousands of people across Europe and has now taken off globally! It is one of the fastest growing fitness sports in the world!

Skiers have long been recognized as being amongst the fittest of athletes as the top levels of their sport are extremely demanding. They use the unique advantages of Nordic Walking to help them control their fitness and strength levels throughout their whole body.

An accentuated form of walking to enhance the body's natural movement, Nordic Walking has a very precise technique which will take time - and fun, to master and all the time you will be getting fitter and stronger!

The technique is set out in steps which can be introduced gradually depending on whether the individual wishes to use Nordic Walking for keeping healthy or for increasing fitness.

The full technique will increase stride length and therefore mobility and strength through the hips. Rotation will increase movement in the spine and help recruit all the abdominal and back muscles and once the easy movement through the shoulders is added the range of the shoulder joint increases whilst strengthening and using muscles in the upper body - especially the upper arms as you push the pole behind you to power you along!

Don’t worry if you feel you haven’t got all the correct equipment to begin with as you can still enjoy Nordic Walking with whatever you have available. You can always decide as you go along just what else you would like to buy.

The poles.

Nordic Walking poles are light and strong; light enough to not strain the shoulders and strong enough to bend without breaking! They are made of carbon fibre and an excellent pair of poles which are guaranteed for a lifetime may cost around the price of one-and-a-half months membership of a good quality gym. That's a lifetime's worth of workouts for a one-off cost for the poles!

Good water-resistant flexible walking shoes.

It is the case sometimes, that boots may be a little too stiff through the ankle and sole but of course, if you have a well-liked pair of boots, you can try them to see how you get on.

Cross-trainers can be used in summer but specially designed Nordic Walking shoes are available with features which are designed to aid the concept and technique of Nordic Walking.

Clothing.

It is very useful to wear clothing in layers and to use breathable fabrics - with a light, waterproof top layer available when required.

Hats which pull over the ears in cold weather and which fit well enough not to be blown off in high winds are really useful. Fitted slim-line gloves that are not too bulky can aid the grip and the feel of the poles. Gloves that are specially designed for use during Nordic Walking can also be purchased if desired.

Carry Bag/Rucksack

It is important to make sure you carry items that may be essential to you during the walk such as a bottle of water to drink, an energy bar if you feel you may need it, medication that you may have been prescribed, your light, waterproof top layer, keys, mobile phone etc., and to enable safe carrying of these items you may need to think of providing yourself with a small rucksack type bag that you can wear with perhaps the addition of a clip across the front to bring the straps closer together and away from the usual pressure points on the fronts of the shoulders.