Nordic Walking: 4 tips for beginners
Therefore, light joint training is the ideal sport if you want to lose weight in the long term. Nordic Walking is an easy sport to learn, but there are a few things beginners need to know when getting started. What is this? We’ll tell you below!
1. Depends on the right technique
Grab sticks and start running? not like that! In order to practice Nordic walking effectively and pain-free, you must master the correct technique. We’ll explain this to you step by step and start with the pose:
- The upper body remains straight when walking and bends slightly forward at the hips.
- Lift your chest up, while pulling your shoulders back slightly.
- When you walk, keep your head straight and look forward.
This is how Nordic Walking works:
You’re moving in a cross gait the whole time, with your arms and legs moving in opposite directions.
- Feet are placed flat with heels and wrapped properly.
- The front knee should not be fully extended when touched. On the other hand, the back knee can be stretched during a dynamic push.
- Active arm swing is a feature of walking — but how do you do it right? The movement of the arms comes from the shoulders. You do not need to raise your arms more. When wearing walking sticks, move your arms forward far enough. When swinging forward, never straighten your elbow completely, but keep it slightly bent. When swinging back, you should extend your arms as long as possible, but do not extend them completely.
Using sticks:
- At first, you should adjust the length of the sticks so that your hands are at belly button height.
- Sticks are held close to the body. The right stick always touches the ground when the left heel touches – and vice versa. Important: inserting the stick should not be in front of the toes of the front foot, but always behind them.
2. Start small
To get used to the new sport, about 10 minutes is enough at first. Gradually you can increase the duration. Two to three training sessions per week are also sufficient for a start. Give your body enough time to regenerate.
3. Choose the correct speed
In order to minimize the risk of injury and use the newly learned technique in the best possible way, you should walk more slowly at first. In addition, walking too fast is not very helpful, otherwise you will quickly out of breath. At first around 5 km/h is ideal. With regular training you will automatically become faster.
4. Choose the right stick
stick is stick? Unfortunately no! This is the most important component of Nordic Walking, so you must choose it wisely. Proper length is critical – When choosing walking canes, the rule of thumb is: Height x 0.66. It is best to seek advice from a specialized store.
