In achieving any goals, people try toto choose easy ways. It is understandable. Why complicate an already not simple life? That's when it comes to caring for your own health, we begin to look for sparing methods (so that "quickly, but simply"). And always with curiosity try something new - and suddenly this is what you need. Therefore, the interest in such a newfangled phenomenon as Scandinavian walking is quite understandable. At first glance walking walking with ski poles in hands looks, at least, ridiculous. However, this is only at first glance. In fact, such training is very effective and at the same time not burdensome. Therefore, probably, it is really worth learning about Nordic walking more: where did it come from, what is the technique of Scandinavian walking, and how effective such training is. 
History
This method of recovery is indeedis quite new: it's only fifteen years. This technique is also known under the names of Nordic walking, Nordic walking, Finnish walking, and it comes from Scandinavia, as the name suggests. The official "inventor" of this type of exercise was Marco Kantaneva, who described this technique in 1997. However, in fact, he did not invent anything new. In his article, Marco only described the principle of summer training for professional skiers, which he suggested to take as the basis of a new method of improving the body. The matter is that skiers of Finland already for a long time have guessed to train in a summer season without skis, with only sticks. In general, walking with sticks is known from ancient times, when pilgrims and shepherds used sticks to facilitate the long journey. Yes, and in exercise therapy, sticks as an aid in training and a special sports projectile are known for a long time. So it turns out that at the heart of the health-improving Scandinavian walk lies the principle of professional sports training, methods of therapeutic physical training and the experience of ancient pedestrians.
Equipment
The main feature of walking technique with sticks -natural for human movement. Hands, legs and thighs in these exercises move just like in ordinary walking, only more intensively and rhythmically. Rhythm is also habitual for man: alternate forward-backward movements of the opposite arm and leg: left-right, left-right. So it is not necessary to master anything new, it is important only to "catch" the right pace of the movement. The naturalness of this technique is explained by the fact that the size of the steps depends on the magnitude of the swing of the hands (amplitude). The main thing here is to find the golden mean. If the amplitude of the swing of the hands is small, then it will bind the movements of the legs and hips. With too large swings of hands, on the contrary, the load increases not only on the legs, but also on the chest, shoulders and the back of the head. That's what coaches advise, beginners to learn the technique of Scandinavian walking:
Half of the success of training depends on the right pace and technique. 
Equipment
Scandinavian walking is good in that to engage inIt can be at any time of the year and at any age. And it does not require any special equipment other than special sticks. So clothes and shoes can be absolutely anything (sports, of course), chosen by you according to your taste and ideas about convenience. But the choice of sticks (Nordic) should be approached seriously. Firstly, we note that for Nordic walking you can use not only special, but also ordinary ski poles, which are easy to buy in any sports shop. How to choose a convenient stick? The main thing is to decide on their length. The height of the sticks for Nordic walking can be calculated by multiplying their height in centimeters by 0.68. The resulting number of plus or minus five centimeters and will be the height of suitable sticks for you. For example, for a man of about seventy meters in height, sticks of about a hundred and fifteen centimeters (170 x 0.68 = 115, 6) are suitable, but with sticks one hundred and twenty centimeters long, he will also be comfortable walking. However, determined with the height of the sticks, note that the longer they are, the greater the load on the muscles. As for the Nordic species, they can be telescopic (retractable) and with a fixed length. Regardless of the materials that make up the stick, it must be firm and light, with a comfortable handle that does not rub the palm. The strap must be tight, but do not tighten your arm so that the stick does not have to be squeezed. For training on asphalt and concrete paths choose sticks with rubber tips, and for training in winter or outside the city - sticks with a hard spike on the end.
Benefit
Than Scandinavian walking differs from the usualwalking or running? Unlike usual walking, almost half of the body weight is transferred to the hands, which reduces the load on the legs and hips, while the calorie is burned by forty-six percent more. Unlike running, where the main load falls on the lower part of the body, walking with ski poles involves almost all muscles (90%) and, moreover, it has no contraindications. In addition to this Scandinavian walking:
- has a lymph drainage effect
- causes microvibration (vibromassage) of internal organs
- beneficial effect on the heart and lungs
- removes toxins
- regulates the work of the intestine
- reduces back pain
- lowers blood pressure
- improves blood circulation
If this is not enough for you, then know that in countriesEurope's Nordic walking has become an indispensable element of post-operative rehabilitation and is recognized as the best sparing physical load for weight loss. And northern walking is recommended for the prevention of osteoporosis (thinning of bone tissue), in the treatment of pulmonary and cardiac diseases, with neuroses, depression and insomnia. And for such wonderful results you need only your desire, good mood and ski poles. Of course, only regular training will be effective. So surely you will not find forty minutes a day to walk briskly with sticks in the hands of fresh air and feel the full benefit of this newfangled enthusiasm. We advise you to read:
