2023-07-07 12:30:52
By Simon Flückiger/July 7, 2023/ 6 Views
Last weekend, I was walking on the roads of Santiago de Compostela with friends.
Our route ended at Vézelay. This village and its basilica are magnificent!
As we were walking, one of us explained to us that it would have been better to walk with sticks.
According to him, the fact of using ski poles made it possible to ensure that a substantial part of the effort was carried out by the upper body.
He said he got this information from a scientific study.
I was intrigued.
I did some research.
I found a study that confirmed this assertion. (1)
I also realized that the subject, as innocent as it seems at first glance, was also hotly debated among walking enthusiasts. (2.3)
Some swear by poles, others on the contrary find them cumbersome, even dangerous.
Who had the idea of using ski poles for walking?
Those who love traditions note that neither the shepherds, who went up and down the mountains according to the transhumance, nor the pilgrims of all times, walkers in front of the eternal, had ski poles.
They had their walking stick which they used to ward off passing wolves or brigands or even support to rest a little and look away.
But no ski pole!
Fashion came from the Scandinavian countries.
And walking with ski poles has found a name: Nordic walking.
It is a sport more than a physical activity.
It is a high intensity walk.
It is derived from cross-country skiing and is practiced in summer and winter.
She would have been born in Finland in the 1920s and her name in Finnish is: sauvakavely. (4)
But it was in 1966 that this hobby became an official sport. That year, Leena Jääskeläinen, a teacher at the Faculty of Physical Education in Helsinki, introduced it into her walking lessons.
For her, the interest of this walk is that it reproduces the movements of the limbs associated with cross-country skiing.
Nordic walking is becoming a sport in its own right.
Today there are 3.5 million people who practice Nordic walking in Europe and more than 10 million in the world. (4)
What are the advantages of poles?
Defenders of trekking or walking sticks believe that they allow you to:
maintain your balance and avoid falls; to keep your body straighter and thus better resist the effort you ask it to make; better cope with difficult terrain: rocky, snowy, sandy or muddy; test the ground with the poles before setting foot on it: the information gathered allows you to adapt your walk; reduce the pressure on your lower limbs and even on the whole body because the poles absorb part of the shock of walking, especially when climbing or descending; improve blood circulation in your arms: this can prevent swelling of the hands and wrists in some people; to increase your speed.
Are there any disadvantages?
Some researchers, however, question these benefits.
They believe, in fact, that the use of a walking stick involves physiological dangers.
Indeed, according to them, the heart is more stressed, which creates stress on the body and can have repercussions on the cardiovascular system.
They then believe that the use of sticks can encourage walkers to load their bags more.
Again, this is an extra effort inflicted on the body.
For them, finally, the increase in blood circulation serves above all the extremities of the body.
It is not a harmonious increase from which the whole body would benefit.
Clearly, Nordic walking or the use of a stick increases performance and therefore, logically, the risks associated with it.
It is a walk suitable for people with a taste for sport and in good physical condition.
In addition, some users find the sticks cumbersome and fail to trip over them at all times.
One thing is certain, however, if you want to start walking with poles, a little practice is required…
Three Tips for Proper Use of Walking Poles
Step 1: on flat ground, walk a few meters holding a stick in each hand without leaning on it.
Take the sticks in the middle as if they were two spears to carry.
The goal is to make sure you are comfortable walking with your hands full.
Can you get moving with poles in hand without tripping over them?
Does the movement of your hands carrying the poles happen naturally, without forcing?
Are you comfortable?
Yes ? Perfect, you can go to step 2…
2nd step : take the sticks in hand. This time, grip the top of the poles like you’re going skiing and make sure you’re comfortable wearing them.
During this step, you do not press the poles to the ground yet. So when you pull them, they lightly scrape the ground.
The idea, as with step 1, is to make sure that you are comfortable with the movements of the hands carrying the poles which are done in alternation and in rhythm with the movement of the legs.
Step 3: this time you will put down the stick. Start by taking a step forward, either with the right foot or the left foot, then bring the opposite arm forward and put the stick down.
Then, take a step with the second foot, before moving the second arm forward.
If you started with the right foot, the left arm will come to put down the stick, then the left foot will move forward while the right arm comes to put down the stick.
Each time the stick is put down, it gives you a slight push for the next kick.
The whole thing is to advance in rhythm in a coordinated way.
But take it easy to start with.
Your rhythm is the right rhythm.
You also don’t need to press the sticks very hard. A light touch to start is enough.
You will gain speed when you are more confident.
And if you need images to help you, here is a video of a Scandinavian youtuber who shows you the three steps. You will find it here. (6)
Which solution should you choose?
The truth regarding this case is that it is mostly a matter of taste.
Admittedly, there are advantages to using poles, but it makes walking more physical, more sporty.
This exercise is suitable for those who like to both equip themselves well and improve their performance.
If you make walking your regular sport, and each holiday you discover a new region of France on foot and with your backpack, poles may be right for you.
Conversely, if walking is above all a time for relaxation, discussion and daydreaming in the manner of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, sticks seem less necessary.
For my part, to choose, I prefer to have my hands free and too bad if I lose performance.
And if the terrain is uneven, or if I feel like doing like the shepherds or pilgrims of yesteryear, a good stick found on the road is enough for me.
Walk, walk, walk!
Either way, with or without poles, the health benefits of walking are colossal.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in the United States believe that walking helps you (7):
maintain your weight, or even lose it; prevent certain pathologies such as heart disease, hypertension, certain cancers and type II diabetes; improve your physical condition and cardiovascular resistance; strengthen your muscles and bones; improve the endurance of your muscles; give you more energy; improve your balance and coordination; strengthen your immune system; reduce your stress.
In short, long live the walks!
I’ll leave you, I’m going, right now, to go around my neighborhood… without sticks!
Naturally yours,
Augustine of Livois
1688764356
#Institute #Protection #Natural #Health #walk #sticks
