When you exercise with Nordic Walking Poles, you can improve Range of Motion & Reduce Pain Due To Arthritis
Exercise is good, not bad for arthritis
When your arthritis pain strikes, it is human nature for you to avoid doing things that tend to aggravate your condition. That’s certainly the case for most people, who tend to avoid exercise when their lower back, hips, knees, ankles or other joints hurts. Although that strategy seems to make sense, it may do more harm than good on a long term basis!
Nordic Pole Walking 10-15 minutes once to twice a day at least 3 times a week can actually ease arthritis pain and improve other symptoms as well. It’s strengthens the heart, creates better brain function, improves better balance and flexibility in your joints are just a few of its health amazing benefits!
Areas where exercise can reduce pain
Nordic Walking is a low to moderate impact walking exercise that can be done indoors or out on any surface at any age, even those with disabilities as long as you can walk. Seniors can walk at a comfortable pace for only 5-10 minutes because this is a resistance exercise that adds up over the course of the day. Every 10 minutes of Nordic Walking is equal to 17 minutes of regular walking but with the Health Benefits of swimming!
That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.
Exercise helps ease arthritis pain and stiffness
As you consider starting an arthritis exercise program, understand what’s within your limits and what level of exercise is likely to give you results.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Of course, when stiff and painful joints are already bogging you down, the thought of walking around the block or swimming a few laps might seem overwhelming.
But you don’t need to run a marathon or swim as fast as an Olympic competitor to help reduce arthritis symptoms. Even moderate exercise can ease your pain and help you maintain a healthy weight. When arthritis threatens to immobilize you, exercise keeps you moving. Not convinced? Read on.
Why exercise is vital
Exercise can help you improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. With your current treatment program, exercise can:
• Strengthen the muscles around your joints
• Help you maintain bone strength
• Give you more energy to get through the day
• Make it easier to get a good night’s sleep
• Help you control your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Improve your balance
Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that’s not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff.
That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.
Check with your doctor first
Talk to your doctor about fitting exercise into your treatment plan. What types of exercises are best for you depends on your type of arthritis and which joints are involved. Your doctor or a physical therapist can work with you to find the exercise plan that gives you the most benefit with the least aggravation of your joint pain.
Each step provides:
- Better Posture, Balance and Walking Gait
- Activates 90% of your body musculature
- Increases levels of Dopamine, new brain cells, helps self-regulate brain to calm down
- An Aerobic Resistant/Cross motor exercise generates better Brain Function
- Reduces 30% stress and pain from back, hips, knees and ankles, improves Endurance
- Improves Immune, Vascular and Lymphatics
- Burns 22-47% more Calories than regular walking
- Strengthens and balances the Para- Spinal Muscles
- Improves your mood and restful SLEEP
Other benefits of Nordic Walking are:
- Increase in exercise endurance
- Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol
- Increase in insulin sensitivity
- Increase energy level
- Increase muscle strength and flexibility
- Increase in relaxation – restful sleep
- Reduction in body weight
- Reduction in blood pressure
- Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol
- Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol
- Reduction in blood sugar levels
- Reduction in side effects of medications (steroids
- Reduction in depression
- Reduction in shortness of breath
What is Nordic Walking?
Video shows benefits of Nordic Walking
Exercise Indoors or Outdoors
See 33 Nordic Walking Pole Exercises that can be performed indoors or outdoors to improve mind and body.
We endorse
the Arthritis Foundation
for their continued support
of walking events across our nation!
