Newton’s third law and Nordic walking

By Susan Yungblut

Good Nordic walking technique involves using your upper body muscles to push your poles down into the ground and back behind you. The result is that your body is moved up and forward

For your body, up and forward means:

· Improving your posture through elongating your spine with every step; and

· Reducing the impact of gravity on your lower body joints (lumbar spine, hips, knees, feet and ankles).

Pushing down and back through the poles confers:

· Upper body muscle strengthening and bone stimulation with every step;

· Enhanced cardiovascular effort (because you need to pump oxygen to more muscle groups when you are using your upper body and core muscles in addition to those of your legs); and

· Enhanced stability and confidence.

At some point in early human history, creative cave dwellers must have used a stick to help themselves walk with a sprained ankle. Even then it was intuitive to humans that pushing down into the ground through a stick would improve their ability to walk. From canes to crutches to walkers, humans have relied on this simple rule of physics to improve their mobility while living with acute injuries and chronic conditions. More recently, Mandy Shintani, a Canadian occupational therapist, launched Urban Poling Inc., and designed Nordic walking poles for both fitness and therapeutic purposes. Designed with ergonomic handles, lightweight but with the strength to absorb forces that can overload and irritate our lower body joints, these poles are a step above your typical hiking poles or walking aid. UrbanPoling.com is loaded with information and research. Our own uOttawa Heart Institute is currently involved in research on the cardiovascular benefits of Nordic walking.

If you recognize yourself in any of the following scenarios, Nordic walking may be for you. Are you

· A runner looking for a cross-training activity that provides excellent cardiovascular conditioning and upper body strengthening?

· An athlete recovering from an injury to hips, knees, feet, spine or even a shoulder injury looking for a way to keep up or build your cardiovascular fitness and upper body strength?

· A person who loves walking outdoors but wants to get a little more oomph from your efforts? Maybe a bit more cardiovascular impact, reduced strain on your hips or knees or better postural support?

· Someone who wants to start a walking program but needs to build more confidence? Perhaps you desire more stability and need a bit more practical information?

· A person building bone density, either already diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, or trying to prevent this?

Newton’s 3rd law helps us understand the physics of Nordic walking. Health professionals and economists can add additional wisdom: regardless of health or market conditions, an investment in yourself always yields a positive return.

If you take action and choose to invest time and money into a personalized lesson, learning how to Nordic walk with good technique and quality poles designed for your therapeutic and fitness purposes, the reaction, or end result, may far exceed your action, investment and expectations.

At Glebe Physiotherapy and Sport Medicine, I now consult with the team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors and registered kinesiologists. Your personalized Nordic walking session will be integrated seamlessly into your treatment plan. This means that no matter which health professional you choose to work with, you can devote a physiotherapy session to work with me, outdoors in the fresh air.

Susan Yungblut is a physiotherapist with over 17 years’ experience working with clients with orthopaedic/ musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. She is an avid runner, skier, skater, snow shoer, tennis player and Nordic walker. Find her at OttawaNordicWalks.ca, on Facebook and Instagram.