Christmas is traditionally a time for indulgence and the New Year one for resolutions! If you are thinking about what changes you can make to your lifestyle, adding exercise is one of the biggest steps you can take in improving your health. I hope that those of you who have been Nordic walking with us during 2015 will feel rightly pleased with your fitness and the improvements you have seen in your general health as well as muscle tone and cardio vascular fitness.
Walking is one of the most effective, natural, accessible and safest forms of exercise we can do – and below is a brief re-cap of some of the blogs I’ve written over the last twelve months endorsing this statement. But why just walk when you can Nordic walk?! As those of us who already Nordic walk can tell you, adding a pair of poles turns your walk into a workout. It becomes a total body exercise, burning up to 46% more calories than ordinary walking and using 90% of your muscles. It’s great for reducing neck and shoulder tension, strengthening your core and relieving back soreness. Finally, it’s sociable, tones and trims your whole body, and boosts your mood. With around 25 walks a week to choose from, including evenings and weekends, we have made it easy for you to build exercise into your life. So, if you’ve not tried Nordic walking before, now’s the time to give it a go!
- Regular brisk walking is best for keeping weight down – why a brisk 30-minute walk five days a week is more effective than any other form of exercise for weight maintenance.
- Get out and walk! Your brain will thank you – how exercise has a direct and indirect effect on our brains, including improving mood and reducing stress.
- Want to live longer and with better health? Go walking – reporting on various studies including one by the University of East Anglia about how people who joined walking groups saw significant falls in average blood pressure, resting heart rate, body fat, weight, and cholesterol.
- The cardio benefits of Nordic walking – including our Body Boost programme, a personalised fitness plan centred around Nordic walking and based on your fitness goals.
- The benefits of Nordic walking for older adults – government recommendations and why Nordic walking is so suitable.
- Stay strong – Osteoporosis and how to avoid it – Nordic walking helps keep your bones healthy and reduces your risk of fractures.
Don’t forget our regular classes finish this Wednesday 23rd December and start again on Saturday 2nd January. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas!
Vicky
