Nordic walking: how to restore lung function and boost immunity with the help of sticks

Nordic walking: how to restore lung function and boost immunity with the help of sticks

Strengthen your health during a pandemic by walking.

People used to exercise to get slimmer and pump their glutes. Now, many are exercising to successfully survive a pandemic. Proper exercise is one of the first and most affordable tools available to strengthen the respiratory system and increase the body’s ability to fight off the virus. And if you go outside and exercise in the park, the effect is even better.

In 2011, the British conducted a very revealing study. They wanted to compare the effectiveness of the same types of fitness in different conditions: indoors and outdoors. The participants of the experiment rode an exercise bike and a bicycle, ran on a treadmill and in an outdoor stadium. What came out in the comparison? All subjects performed best when exercising in an open space.

Why was exercising outdoors better than exercising in the gym?

Exercising outdoors automatically increases the level of oxygen consumed. This means that the body can work at the right pace for much longer and withstand more intense exercise. Increased oxygen consumption directly affects the fat-burning process: if you want to lose weight, you should go to the park instead of the gym. In addition, fresh air affects the quality of sleep after training, which is important in terms of maintaining a stable psycho-emotional state. Natural factors also have an extremely positive effect on the athlete’s body: for example, the synthesis of vitamin D, which occurs only under the influence of ultraviolet light in the open air. And the body’s ability to react flexibly to changing weather conditions leads to its general hardening.

Of course, if we are talking about strengthening immunity and recovery from viral pneumonia, we are talking exclusively about gentle, low-intensity physical activity. No running or bicycling is out of the question. Health walking is the easiest way to improve your health and increase the overall tone at the cellular level. The next step is Nordic walking at a moderate pace. Sticks will not only reduce the load on your legs and back, but also allow you to get the most out of your workout without harming your weakened body. We tell you more about it together with the instructor Ekaterina Kaldina.

How to start correctly, so as not to “die” at the first training session?

Because of the stereotype that Nordic walking is a sport for grandmothers, many people after a long pause or illness put excessive effort at the first session. It is categorically not allowed to do so. Sticks are deceptive: for all its apparent ease from the outside, Nordic walking is a very intense load. Therefore, you need to enter the mode of training process gradually. Literally 10-15 minutes of the main stage of training in the lowest heart rate zone of 50-60% of the maximum HR. Build up gradually, adding about 10% in time and intensity per week. After a couple of weeks, you can start alternating the pace: we increase it, then gradually decrease it. And so several times in the process of training.

What else is important for those who have had pneumonia and need to recover? You can start training only after the doctor’s permission, and on your individual schedule. Most people experience lung discomfort at the slightest increase in physical activity: shortness of breath, loss of strength, general fatigue. It is important to dose the load and have a positive attitude. Do not neglect warming up and be sure to control the correct breathing of the diaphragm.

Regular performance of complexes of exercises with poles in conjunction with other rehabilitation measures will certainly restore lung function and become an excellent preventive measure to strengthen immunity and reduce the risk of complications.