Fitness Benefits Of Nordic Walking In Community-dwelling Older Japanese Women

PURPOSE: Walking is the most popular exercise for men and women in all ages. Recently, Nordic walking (NW) has become a popular physical activity used to maintain overall health and fitness status in Japan. This type of exercise is characterized by use of poles that strike the ground in front of the body. This exercise may be ideal for frail or sedentary older adults who have difficulty walking, as the Nordic poles can provide extra stability while walking. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of NW on physical, functional fitness, and cognitive functions in older Japanese women. METHODS: Eighteen community-dwelling older women participated in this program. They were divided into two groups: Conventional walking (W,n = 8, age:69.8 yrs., BMI:21.9 kg/m2) and Nordic walking (NW, n = 10, age:70.1 yrs., BMI:22.9 kg/m2). Training was conducted for 40 min/day for three days per week over 8 weeks. Participants also performed unsupervised walking near their home for an average of 32 min/day on 1.2 days/week. We have measured Functional fitness: arm curl (AC, reps/30 sec. using 5-lb dumbbell), hand grip strength (HG), 30-sec. chair stand (CS-30), 10-times chair stand (CS-10), timed up-and-go (UG), sit and reach (SR) and functional reach (FR), Walking state: 6-minuts walking distance (6MWD), gate speed and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and Cognitive functions: mini-mental state examination and trail making test. RESULTS: Following the walking training, NW group showed increased in AC (24.5 ± 5.2 vs. 29.6 ± 4.4 reps/30 sec.) , CS-30 (21.0 ± 3.1 vs 28.9 ± 5.3, reps), SR (9.8 ± 10.6 vs. 17.1 ± 6.1 cm) , 6MWD (534.6 ± 75.1 vs. 584.9 ± 88.6 m) and gate speed (1.73 ± 0.22 vs.1.86 ± 0.24 m/sec.) significantly (p < 0.05). W group improved only in 6MWD (535.6 ± 71.5 vs. 569.5 ± 90.5, p < 0.05). HG, CS-10, UG, FR and cognitive functions did not change with training in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: NW exercise appears to improve upper- and lower-body strength (AC and CS-30) , lower flexibility (SR), endurance (6MWD) and gait speed in older adults. These changes suggest that walking with pole provides a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise. This study indicate that various fitness benefits can be achieved through NW.