But not only walking alone is promising, you can also add exercises in between to strengthen your muscles. This not only ensures an even firmer body, but also relieves your joints. Sticks are mainly used for this – as the following exercises show.
Workout with Nordic Walking: Rely on these exercises
1. Squats with sticks
Squats primarily strengthen the muscles in your legs and lower back. With our variant, your shoulders are also used.
That’s how it’s done:
- Stand up straight with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Take both sticks in your hands and grasp them by the ends.
- Extend your arms overhead and squat deep. Make sure your upper body stays straight. Hold briefly and then stretch back up.
10-12 repetitions
2. Rowing with sticks
Anyone with back problems has found exactly the right sport in Nordic Walking. Walking strengthens the muscles in the back and relieves tension. If you want to do more, you should include this exercise in between.
That’s how it’s done:
- You stand up straight, your legs are shoulder-width apart. Take both sticks again and grab the ends.
- With your back straight, bend forward so the poles are level with your shins.
- The back is straight and the shoulders pulled back.
- Actively pull the sticks apart, moving your arms to your belly button and back again. The back is under tension the whole time and the elbows are kept close to the body.
10-12 repetitions
3. Lunges with sticks
To challenge your thighs and buttocks even more, lunges (lunges) are just the thing.
That’s how it’s done:
- Stand up straight with your feet about shoulder-width apart. The sticks are set up in front of you.
- Step backwards, drop your knee to the floor, and push yourself back up. Your hands only loosely hold the sticks, you only use the strength of your legs.
- Then raise the other leg backwards.
Alternate between 10-12 repetitions
4. Calf raises with sticks
Do you want to challenge your leg muscles even more? Then really get those calves burning and pumping up those lower leg muscles.
That’s how it’s done:
- Your sticks are positioned slightly in front of your body’s center of gravity, about shoulder-width apart.
- Hands are on sticks, knees slightly bent.
- Now stand on tiptoe and hold your calves in a tight position for a few seconds. Then lower again.
- You can also do the exercise with one leg.
Do about 15 repetitions