New Research on the benefits of Nordic Walking for Obese Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes
Nordic walking is an excellent form of aerobic exercise and can be incorporated into aerobic circuit training. Aerobic exercise and circuit training has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes-related complications. A recent study on the effects of a nordic walking program on obese adults with and without type 2 diabetes was conducted to determine the effectiveness of nordic walking as exercise therapy.
The results show that nordic walking is just as effective as a conventional gym-based program to improve body weight control, body composition parameters, muscular flexibility, and VO2 max levels in all participants.
Four groups of obese adults, 2 with type 2 diabetes and 2 without, were assigned to gym-based exercise or nordic walking. The results show that nordic walking is just as effective as a conventional gym-based program to improve body weight control, body composition parameters, muscular flexibility, and VO2 max levels in all participants.
These findings are significant in supporting the Nordic walking community. It shows that you can get just as many benefits from Nordic walking as you can from going to the gym! Nordic walking has the added benefits of joint off-loading and increased stability with 4 points of contact. So if the gym is not for you grab some poles and turn your home, your neighborhood, your backyard, or anywhere into your gym!