Study Finds 12-Week Nordic Walking Boosts Heart Function in 130 Coronary Artery Disease Patients
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · May 17
Study Finds 12-Week Nordic Walking Boosts Heart Function in 130 Coronary Artery Disease Patients
3 articles · Updated · HuffPost · May 17
A 130-patient study found 12 weeks of Nordic walking delivered the biggest gains in heart-related functional capacity among people with coronary artery disease.
Researchers randomly assigned patients to Nordic walking, high-intensity interval training or moderate-to-vigorous exercise, then tracked them for 14 more weeks using six-minute walk tests, health surveys and depression screening.
Nordic walking outperformed the other programs on exercise capacity, a key predictor of future cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease patients.
The benefit likely comes from using poles to engage upper- and lower-body muscles at once, raising heart rate and energy expenditure while also aiding posture, gait and balance.
The findings add to guidance that heart patients should exercise regularly—typically 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly—after consulting a doctor.
Does Nordic walking unlock a unique heart-protecting hormone that high-intensity training misses?
Is Nordic walking a truly superior workout, or just a clever way to make people exercise harder?