Nordic Walking is a fairly new and somewhat exotic form of outdoor activity for us. But in the Scandinavian countries, where this walking was invented, for a long time no one will be surprised by people, young and old, cheerfully walking with sports sticks. This includes sports, a walk, and physical therapy - whoever needs what. Nordic Walking is a self-healing health system of holistic movement, with which you can correct your figure and reduce weight, improve joint mobility and strengthen the spine, stimulate the functioning of internal organs (lungs, heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract), strengthen the nervous and immune systems, relieve stress and improve your mood. Moreover, this does not require expensive sports equipment or special sports tracks. You can exercise all year round, anywhere, regardless of the area where you live or vacation. The whole family can do it. Nordic walking allows you to dose physical activity, so it is accessible to people of any age. And all you need is a pair of special poles (sold in sports stores), adjustable to suit your height, your favorite walking clothes and comfortable sports shoes. Just keep in mind that you should definitely start classes with an experienced instructor who will teach you the correct technique necessary to achieve the best result. What is the secret of correct Nordic Walking technique? Isn’t this just another “newfangled” hobby? After all, there is the familiar jogging. It turns out that not everything is so simple. The fact is that running is not always beneficial. Especially for people over 40 years old, especially if they are not actively involved in sports “in life”. Back pain and excess weight are the most pressing problems of modern society. And doctors often recommend running if your back or joints hurt. But while running, the spine and hip joints receive a very heavy load. This results in muscle imbalances and joint tightness, which over time can become so worn that hip replacement surgery is required. For example, in America the number of such operations has recently increased. This is also associated with excessive jogging. But Nordic Walking does not overload the heart and joints, so it is an excellent alternative to running, especially if the body is not trained and is not accustomed to sports stress. According to research by doctors of the American Sports Association, 1 hour of regular walking burns about 300 kcal and uses 45% of the body muscles, and 1 hour of Nordic walking burns about 700 kcal and uses 90% of the body muscles. At the same time, the body is restored comprehensively, but gently and comfortably. In addition, with the correct technique, Nordic Walking allows you to balance the right and left sides of the human body. It is very important. There are practically no completely symmetrical people. Each person has one or the other half of the body overloaded or underloaded. This is reflected in the appearance (for example, one shoulder is higher than the other), in the mobility of the body (for example, it is easier to bend to the right than to the left), as well as in the condition of the internal organs (one kidney works better than the other, etc.) With Nordic Walking, this asymmetry can be corrected. And we must not forget that in fact the state of the human body depends primarily on the functioning of the brain. All our problems begin in our heads, in our thoughts, feelings, emotions. It is not always possible to control them in everyday life, not for everyone and for a variety of reasons. And Nordic Walking helps to balance the work of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, relieves the nervous system, helps to distract from an excessive stream of thoughts and enter a semi-meditative (trance) state that harmonizes brain processes. Just don’t be afraid of such a state as something previously unknown and never experienced. After all, almost everyone remembers how the “second wind” opens,