Sunday, December 31, 2006
Nordic Walking - Ski Readiness Training Program (Week 5)
.
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Happy New Year! And welcome to Week 5 of our 10-week ski readiness course. No doubt like ourselves! - you are full of resolutions to regain figure and vigour in the new year, so let’s kick off 2007 with a brisk week of training.
First, a word for those who have not seen our earlier postings on ski readiness:
This course is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (for details see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm . But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
The course is progressive. So if you missed the last three weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December where you will find the rationale for the course, as well as an explanation of the three “categories” that we refer to below. Please also remember that in earlier postings we have described mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and muscle stretches for you to do after every workout.
Nordic Walking
For the last two weeks we have been adding “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic walking sessions. This week we want you to continue to do the speed-work. And in addition we want you to introduce some gentle hill-work into just one of your weekly Nordic walking sessions.
Nordic walking on hills is great exercise. It raises the heart rate and it tones all the main muscle groups. But you need to be careful with it – in two respects.
- First, you need to select a very gentle hill. The ideal slope for our current purpose would be so gentle that you would allow your ten-year old child (or grandchild) to bicycle down it without using brakes. It would also have a good surface, with no hummocks or potholes. And it would be about 200 metres long
- Second, you need to take things easy. Don’t work on the hill until you have warmed up by walking for ten minutes or more. Climb the hill at a steady slow pace. And stop immediately if you feel dizzy or very breathless.
As usual we will work in the categories selected in Week 1:
CATEGORY A
This week, like last, do three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes. Include a two-minute burst of speed in each of the three 30-minute sessions.
In addition, do some hill-work in one of the 60-minute sessions. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat ten times.
CATEGORY B
This week, like last, do two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in both of the 30-minute sessions. In addition, do some hill-work in your 60-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat eight times.
CATEGORY C
This week, like last, do one Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in the 30-minute session. In addition, do some hill-work in your 45-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat five times.
Muscle toning
As usual we continue to work on mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs.
Last week we asked you to do three “sets” of 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to increase the intensity just a little, by increasing the number of repetitions in a set to 12:
CATEGORY A
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
Muscle toning and balance
This week, like last week, let’s also use mini-squats to help our ski-balance. We’ll do exactly the same routine as last week. (Remember to hold on to the back of a chair if you feel wobbly during this exercise.)
Here is the routine once again:
1 Squat slowly down into the basic position. Hold it for a count of three.
2 Without standing up, shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the left foot. (In moving across, you mainly pivot at the ANKLES.) You should achieve a position in which your left foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
3 Now shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the right foot. In doing this, you achieve a position in which your right foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
4 Now shift your body weight a little forward, over the balls of your feet. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
5 Now shift your body weight a little backward, over your heels. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, then stand up and take a well-earned rest.
Try to find time to do this routine five times during the course of the week.
Happy New Year - and happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Happy New Year! And welcome to Week 5 of our 10-week ski readiness course. No doubt like ourselves! - you are full of resolutions to regain figure and vigour in the new year, so let’s kick off 2007 with a brisk week of training.
First, a word for those who have not seen our earlier postings on ski readiness:
This course is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (for details see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm . But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
The course is progressive. So if you missed the last three weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December where you will find the rationale for the course, as well as an explanation of the three “categories” that we refer to below. Please also remember that in earlier postings we have described mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and muscle stretches for you to do after every workout.
Nordic Walking
For the last two weeks we have been adding “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic walking sessions. This week we want you to continue to do the speed-work. And in addition we want you to introduce some gentle hill-work into just one of your weekly Nordic walking sessions.
Nordic walking on hills is great exercise. It raises the heart rate and it tones all the main muscle groups. But you need to be careful with it – in two respects.
- First, you need to select a very gentle hill. The ideal slope for our current purpose would be so gentle that you would allow your ten-year old child (or grandchild) to bicycle down it without using brakes. It would also have a good surface, with no hummocks or potholes. And it would be about 200 metres long
- Second, you need to take things easy. Don’t work on the hill until you have warmed up by walking for ten minutes or more. Climb the hill at a steady slow pace. And stop immediately if you feel dizzy or very breathless.
As usual we will work in the categories selected in Week 1:
CATEGORY A
This week, like last, do three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes. Include a two-minute burst of speed in each of the three 30-minute sessions.
In addition, do some hill-work in one of the 60-minute sessions. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat ten times.
CATEGORY B
This week, like last, do two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in both of the 30-minute sessions. In addition, do some hill-work in your 60-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat eight times.
CATEGORY C
This week, like last, do one Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in the 30-minute session. In addition, do some hill-work in your 45-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat five times.
Muscle toning
As usual we continue to work on mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs.
Last week we asked you to do three “sets” of 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to increase the intensity just a little, by increasing the number of repetitions in a set to 12:
CATEGORY A
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
Muscle toning and balance
This week, like last week, let’s also use mini-squats to help our ski-balance. We’ll do exactly the same routine as last week. (Remember to hold on to the back of a chair if you feel wobbly during this exercise.)
Here is the routine once again:
1 Squat slowly down into the basic position. Hold it for a count of three.
2 Without standing up, shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the left foot. (In moving across, you mainly pivot at the ANKLES.) You should achieve a position in which your left foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
3 Now shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the right foot. In doing this, you achieve a position in which your right foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
4 Now shift your body weight a little forward, over the balls of your feet. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
5 Now shift your body weight a little backward, over your heels. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, then stand up and take a well-earned rest.
Try to find time to do this routine five times during the course of the week.
Happy New Year - and happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
Sunday, December 24, 2006
NORDIC WALKING - SKI READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM (WEEK 4)
.
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to Week 4 of our ski readiness course. It is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
(The course is progressive. So if you missed the last three weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December where you will find the rationale for the course, as well as an explanation of the three “categories” that we refer to below. Please also remember that in earlier postings we have described mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and muscle stretches for you to do after every workout.)
Nordic Walking
It is Christmas and we hope other important priorities will compete for the time you normally have available for training! So we will not raise the intensity of your Nordic walking this week.
If you can find the time, do the same Nordic walking programme as last week, once again adding “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic walking sessions. Here are the programmes again:
CATEGORY A
Three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes. Include a two-minute burst of speed to each of the three 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY B
Two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed to both of the 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY C
One Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed to the 30-minute session.
This week try very hard to achieve good Nordic walking technique in all your sessions, concentrating especially on:
- performing a good pushback in which you take your poling hand well behind your hip,
- engaging your abdominal muscles,
- rotating your shoulders as you walk.
Muscle toning
As usual we continue to work on the mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs.
Last week we asked you to increase the length of time you are holding each mini-squat. And we asked you to do two or three “sets” of about 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week repeat what you did last week. Here are the programmes again:
CATEGORY A
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
This week, in addition, let’s develop these mini-squats into a routine that will really help your ski-balance.
Now that you are accustomed to the basic exercise, you can stay in the squat position and do the following sequence. Take all the movements slowly and steadily. Beware - some of the positions are deliberately unstable and you can easily overreach and fall out of balance. Hold on to the back of a chair until you have got the hang of things.
1. Squat slowly down into the basic position. Hold it for a count of three.
2. Without standing up, shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the left foot. (In moving across, you mainly pivot at the ANKLES.) You should achieve a position in which your left foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
3. Now shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the right foot. In doing this, you achieve a position in which your right foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
4. Now shift your body weight a little forward, over the balls of your feet. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
5. Now shift your body weight a little backward, over your heels. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, then stand up and take a well-earned rest.
The idea of this sequence is not just to help your muscles. It is also to develop balance, by simulating what often happens when you ski down hills on cross-country ski tracks - you encounter bumps and dips, and snow of different types and conditions. And all of it tends to throw you off balance! These exercises can help you prepare for that. They get you used to a variety of positions, some of which are stable – some of which are not. The more quickly you can recognise that you are getting out of balance, the more chance you will have of making a successful correction.
We will add more variations to this sequence in future postings.
Merry Christmas and happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to Week 4 of our ski readiness course. It is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
(The course is progressive. So if you missed the last three weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December where you will find the rationale for the course, as well as an explanation of the three “categories” that we refer to below. Please also remember that in earlier postings we have described mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and muscle stretches for you to do after every workout.)
Nordic Walking
It is Christmas and we hope other important priorities will compete for the time you normally have available for training! So we will not raise the intensity of your Nordic walking this week.
If you can find the time, do the same Nordic walking programme as last week, once again adding “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic walking sessions. Here are the programmes again:
CATEGORY A
Three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes. Include a two-minute burst of speed to each of the three 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY B
Two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed to both of the 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY C
One Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed to the 30-minute session.
This week try very hard to achieve good Nordic walking technique in all your sessions, concentrating especially on:
- performing a good pushback in which you take your poling hand well behind your hip,
- engaging your abdominal muscles,
- rotating your shoulders as you walk.
Muscle toning
As usual we continue to work on the mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs.
Last week we asked you to increase the length of time you are holding each mini-squat. And we asked you to do two or three “sets” of about 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week repeat what you did last week. Here are the programmes again:
CATEGORY A
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
This week, in addition, let’s develop these mini-squats into a routine that will really help your ski-balance.
Now that you are accustomed to the basic exercise, you can stay in the squat position and do the following sequence. Take all the movements slowly and steadily. Beware - some of the positions are deliberately unstable and you can easily overreach and fall out of balance. Hold on to the back of a chair until you have got the hang of things.
1. Squat slowly down into the basic position. Hold it for a count of three.
2. Without standing up, shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the left foot. (In moving across, you mainly pivot at the ANKLES.) You should achieve a position in which your left foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
3. Now shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the right foot. In doing this, you achieve a position in which your right foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
4. Now shift your body weight a little forward, over the balls of your feet. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
5. Now shift your body weight a little backward, over your heels. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, then stand up and take a well-earned rest.
The idea of this sequence is not just to help your muscles. It is also to develop balance, by simulating what often happens when you ski down hills on cross-country ski tracks - you encounter bumps and dips, and snow of different types and conditions. And all of it tends to throw you off balance! These exercises can help you prepare for that. They get you used to a variety of positions, some of which are stable – some of which are not. The more quickly you can recognise that you are getting out of balance, the more chance you will have of making a successful correction.
We will add more variations to this sequence in future postings.
Merry Christmas and happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
On the Seventh day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
Here we are on day 7 of my 7 days of damage limitation tips for your waistline over Christmas
On the Seventh day of Christmas my true love said to me...
A slim waistline is for ever and not just for Christmas!
If you have been following my tips this week you will be well on the way to looking after that waistline whilst enjoying the Christmas celebrations...
Life is all about choices - We are all in charge of our own destinations even though it's tempting to fix the blame at times. But just stand up and be counted...
"If it's to be it's down to me!"
The buck stops with YOU!
I have given you tips this week that work! So, if the tips work then it's down to you - will you work? And it's no good just doing this for Christmas... If you want a slim waistline all year round then you need to do 'what it takes' all year round.
So, today I would encourage you to review my tips from the past week and commit 'with passion' to put them into action not just throughout the Christmas celebrations but throghout the coming year...
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
David
Here we are on day 7 of my 7 days of damage limitation tips for your waistline over Christmas
On the Seventh day of Christmas my true love said to me...
A slim waistline is for ever and not just for Christmas!
If you have been following my tips this week you will be well on the way to looking after that waistline whilst enjoying the Christmas celebrations...
Life is all about choices - We are all in charge of our own destinations even though it's tempting to fix the blame at times. But just stand up and be counted...
"If it's to be it's down to me!"
The buck stops with YOU!
I have given you tips this week that work! So, if the tips work then it's down to you - will you work? And it's no good just doing this for Christmas... If you want a slim waistline all year round then you need to do 'what it takes' all year round.
So, today I would encourage you to review my tips from the past week and commit 'with passion' to put them into action not just throughout the Christmas celebrations but throghout the coming year...
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
David
Saturday, December 23, 2006
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
Five days down and two days to go (including today) in my 7 days of Christmas tips to keep control of your waist line over Christmas.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
WHAT ABOUT EXERCISE?
I remember the time when I used to be able to eat huge quantities of fat filled food and I stayed thin as a rake! That was a few years ago now but these days it's not quite so easy. I certainly don't recommend eating quantities of fat filled food anyway but one sure way to knock off the pounds and / or keep the pounds off is to up the level of exercise that you take...
...As Nordic Walkers we are fortunate to have what for the vast majority of people is the most effective, convenient, fun filled and safe way to exercise ever invented!
So - If Nordic Walking is already a regular part of your life, do keep it up over the Christmas period and perhaps increase the 'time' / 'distance' that you Nordic Walk and / or the 'intensity' at which you Nordic Walk or the 'frequency' that you pick up your poles and 'walk the walk'.
Note: Remember - Increasing intensity is not all about speed! Another, and perhaps a better way of increasing intensity is to 'slow' your 'speed' and 'increase' the 'intensity' of your poling action (eg push harder).
Also, If you don't normally Nordic Walk up and down hills, why don't you give it a try - If you do already include hills then include more hills. Another fun way to add intensity is to introduce 'intense' bursts of speed. There are lots of ways you can play with this one eg; After you have warmed up by Nordic Walking for eg 15 - 20 minutes; walk for 5 minutes at a medium speed and intensity and then walk for 1 minute at a faster pace. Repeat the exercise 5 times. Perhaps repeat this a couple of times during your session.
Note: If you don't want to do the 1 minute bursts at a faster pace then increase the intensity of the poling action for 1 minute bursts instead. You are only resticted by your creative imagination and of course your fitness level.
If you have let the Nordic Walking slip over recent times and your poles are gathering dust in the corner, then why not make Christmas the reason to re-focus and get back to your regular Nordic Walks.
Or are you one of those people who have been meaning to get started for ages but the timing just hasn't been right - Well, why not make Christmas the 'right' time to start. Even if you have yet to buy your poles just get out there and walk! There is no better time than the present to start your exercise campaign.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve (unless you live eg in Australia / New Zealand etc where it will be Christmas Day). Tomorrow will be my 7th Day of Christmas and my final day of tips.
Five days down and two days to go (including today) in my 7 days of Christmas tips to keep control of your waist line over Christmas.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
WHAT ABOUT EXERCISE?
I remember the time when I used to be able to eat huge quantities of fat filled food and I stayed thin as a rake! That was a few years ago now but these days it's not quite so easy. I certainly don't recommend eating quantities of fat filled food anyway but one sure way to knock off the pounds and / or keep the pounds off is to up the level of exercise that you take...
...As Nordic Walkers we are fortunate to have what for the vast majority of people is the most effective, convenient, fun filled and safe way to exercise ever invented!
So - If Nordic Walking is already a regular part of your life, do keep it up over the Christmas period and perhaps increase the 'time' / 'distance' that you Nordic Walk and / or the 'intensity' at which you Nordic Walk or the 'frequency' that you pick up your poles and 'walk the walk'.
Note: Remember - Increasing intensity is not all about speed! Another, and perhaps a better way of increasing intensity is to 'slow' your 'speed' and 'increase' the 'intensity' of your poling action (eg push harder).
Also, If you don't normally Nordic Walk up and down hills, why don't you give it a try - If you do already include hills then include more hills. Another fun way to add intensity is to introduce 'intense' bursts of speed. There are lots of ways you can play with this one eg; After you have warmed up by Nordic Walking for eg 15 - 20 minutes; walk for 5 minutes at a medium speed and intensity and then walk for 1 minute at a faster pace. Repeat the exercise 5 times. Perhaps repeat this a couple of times during your session.
Note: If you don't want to do the 1 minute bursts at a faster pace then increase the intensity of the poling action for 1 minute bursts instead. You are only resticted by your creative imagination and of course your fitness level.
If you have let the Nordic Walking slip over recent times and your poles are gathering dust in the corner, then why not make Christmas the reason to re-focus and get back to your regular Nordic Walks.
Or are you one of those people who have been meaning to get started for ages but the timing just hasn't been right - Well, why not make Christmas the 'right' time to start. Even if you have yet to buy your poles just get out there and walk! There is no better time than the present to start your exercise campaign.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve (unless you live eg in Australia / New Zealand etc where it will be Christmas Day). Tomorrow will be my 7th Day of Christmas and my final day of tips.
Friday, December 22, 2006
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
Here we go with day 5 of my tips to help keep your waistline trim over Christmas:
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
WHO WANTS TO ENJOY A NICE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER WITHOUT PUTTING ON THE POUNDS?
Here's my suggestions...
a) Turkey Dinner:
Eat grilled turkey brushed with olive oil instead of roast turkey. As an alternative to turkey eat grilled chicken.
Note: Remember to remove the skin before you eat the meat.
b) Roast Potatoes:
Instead of roasting the potatoes, partially boil them and then either dry roast them - Yes put them in the oven with NO fat or oil or alternatively brush with olive oil before placing them in the oven to finish cooking.
c) Vegetables:
Enjoy 'plenty' of vegetables of your choice either lightly boiled or preferably steamed. Why not try a few raw vegetables along with the cooked ones.
Note: There's no need to add butter or salt to vegetables.
d) Cranberry Sauce
What would Christmas dinner be without the Cranberry Sauce? Why not try out this special fresh Cranberry sauce recipe?
Note: This recipe is straight from the kitchen of my favorite cook and friend - Josette Gigon.
'CRANBERRY SAUCE DELUX' Makes 1.5 cups (adjust ingredients for other
quantities)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup of orange juice
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of grated rind of orange
- 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts
- 1/4 cup of chopped dried mix fruit
- A Splash of Sherry or Brandy to taste
Method:
- Wash the cranberries
- Add ingredients to pan
- Cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until Ingredients are soft
- Remove from heat
- Beat until smooth before adding the Sherry or Brandy
- Allow to cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
Note: Adjust orange juice if needed for consistency and there you have it, a simple tasty healthy homemade 'Cranberry Sauce' recipe.
e) Stuffing:
Hey it's Christmas, just go easy and have a small portion.
f) Gravy :
Here's another great recipe from 'Josette's Kitchen':
Gravy (serves 4):
Ingredients:
- Half an onion (finely chopped)
- Half a tablespoon of olive oil
- Half a teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme
- Half a teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley
- One vegetable stock cube
- Half a pint of boiling vegetable water
- One tablespoon of gravy powder
- A little cold water
- Black pepper or seasoning of your choice
Note: Where gravy powder is not available use the deglaze from the roasting pan (juices after fat removed) and thicken with a little cornflower if required. Or alternatively simmer until reduced.
METHOD:
- Lightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil until soft.
- Using a pan mix the stock cube with the boiling vegetable water
- Reduce heat and add the fried onion, parsley and thyme.
- Mix the gravy power with a little cold water before stirring into the stock to thicken.
- Bring to the boil and simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Add seasoning of your choice to taste
Tomorrow we look at exercise....
Here we go with day 5 of my tips to help keep your waistline trim over Christmas:
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
WHO WANTS TO ENJOY A NICE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER WITHOUT PUTTING ON THE POUNDS?
Here's my suggestions...
a) Turkey Dinner:
Eat grilled turkey brushed with olive oil instead of roast turkey. As an alternative to turkey eat grilled chicken.
Note: Remember to remove the skin before you eat the meat.
b) Roast Potatoes:
Instead of roasting the potatoes, partially boil them and then either dry roast them - Yes put them in the oven with NO fat or oil or alternatively brush with olive oil before placing them in the oven to finish cooking.
c) Vegetables:
Enjoy 'plenty' of vegetables of your choice either lightly boiled or preferably steamed. Why not try a few raw vegetables along with the cooked ones.
Note: There's no need to add butter or salt to vegetables.
d) Cranberry Sauce
What would Christmas dinner be without the Cranberry Sauce? Why not try out this special fresh Cranberry sauce recipe?
Note: This recipe is straight from the kitchen of my favorite cook and friend - Josette Gigon.
'CRANBERRY SAUCE DELUX' Makes 1.5 cups (adjust ingredients for other
quantities)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup of orange juice
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of grated rind of orange
- 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts
- 1/4 cup of chopped dried mix fruit
- A Splash of Sherry or Brandy to taste
Method:
- Wash the cranberries
- Add ingredients to pan
- Cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until Ingredients are soft
- Remove from heat
- Beat until smooth before adding the Sherry or Brandy
- Allow to cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
Note: Adjust orange juice if needed for consistency and there you have it, a simple tasty healthy homemade 'Cranberry Sauce' recipe.
e) Stuffing:
Hey it's Christmas, just go easy and have a small portion.
f) Gravy :
Here's another great recipe from 'Josette's Kitchen':
Gravy (serves 4):
Ingredients:
- Half an onion (finely chopped)
- Half a tablespoon of olive oil
- Half a teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme
- Half a teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley
- One vegetable stock cube
- Half a pint of boiling vegetable water
- One tablespoon of gravy powder
- A little cold water
- Black pepper or seasoning of your choice
Note: Where gravy powder is not available use the deglaze from the roasting pan (juices after fat removed) and thicken with a little cornflower if required. Or alternatively simmer until reduced.
METHOD:
- Lightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil until soft.
- Using a pan mix the stock cube with the boiling vegetable water
- Reduce heat and add the fried onion, parsley and thyme.
- Mix the gravy power with a little cold water before stirring into the stock to thicken.
- Bring to the boil and simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Add seasoning of your choice to taste
Tomorrow we look at exercise....
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Stride and Glide - A manual of cross-country skiing and Nordic Walking
.
I have just finished reading Stride and Glide a manual of cross-country skiing and Nordic Walking by Paddy Field and Stuart Montgomery.
Many of you will know the name Stuart Montgomery. Stuart is the designer of the 10 week "Nordic Walking - Ski Readiness" training program which is currently being posted on this website each week. Since 1990 Stuart has held management positions in specialist travel companies in the UK, organising holidays and courses for cross-country skiers and walkers. He is presently a director of XCuk Ltd who are the ATOL bonded UK tour operator providing the "Nordic Walking News" - cross-country skiing holiday to Norway in February - visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
Stuart is also an INWA Nordic Walking instructor.
Paddy Field (yes that is his real name!) is a former international athlete and coach. Since 1987 Paddy has been a Technical Delegate for the FIS (International Ski Federation) and has built a worldwide reputation as the chairman of the FIS committee responsible for marathon ski racing.
"Stride and Glide" is an ideal read for beginners and advanced skiers alike, and for track enthusiasts as well as mountain tourers. There are valuable chapters on Nordic Walking and also general fitness including building training programs that are adaptable, and of equal value to both cross-country skiers and Nordic Walkers alike.
"Stride and Glide" offers a new dimension to any Nordic Walking training program and is of value to anyone who is serious about either Nordic Walking or cross-country skiing. The cross-over between Nordic Walking and cross-country skiing becomes very clear when you read "Stride and Glide" and I am now even more convinced than ever that these two sports, which are both members of the 'Nordic Fitness' family, go very much hand in hand.
I am sure Paddy & Stuart's efforts will be responsible for many Nordic Walkers deciding to give cross-country skiing a go (if you love Nordic Walking you're bound to love cross-country skiing). Whilst on the other hand many cross-country skiers are discovering that Nordic Walking is the 'perfect' exercise for them to maintain their 'ski-fitness' 52 weeks a year.
I am very happy to recommend this excellent book!
David Downer
Editor Nordic Walking News
Note:
To order your copy of "Stride and Glide a manual of cross-country skiing
and Nordic Walking" by Paddy Field and Stuart Montgomery, simply click the book link towards the top of the left hand column of this page.
I have just finished reading Stride and Glide a manual of cross-country skiing and Nordic Walking by Paddy Field and Stuart Montgomery.
Many of you will know the name Stuart Montgomery. Stuart is the designer of the 10 week "Nordic Walking - Ski Readiness" training program which is currently being posted on this website each week. Since 1990 Stuart has held management positions in specialist travel companies in the UK, organising holidays and courses for cross-country skiers and walkers. He is presently a director of XCuk Ltd who are the ATOL bonded UK tour operator providing the "Nordic Walking News" - cross-country skiing holiday to Norway in February - visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
Stuart is also an INWA Nordic Walking instructor.
Paddy Field (yes that is his real name!) is a former international athlete and coach. Since 1987 Paddy has been a Technical Delegate for the FIS (International Ski Federation) and has built a worldwide reputation as the chairman of the FIS committee responsible for marathon ski racing.
"Stride and Glide" is an ideal read for beginners and advanced skiers alike, and for track enthusiasts as well as mountain tourers. There are valuable chapters on Nordic Walking and also general fitness including building training programs that are adaptable, and of equal value to both cross-country skiers and Nordic Walkers alike.
"Stride and Glide" offers a new dimension to any Nordic Walking training program and is of value to anyone who is serious about either Nordic Walking or cross-country skiing. The cross-over between Nordic Walking and cross-country skiing becomes very clear when you read "Stride and Glide" and I am now even more convinced than ever that these two sports, which are both members of the 'Nordic Fitness' family, go very much hand in hand.
I am sure Paddy & Stuart's efforts will be responsible for many Nordic Walkers deciding to give cross-country skiing a go (if you love Nordic Walking you're bound to love cross-country skiing). Whilst on the other hand many cross-country skiers are discovering that Nordic Walking is the 'perfect' exercise for them to maintain their 'ski-fitness' 52 weeks a year.
I am very happy to recommend this excellent book!
David Downer
Editor Nordic Walking News
Note:
To order your copy of "Stride and Glide a manual of cross-country skiing
and Nordic Walking" by Paddy Field and Stuart Montgomery, simply click the book link towards the top of the left hand column of this page.
RAMBLINGS OF A NORDIC WALKER (PART 2)
.
=====================================================================================
My thanks to fellow UK based INWA Nordic Walking Instructor - Oliver Gynn from www.nordic-walkingholidays.com for contributing this interesting and amusing article. This is part 2 of Oliver's article, part 1 was posted Monday of last week (11th December).
=====================================================================================
The Picos de Europa was the destination of the next venture. As it was high summer and the tourist trade was at its peak we decided on a route nearer the sea. This was an ancient pilgrim’s route from the Pyrenees to San Diego dell Compostella. With sea breeze in our faces and a gently undulating track we strode purposefully along passing individuals in long brown habits, scallop shells hanging about their person and large staffs in their hands. These were the pilgrims...
...One inquisitive individual puzzled by our use of two poles enquired about our activity. We explained the theory behind Nordic Walking and suggested that to get most benefit he used two staffs. This he declined, so we retreated rapidly leaving him to spiral his way to the allotted shrine pondering on the meaning of life and how Nordic Walking fitted into it.
Moral of story:- Avoid pilgrims at all costs, they are only sent to confuse.
The last trip of the year was to the Italian Dolomites and a four day Nordic Walking workshop I had organised. One day whilst resting at a Refugio on the Pralongia plateaux I was intrigued to spy a lady Nordic Walker of senior years sporting a magnificent pink rinse hairdo, attired in a pink lycra outfit with matching shoes. She was accompanied by a small poodle also with a pink rinse. The poles, also pink, were only used productively to plod the tired dog along the route...
...When I had recovered from nearly drowning in my liquid refreshment I then observed a male Nordic Walker striding along the track, also accompanied by a dog. This dog was attached by a fishing reel device to the walker’s waist band via a karabiner. No wonder the man was making good speed as the German shepherd dog that was towing him across the mountain was a huge brute.
Moral of story:- You may think you look a little silly when you first start Nordic Walking but there are stranger things up in the hills.
Back to winter training now in preparation for 2007 when I hope to visit more exciting places and see more strange visions.
Oliver Gynn
www.nordic-walkingholidays.com
=====================================================================================
My thanks to fellow UK based INWA Nordic Walking Instructor - Oliver Gynn from www.nordic-walkingholidays.com for contributing this interesting and amusing article. This is part 2 of Oliver's article, part 1 was posted Monday of last week (11th December).
=====================================================================================
The Picos de Europa was the destination of the next venture. As it was high summer and the tourist trade was at its peak we decided on a route nearer the sea. This was an ancient pilgrim’s route from the Pyrenees to San Diego dell Compostella. With sea breeze in our faces and a gently undulating track we strode purposefully along passing individuals in long brown habits, scallop shells hanging about their person and large staffs in their hands. These were the pilgrims...
...One inquisitive individual puzzled by our use of two poles enquired about our activity. We explained the theory behind Nordic Walking and suggested that to get most benefit he used two staffs. This he declined, so we retreated rapidly leaving him to spiral his way to the allotted shrine pondering on the meaning of life and how Nordic Walking fitted into it.
Moral of story:- Avoid pilgrims at all costs, they are only sent to confuse.
The last trip of the year was to the Italian Dolomites and a four day Nordic Walking workshop I had organised. One day whilst resting at a Refugio on the Pralongia plateaux I was intrigued to spy a lady Nordic Walker of senior years sporting a magnificent pink rinse hairdo, attired in a pink lycra outfit with matching shoes. She was accompanied by a small poodle also with a pink rinse. The poles, also pink, were only used productively to plod the tired dog along the route...
...When I had recovered from nearly drowning in my liquid refreshment I then observed a male Nordic Walker striding along the track, also accompanied by a dog. This dog was attached by a fishing reel device to the walker’s waist band via a karabiner. No wonder the man was making good speed as the German shepherd dog that was towing him across the mountain was a huge brute.
Moral of story:- You may think you look a little silly when you first start Nordic Walking but there are stranger things up in the hills.
Back to winter training now in preparation for 2007 when I hope to visit more exciting places and see more strange visions.
Oliver Gynn
www.nordic-walkingholidays.com
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
If you have been following my 7 days of Christmas tips, in order to look after your waist line over the festive period we are now on day 4.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
HOW ABOUT SWEETS / CANDY AND CHOCOLATE?
Moderation is the key here. Try telling someone they can't have this or they can't have that and what happens? Exactly! Just be sensible eg enjoy the occasional sweet / piece of candy or piece of chocolate.
As a healthy and delicious alternative , when the sweet tooth kicks in why not eat some dates or figs or a piece of fresh fruit?
Tomorrow we move on to day 5 and some great tips how to survive that wonderful traditional Christmas dinner without 'adding to your waistline!'
If you have been following my 7 days of Christmas tips, in order to look after your waist line over the festive period we are now on day 4.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
HOW ABOUT SWEETS / CANDY AND CHOCOLATE?
Moderation is the key here. Try telling someone they can't have this or they can't have that and what happens? Exactly! Just be sensible eg enjoy the occasional sweet / piece of candy or piece of chocolate.
As a healthy and delicious alternative , when the sweet tooth kicks in why not eat some dates or figs or a piece of fresh fruit?
Tomorrow we move on to day 5 and some great tips how to survive that wonderful traditional Christmas dinner without 'adding to your waistline!'
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
On the third day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
Today is my 'third' day of tips for keeping a check on that waistline over the Christmas festivities.
On the third day of Christmas my true love said to me...
ARE YOU NUTS ABOUT NUTS?
Nuts are a traditional snack at Christmas time. However, many people fear that eating them will have a negative impact on their waistline. The important point here is that there are 'good fats' and 'bad fats' and in the main the sort of fat you find in nuts is good fat.
Good fats are 'essential' for good health, hence they are called 'essential fats' and if you want to achieve or maintain a slim waistline, it is important to include 'essential fats' in your diet NOT exclude them.
Note: This is where 'no fat' or very 'low fat' diets fall down. You might lose weight but are you really healthy in the end and what about the long term effects of depriving your body of essential fats? I will not talk about those here as they are easy enough to research on the internet.
Nuts in moderation really are fine, although do give salted nuts a miss.
Another excellent source of 'essential fat' is seeds... eat them raw or include them in delicious recipes.
Yet another source is vegetable oils and the King or Queen of vegetable oils is 'Olive Oil' It really is 'top' oil! I like to consume a 'maintenance dose' of one tablespoon of Olive Oil a day. When shopping for Olive Oil look for 'Cold Pressed' and 'Extra Virgin'.
Oily fish is another exellent source of 'essential fat'. Eat 2 or 3 servings of oily fish each week eg herring, tuna, sardines and mackerel (including over the Christmas period).
To summarise; 'essential fats' such as those found in nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and oily fish are 'good' for you and will 'help' not hinder you in achieving / maintaining that slim waistline, and crucially they are vital for good health.
Tomorrow we talk about sweets / candy and chocolate!
Today is my 'third' day of tips for keeping a check on that waistline over the Christmas festivities.
On the third day of Christmas my true love said to me...
ARE YOU NUTS ABOUT NUTS?
Nuts are a traditional snack at Christmas time. However, many people fear that eating them will have a negative impact on their waistline. The important point here is that there are 'good fats' and 'bad fats' and in the main the sort of fat you find in nuts is good fat.
Good fats are 'essential' for good health, hence they are called 'essential fats' and if you want to achieve or maintain a slim waistline, it is important to include 'essential fats' in your diet NOT exclude them.
Note: This is where 'no fat' or very 'low fat' diets fall down. You might lose weight but are you really healthy in the end and what about the long term effects of depriving your body of essential fats? I will not talk about those here as they are easy enough to research on the internet.
Nuts in moderation really are fine, although do give salted nuts a miss.
Another excellent source of 'essential fat' is seeds... eat them raw or include them in delicious recipes.
Yet another source is vegetable oils and the King or Queen of vegetable oils is 'Olive Oil' It really is 'top' oil! I like to consume a 'maintenance dose' of one tablespoon of Olive Oil a day. When shopping for Olive Oil look for 'Cold Pressed' and 'Extra Virgin'.
Oily fish is another exellent source of 'essential fat'. Eat 2 or 3 servings of oily fish each week eg herring, tuna, sardines and mackerel (including over the Christmas period).
To summarise; 'essential fats' such as those found in nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and oily fish are 'good' for you and will 'help' not hinder you in achieving / maintaining that slim waistline, and crucially they are vital for good health.
Tomorrow we talk about sweets / candy and chocolate!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
On the second day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
Here we go with my second day of Christmas tips to avoid that increase in waistline size over the festive season.
On the second day of Christmas my true love said to me...
"HOW DO WE HANDLE THE CHRISTMAS 'SPIRIT'?"
Hey - I don't want to be labeled Mr. Scrooge. Come on folks the festive season is a time to celebrate. But there's no need to drink yourself under the table is there?
Most people like to get into the 'spirit' of things and enjoy a glass or two of their favorite tipple especially at this time of year and why not? So take a look at these simple tips to help you on the way:
a) Drink in moderation. A small glass of white wine, a glass of champagne, a small rum and coke are around 100-calories each. Why not allow yourself 2 drinks a day during the festivities? That’s unless you have to drive a vehicle or it is inappropriate for medical reasons of course.
b) Alternate your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water.
c) Add carbonated (sparkling) mineral water to your wine to make a long drink.
d) Enjoy your alcoholic drinks at meal times only. At other times keep to low calorie non-alcoholic drinks or better still... water.
e) I suggest staying away from beers, they are higher in calories than the alternatives above and they bloat your stomach. If you enjoy a beer how about keeping to one small glass a day?
Tomorrow is the third day of my Christmas tips to keep a check of your waistline and I ask the question:
ARE YOU NUTS... ABOUT NUTS?
Here we go with my second day of Christmas tips to avoid that increase in waistline size over the festive season.
On the second day of Christmas my true love said to me...
"HOW DO WE HANDLE THE CHRISTMAS 'SPIRIT'?"
Hey - I don't want to be labeled Mr. Scrooge. Come on folks the festive season is a time to celebrate. But there's no need to drink yourself under the table is there?
Most people like to get into the 'spirit' of things and enjoy a glass or two of their favorite tipple especially at this time of year and why not? So take a look at these simple tips to help you on the way:
a) Drink in moderation. A small glass of white wine, a glass of champagne, a small rum and coke are around 100-calories each. Why not allow yourself 2 drinks a day during the festivities? That’s unless you have to drive a vehicle or it is inappropriate for medical reasons of course.
b) Alternate your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water.
c) Add carbonated (sparkling) mineral water to your wine to make a long drink.
d) Enjoy your alcoholic drinks at meal times only. At other times keep to low calorie non-alcoholic drinks or better still... water.
e) I suggest staying away from beers, they are higher in calories than the alternatives above and they bloat your stomach. If you enjoy a beer how about keeping to one small glass a day?
Tomorrow is the third day of my Christmas tips to keep a check of your waistline and I ask the question:
ARE YOU NUTS... ABOUT NUTS?
Monday, December 18, 2006
On the first day of Christmas my true love said to me...
.
With just 7 days to go until Christmas Day and with millions of people concerned about the potential effects on their 'waist line', I have decided to put my 'weight loss coach' hat on and post some daily tips, right up to and including Christmas Eve. So, if you have concerns about your waistline - this will hopefully see you waltz through the celebrations 'healthily', happily and without adding any unwanted pounds.
On the first day of Chrismas my true love said to me...
"HELP WE'VE GOT LOTS OF CHRISTMAS PARTIES TO ATTEND!"
Fear ye not - The occasional ‘forbidden fruit’ isn’t going to undo your whole healthy lifestyle regime. But do think before you fill your plate. Just because everyone else is throwing vast quantities of food down their throat like it's going out of fashion, doesn't mean that we all have to follow like sheep!
Oh; and please don't make the 'excuse' that they didn't have any small plates only large ones! Why not take a small plate with you and decide you will only have one small plate of food from the buffet.
Before each mouthful of food passes your lips - ask yourself this question. Do I really need to eat this food or am I just eating for eating sake? Eg being greedy! Why not take control and take smaller portions.
How hungry are you anyway? Don't just shovel food down your throat non stop (it's supposed to touch the sides!). Take a small mouthfull and eat slowly - chew - chew - chew (how long can you make each mouthful last?). Be a conisseur of food - savour the moment - identify the taste - the texture - "enjoy" the experience of each mouthful. Don't just 'gorge' yourself!
After you have swallowed, wait a few moments - enjoy the moment and then before you put more food in your mouth ask yourself "Do I really need to eat any more?" You'd be surprised, if you would only stop long enough to find out.
Once you are satisfied STOP! If there is food left on your plate leave it and walk away! You really do not have to clear your plate - there is no law saying that you do is there?
What about the question of there being no 'healthy options' on offer? That's really simple - Why not prepare your own healthy low fat snacks and have them with you in case there’s only sugary, fatty stuff on offer. Just think ahead a little.
OK - "But I couldn't possibly do that because it would offend the host / hostess" Then why not eat before you go to the party, so that you eat in your own controlled environment, so that when you go to the party you are not hungry... So as not to offend the host / hostess you could just be seen with a few small items on your plate.
How many times have you not eaten before a party and when you get there the food isn't served for ages, when the food is eventually served, you end up eating far too much because you are so hungry that you just devour it?
So, it's really about being prepared - Think ahead and take control. The only person responsible for what passes your lips is you! You can enjoy a wonderful party without gorging on excessive amounts of fat filled / unhealthy foods...
There is an old saying - "A little of what you fancy does you good" - So do take a little of what you fancy and savour the moment, just don't be excessive - and please don't feel guilty!
Tomorrow we talk about "Christmas Spirit" :-)
With just 7 days to go until Christmas Day and with millions of people concerned about the potential effects on their 'waist line', I have decided to put my 'weight loss coach' hat on and post some daily tips, right up to and including Christmas Eve. So, if you have concerns about your waistline - this will hopefully see you waltz through the celebrations 'healthily', happily and without adding any unwanted pounds.
On the first day of Chrismas my true love said to me...
"HELP WE'VE GOT LOTS OF CHRISTMAS PARTIES TO ATTEND!"
Fear ye not - The occasional ‘forbidden fruit’ isn’t going to undo your whole healthy lifestyle regime. But do think before you fill your plate. Just because everyone else is throwing vast quantities of food down their throat like it's going out of fashion, doesn't mean that we all have to follow like sheep!
Oh; and please don't make the 'excuse' that they didn't have any small plates only large ones! Why not take a small plate with you and decide you will only have one small plate of food from the buffet.
Before each mouthful of food passes your lips - ask yourself this question. Do I really need to eat this food or am I just eating for eating sake? Eg being greedy! Why not take control and take smaller portions.
How hungry are you anyway? Don't just shovel food down your throat non stop (it's supposed to touch the sides!). Take a small mouthfull and eat slowly - chew - chew - chew (how long can you make each mouthful last?). Be a conisseur of food - savour the moment - identify the taste - the texture - "enjoy" the experience of each mouthful. Don't just 'gorge' yourself!
After you have swallowed, wait a few moments - enjoy the moment and then before you put more food in your mouth ask yourself "Do I really need to eat any more?" You'd be surprised, if you would only stop long enough to find out.
Once you are satisfied STOP! If there is food left on your plate leave it and walk away! You really do not have to clear your plate - there is no law saying that you do is there?
What about the question of there being no 'healthy options' on offer? That's really simple - Why not prepare your own healthy low fat snacks and have them with you in case there’s only sugary, fatty stuff on offer. Just think ahead a little.
OK - "But I couldn't possibly do that because it would offend the host / hostess" Then why not eat before you go to the party, so that you eat in your own controlled environment, so that when you go to the party you are not hungry... So as not to offend the host / hostess you could just be seen with a few small items on your plate.
How many times have you not eaten before a party and when you get there the food isn't served for ages, when the food is eventually served, you end up eating far too much because you are so hungry that you just devour it?
So, it's really about being prepared - Think ahead and take control. The only person responsible for what passes your lips is you! You can enjoy a wonderful party without gorging on excessive amounts of fat filled / unhealthy foods...
There is an old saying - "A little of what you fancy does you good" - So do take a little of what you fancy and savour the moment, just don't be excessive - and please don't feel guilty!
Tomorrow we talk about "Christmas Spirit" :-)
Nordic Walkers Cause Car Accident ?
.
=====================================================================================
My thanks to Francis Mitchell - Managing Director of Nordic Walking UK http://www.nordicwalking.co.uk for this information from a recent INWA (International Nordic Walking Association) newsletter. Nordic Walking UK are the UK representatives for INWA http://inwa.nordicwalking.com/ and offer instructor training at venues throughout the UK and also Ireland
=====================================================================================
I thought that headline might get your attention.
Fortunately it was only a minor collision but at a recent INWA Convention, a group of Nordic Walking instructors 'indirectly' caused a passing car driver to have a collision!
Note: The instructors were not at fault as the following eye witness testimony shows:
Eyewitness testimony:
"Middle-aged gentleman was driving his car until he saw a group of 'nice looking
ladies' doing 'Nordic Walking' in a park. He took a first look, then another and then… CRASH! Straight road, no traffic, lovely weather, he just lost the control of his car because of staring at INWA Nordic Walking Coaches doing some Nordic Walking exercising."
=====================================================================================
My thanks to Francis Mitchell - Managing Director of Nordic Walking UK http://www.nordicwalking.co.uk for this information from a recent INWA (International Nordic Walking Association) newsletter. Nordic Walking UK are the UK representatives for INWA http://inwa.nordicwalking.com/ and offer instructor training at venues throughout the UK and also Ireland
=====================================================================================
I thought that headline might get your attention.
Fortunately it was only a minor collision but at a recent INWA Convention, a group of Nordic Walking instructors 'indirectly' caused a passing car driver to have a collision!
Note: The instructors were not at fault as the following eye witness testimony shows:
Eyewitness testimony:
"Middle-aged gentleman was driving his car until he saw a group of 'nice looking
ladies' doing 'Nordic Walking' in a park. He took a first look, then another and then… CRASH! Straight road, no traffic, lovely weather, he just lost the control of his car because of staring at INWA Nordic Walking Coaches doing some Nordic Walking exercising."
NORDIC WALKING - SKI READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM (WEEK 3)
.
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to Week 3 of our ski readiness course. It is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
(The course is progressive. So if you missed the last two weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December and start from there.)
This week we will continue to use Nordic Walking to build stamina. But we will add some speed work to your Nordic Walking. And we will continue to work on muscles.
It’s interesting to see that our twin focus on stamina and muscle-toning is supported by a comment in the latest issue of the British magazine, Ultra-FIT. (Vol 16 No 8.) It says:
“X-country skiing is the king of all aerobic sports, bar none! Because so many large muscle groups are used simultaneously, the total oxygen demand of X-country skiing exceeds that of other sports, leading to very high heart rates and a very high aerobic training stimulus. This makes it a superb, impact-free training alternative or complement to running, swimming, cycling and rowing as well as a great training mode in its own right. Moreover, because so many muscles are worked, X-country skiing also provides all over muscle toning.”
In case that makes cross-country skiing sound a bit scary, bear in mind that Ultra-FIT is a pretty serious magazine. On our ski holiday there will be plenty of time to enjoy the views, and we will take things at a relaxed pace. But the fitness benefits will still be there!
Please remember that in earlier postings we have described some useful mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and some muscle stretches for you to do after every workout. Be sure to include them in your Nordic Walking sessions.
Nordic Walking
This week we ask you to add “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic Walking sessions. In these bursts we want you to walk just a little bit faster than your normal pace. Don’t run! And don’t let yourself get too much out of breath. Even during the fast bursts you should still be able to hold a conversation – though perhaps made up of fairly short sentences!
(If you use a heart – rate monitor, as discussed in last week’s posting, then take your heart-rate up to about 75% of your MHR during the fast bursts.)
Walk at your normal speed for about 15 minutes before starting the fast bursts.
In Week 1 we asked you to put yourself into Category A, B or C, based on your current level of participation in Nordic Walking.
CATEGORY A
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the same combination as last week:
- Three Nordic Walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes: This week, however, add a two-minute burst of speed to each of the three 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY B
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the same combination as last week:
- Two Nordic Walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes. This week, however, add a two-minute burst of speed to both of the 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY C
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the same combination as last week:
- One Nordic Walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes. This week, however, add a two-minute burst of speed to the 30-minute session.
Muscle Toning
We continue to work on the mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs and for promoting good balance.
Last week we asked you to hold each mini-squat for a few seconds. And we asked you to do two or three “sets” of about 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to work just a little harder at it. Again, let’s work in our categories.
CATEGORY A
* Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
* Do 10 repetitions in a set.
* Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
* Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
* Do 10 repetitions in a set.
* Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
* Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
* Do 10 repetitions in a set.
* Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
Next week we will develop these mini-squats into a routine that will really help your ski-balance..
As always, remember to slow down if your workout ever feels too strenuous or if you feel sick or dizzy.
Happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to Week 3 of our ski readiness course. It is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
(The course is progressive. So if you missed the last two weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December and start from there.)
This week we will continue to use Nordic Walking to build stamina. But we will add some speed work to your Nordic Walking. And we will continue to work on muscles.
It’s interesting to see that our twin focus on stamina and muscle-toning is supported by a comment in the latest issue of the British magazine, Ultra-FIT. (Vol 16 No 8.) It says:
“X-country skiing is the king of all aerobic sports, bar none! Because so many large muscle groups are used simultaneously, the total oxygen demand of X-country skiing exceeds that of other sports, leading to very high heart rates and a very high aerobic training stimulus. This makes it a superb, impact-free training alternative or complement to running, swimming, cycling and rowing as well as a great training mode in its own right. Moreover, because so many muscles are worked, X-country skiing also provides all over muscle toning.”
In case that makes cross-country skiing sound a bit scary, bear in mind that Ultra-FIT is a pretty serious magazine. On our ski holiday there will be plenty of time to enjoy the views, and we will take things at a relaxed pace. But the fitness benefits will still be there!
Please remember that in earlier postings we have described some useful mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and some muscle stretches for you to do after every workout. Be sure to include them in your Nordic Walking sessions.
Nordic Walking
This week we ask you to add “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic Walking sessions. In these bursts we want you to walk just a little bit faster than your normal pace. Don’t run! And don’t let yourself get too much out of breath. Even during the fast bursts you should still be able to hold a conversation – though perhaps made up of fairly short sentences!
(If you use a heart – rate monitor, as discussed in last week’s posting, then take your heart-rate up to about 75% of your MHR during the fast bursts.)
Walk at your normal speed for about 15 minutes before starting the fast bursts.
In Week 1 we asked you to put yourself into Category A, B or C, based on your current level of participation in Nordic Walking.
CATEGORY A
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the same combination as last week:
- Three Nordic Walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes: This week, however, add a two-minute burst of speed to each of the three 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY B
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the same combination as last week:
- Two Nordic Walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes. This week, however, add a two-minute burst of speed to both of the 30-minute sessions.
CATEGORY C
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the same combination as last week:
- One Nordic Walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes. This week, however, add a two-minute burst of speed to the 30-minute session.
Muscle Toning
We continue to work on the mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs and for promoting good balance.
Last week we asked you to hold each mini-squat for a few seconds. And we asked you to do two or three “sets” of about 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to work just a little harder at it. Again, let’s work in our categories.
CATEGORY A
* Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
* Do 10 repetitions in a set.
* Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
* Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
* Do 10 repetitions in a set.
* Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
* Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
* Do 10 repetitions in a set.
* Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
Next week we will develop these mini-squats into a routine that will really help your ski-balance..
As always, remember to slow down if your workout ever feels too strenuous or if you feel sick or dizzy.
Happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Testimonial - I'm really enjoying this interaction !
.
"Thanks very much for all your updates - I'm really enjoying this
interaction. I check into your website each week and always find
something of interest."
Rochelle De La Giroday
Vancouver, BC Canada
"Thanks very much for all your updates - I'm really enjoying this
interaction. I check into your website each week and always find
something of interest."
Rochelle De La Giroday
Vancouver, BC Canada
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Nordic Walking Expert Series - Gerry Faderbauer (Canadian Nordic Walking Association)
.
...And now for the introduction of another new 'regular feature'. For some time now I have wanted to do a series of 'Expert Interviews'. Apart from anything else I wanted to give my readers the opportunity to hear more from other people and less from me:-). Also I thought it would be great if some of the key people from around the world of Nordic Walking would be prepared to share their views and thoughts with us. So here we go...
The Gerry Faderbauer Interview
David: "I would like to welcome Gerry Faderbauer of the Canadian Nordic Walking Association. Gerry has kindly agreed to be the first person to sit in the 'hot seat' and be interviewed by me for my new 'Nordic Walking Expert Series'. So, welcome Gerry and thank you for giving us your time today."
Gerry: "Not at all David, it's a great pleasure, thank you for inviting me."
David: "Gerry; how did you come to get started with Nordic Walking?"
Gerry: "As a member of the Austrian national rowing team, the Austrian Olympic team in Atlanta 1996 and 3 times World Champion, I used to train two to three times every day all year long. In the winter when it was too cold for rowing and there was not enough snow for cross country skiing I used to run uphill.
In order to have a full body workout, I used my short cross country skiing poles to push myself forward. That was in the 1980s, some years later I heard about Nordic Walking. I realized from the beginning that my poles gave me an excellent physical workout. They helped me in my training and therefore contributed to my success as a full time athlete."
David: "Tell me about the Canadian Nordic Walking Association (CNWA) and your future goals and visions?"
Gerry: "I want the Canadian Nordic Walking Association to be the first address for all Canadians who are interested in this sport. We want to make sure that everybody who begins with Nordic Walking gets advise from a trainer certified by the Association.
It is very important to begin with the right technique as it's important that everybody gets the maximum benefit. The Canadian Nordic Walking Association also wants to advise and inform fitness professionals like personal trainers and other professionals working in the field of fitness about this sport."
David: "With regards to your Nordic Walking career to date, what has given you the greatest satisfaction and why?"
Gerry: "The greatest satisfaction was probably that the meaning of Nordic Walking increased immensely in Canada. It is great to see this sport taking off and to be part of it right from the beginning on."
David: "Tell me about Nordic Walking in Canada as you see it right now?"
Gerry: "Compared to many European countries I see Nordic Walking in Canada on the beginning of it´s development. There is much room for growing. The great thing with Nordic Walking is, that it suits for so many different target groups. At this time of speaking, Nordic Walking is accepted and known mainly by people who are more involved in fitness then the average population.
But Nordic Walking can be adapted so easy to the needs of nearly everybody - independent from individual fitness level and also independent from age. I am convinced that many more people will come in contact with Nordic Walking and will love this exercise."
David: "How do you define Nordic Walking?"
Gerry: "I define Nordic Walking as a specific walking technique using poles to involve the upper body into the walking process and to push the body forward."
David: "How do you see Nordic Walking developing over the coming years at an international level?"
Gerry: "I am sure that Nordic Walking will become as popular like - let me say for example 'skiing'. People will choose their destination for holidays dependent on the ability to Nordic Walk there and to have the infrastructure for Nordic Walking. This is a great challenge for the Tourist industry."
David: "Is Nordic Walking going to have long term staying power, or is it just another ‘latest fitness trend’...here today and gone tomorrow?"
Gerry: "Nordic Walking is such a great exercise for so many different kinds of people and nearly everybody who tries it once, realizes quickly how much they can benefit from this sport. It is not a exercise just based on bubbles and loud marketing.
We are getting e-mails from people from all age and fitness levels and they all tell us how much they like this sport. I mean: There are many hard facts how and why Nordic Walking makes sense for everybody - so I think this sport will not be seen by the people just as a trend."
David: "What advice would you give to someone who is considering taking up Nordic Walking and who has a low – medium level of fitness and is carrying some extra pounds and who wants to trim down and improve their general health and fitness levels?"
Gerry: "Well, it is important that everybody who wants to start a fitness program starting on a low - medium level of fitness and with some extra pounds should talk to this physician first. But basically I am convinced that Nordic Walking would be the sport of choice to build up fitness. It is important to start with the right technique, so I would say the first steps should be done under the advice of a good trainer.
To improve fitness it is important to do Nordic Walking on a regular base - best daily. Start with distances which you can do easily - avoid overexerting. The good thing on Nordic Walking is, that first positive results are quickly to feel and also the first pounds are melting pretty soon. That improves motivation immensely. Well, and of course it is fun to walk in a group - that´s usually also a big boost in motivation."
David: "What equipment do you consider to be essential for someone just getting started with Nordic Walking?"
Gerry: "One of the advantages of Nordic Walking is that it is not necessary to spend big dollars on a sophisticated equipment. Good walking shoes and a pair of Nordic Walking poles are enough to start with this sport. It is important that the poles have a ergonomic handle with straps holding the pole in the right position also when the walker opens his hand - this is part of the right walking technique.
One of the sponsors of the Canadian Nordic Walking Association, "Timberdoodle Outdoors", developed in close cooperation with us some aluminium poles which fit perfectly the needs of everybody who wants to do this sport. All that for a very affordable price."
David: "Fixed length poles, adjustable poles, semi adjustable poles, telescopic poles - What is your take on poles?"
Gerry: "We recommend, especially for beginners, telescopic poles. They can easily be adjusted also for other people (maybe your kids, your spouse of friend wants to try it too) and are perfect for walking. Later on, when somebody decides: that´s my sport, it may make sense to switch to other poles."
David: "How do you answer someone who asks "why do I need training, surely there's nothing difficult about walking with poles?"
Gerry: "To get the full benefit from Nordic Walking it is necessary to walk with the right technique. This is not difficult to learn, because with Nordic Walking you basically use the natural movement of the body. Nevertheless: it is not just 'walking with poles'. It is important to find the right rhythm, to place the poles correctly and to release and catch the handle in the right way."
David: "Someone has been Nordic Walking for a while and they have experienced health and fitness benefits. Now they want to take Nordic Walking to the next level. What do you recommend?"
Gerry: "Well, it is easy to adapt Nordic Walking for every fitness level and for every intensity. Experienced walkers can increase their speed and increase the power to push themselves forward. That leads to a very effective workout. A more difficult terrain can make a big difference. Next steps could also be Nordic Running (use the poles while running) or use the poles with snowshoes in wintertime."
David: "Ok Gerry, I really appreciate your time today, it's been great talking to you and hearing about your views and thoughts."
Gerry: "It's been my pleasure David - Thank you!"
=====================================================================================
To find out more about the Canadian Nordic Walking association please visit:
http://www.cnwa.info
=====================================================================================
EXPERTS WANTED! If you are a Nordic Walking expert and you would like to be featured in this 'Expert Series' or if there is an expert that you would like to see featured please email: david @ nordicwalkingnewsonline.com
...And now for the introduction of another new 'regular feature'. For some time now I have wanted to do a series of 'Expert Interviews'. Apart from anything else I wanted to give my readers the opportunity to hear more from other people and less from me:-). Also I thought it would be great if some of the key people from around the world of Nordic Walking would be prepared to share their views and thoughts with us. So here we go...
The Gerry Faderbauer Interview
David: "I would like to welcome Gerry Faderbauer of the Canadian Nordic Walking Association. Gerry has kindly agreed to be the first person to sit in the 'hot seat' and be interviewed by me for my new 'Nordic Walking Expert Series'. So, welcome Gerry and thank you for giving us your time today."
Gerry: "Not at all David, it's a great pleasure, thank you for inviting me."
David: "Gerry; how did you come to get started with Nordic Walking?"
Gerry: "As a member of the Austrian national rowing team, the Austrian Olympic team in Atlanta 1996 and 3 times World Champion, I used to train two to three times every day all year long. In the winter when it was too cold for rowing and there was not enough snow for cross country skiing I used to run uphill.
In order to have a full body workout, I used my short cross country skiing poles to push myself forward. That was in the 1980s, some years later I heard about Nordic Walking. I realized from the beginning that my poles gave me an excellent physical workout. They helped me in my training and therefore contributed to my success as a full time athlete."
David: "Tell me about the Canadian Nordic Walking Association (CNWA) and your future goals and visions?"
Gerry: "I want the Canadian Nordic Walking Association to be the first address for all Canadians who are interested in this sport. We want to make sure that everybody who begins with Nordic Walking gets advise from a trainer certified by the Association.
It is very important to begin with the right technique as it's important that everybody gets the maximum benefit. The Canadian Nordic Walking Association also wants to advise and inform fitness professionals like personal trainers and other professionals working in the field of fitness about this sport."
David: "With regards to your Nordic Walking career to date, what has given you the greatest satisfaction and why?"
Gerry: "The greatest satisfaction was probably that the meaning of Nordic Walking increased immensely in Canada. It is great to see this sport taking off and to be part of it right from the beginning on."
David: "Tell me about Nordic Walking in Canada as you see it right now?"
Gerry: "Compared to many European countries I see Nordic Walking in Canada on the beginning of it´s development. There is much room for growing. The great thing with Nordic Walking is, that it suits for so many different target groups. At this time of speaking, Nordic Walking is accepted and known mainly by people who are more involved in fitness then the average population.
But Nordic Walking can be adapted so easy to the needs of nearly everybody - independent from individual fitness level and also independent from age. I am convinced that many more people will come in contact with Nordic Walking and will love this exercise."
David: "How do you define Nordic Walking?"
Gerry: "I define Nordic Walking as a specific walking technique using poles to involve the upper body into the walking process and to push the body forward."
David: "How do you see Nordic Walking developing over the coming years at an international level?"
Gerry: "I am sure that Nordic Walking will become as popular like - let me say for example 'skiing'. People will choose their destination for holidays dependent on the ability to Nordic Walk there and to have the infrastructure for Nordic Walking. This is a great challenge for the Tourist industry."
David: "Is Nordic Walking going to have long term staying power, or is it just another ‘latest fitness trend’...here today and gone tomorrow?"
Gerry: "Nordic Walking is such a great exercise for so many different kinds of people and nearly everybody who tries it once, realizes quickly how much they can benefit from this sport. It is not a exercise just based on bubbles and loud marketing.
We are getting e-mails from people from all age and fitness levels and they all tell us how much they like this sport. I mean: There are many hard facts how and why Nordic Walking makes sense for everybody - so I think this sport will not be seen by the people just as a trend."
David: "What advice would you give to someone who is considering taking up Nordic Walking and who has a low – medium level of fitness and is carrying some extra pounds and who wants to trim down and improve their general health and fitness levels?"
Gerry: "Well, it is important that everybody who wants to start a fitness program starting on a low - medium level of fitness and with some extra pounds should talk to this physician first. But basically I am convinced that Nordic Walking would be the sport of choice to build up fitness. It is important to start with the right technique, so I would say the first steps should be done under the advice of a good trainer.
To improve fitness it is important to do Nordic Walking on a regular base - best daily. Start with distances which you can do easily - avoid overexerting. The good thing on Nordic Walking is, that first positive results are quickly to feel and also the first pounds are melting pretty soon. That improves motivation immensely. Well, and of course it is fun to walk in a group - that´s usually also a big boost in motivation."
David: "What equipment do you consider to be essential for someone just getting started with Nordic Walking?"
Gerry: "One of the advantages of Nordic Walking is that it is not necessary to spend big dollars on a sophisticated equipment. Good walking shoes and a pair of Nordic Walking poles are enough to start with this sport. It is important that the poles have a ergonomic handle with straps holding the pole in the right position also when the walker opens his hand - this is part of the right walking technique.
One of the sponsors of the Canadian Nordic Walking Association, "Timberdoodle Outdoors", developed in close cooperation with us some aluminium poles which fit perfectly the needs of everybody who wants to do this sport. All that for a very affordable price."
David: "Fixed length poles, adjustable poles, semi adjustable poles, telescopic poles - What is your take on poles?"
Gerry: "We recommend, especially for beginners, telescopic poles. They can easily be adjusted also for other people (maybe your kids, your spouse of friend wants to try it too) and are perfect for walking. Later on, when somebody decides: that´s my sport, it may make sense to switch to other poles."
David: "How do you answer someone who asks "why do I need training, surely there's nothing difficult about walking with poles?"
Gerry: "To get the full benefit from Nordic Walking it is necessary to walk with the right technique. This is not difficult to learn, because with Nordic Walking you basically use the natural movement of the body. Nevertheless: it is not just 'walking with poles'. It is important to find the right rhythm, to place the poles correctly and to release and catch the handle in the right way."
David: "Someone has been Nordic Walking for a while and they have experienced health and fitness benefits. Now they want to take Nordic Walking to the next level. What do you recommend?"
Gerry: "Well, it is easy to adapt Nordic Walking for every fitness level and for every intensity. Experienced walkers can increase their speed and increase the power to push themselves forward. That leads to a very effective workout. A more difficult terrain can make a big difference. Next steps could also be Nordic Running (use the poles while running) or use the poles with snowshoes in wintertime."
David: "Ok Gerry, I really appreciate your time today, it's been great talking to you and hearing about your views and thoughts."
Gerry: "It's been my pleasure David - Thank you!"
=====================================================================================
To find out more about the Canadian Nordic Walking association please visit:
http://www.cnwa.info
=====================================================================================
EXPERTS WANTED! If you are a Nordic Walking expert and you would like to be featured in this 'Expert Series' or if there is an expert that you would like to see featured please email: david @ nordicwalkingnewsonline.com
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
ANWA Nordic Walking Advanced & Basic Instructor Certification Seminars in Los Angeles
.
ANWA, the American Nordic Walking Association, will conduct an Advanced Nordic Walking Certification and Basic Instructor Certification Seminars in Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday, January 27 - 28, 2007!
Enjoy the spectacular California weather, and scenery of the Pacific coastline, as you become certified in the world's fastest growing sport!
Please follow the link below, to visit ANWA's Workshops and Seminars webpage to register for this space-limited training opportunity:
http://www.anwa.us/index.php?Workshops%20and%20Seminars&id=22
NEW! ANWA Certification Opportunities for 2007.
ANWA is pleased to announce several more Nordic Walking Certification opportunities for early 2007. Locations include: * Los Angelas, California* North Carolina * Atlanta, Georgia * Washington DC Metro Area * and more!
You can visit the ANWA "Become an Instructor" page for the latest information by following the link below:
http://www.anwa.us/index.php?Become%20an%20Instructor&id=10
Note: If you run certified Nordic Walking Instructor Training courses and you would like to see your courses listed on this website email:
david @ nordicwalkingnewsonline.com
ANWA, the American Nordic Walking Association, will conduct an Advanced Nordic Walking Certification and Basic Instructor Certification Seminars in Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday, January 27 - 28, 2007!
Enjoy the spectacular California weather, and scenery of the Pacific coastline, as you become certified in the world's fastest growing sport!
Please follow the link below, to visit ANWA's Workshops and Seminars webpage to register for this space-limited training opportunity:
http://www.anwa.us/index.php?Workshops%20and%20Seminars&id=22
NEW! ANWA Certification Opportunities for 2007.
ANWA is pleased to announce several more Nordic Walking Certification opportunities for early 2007. Locations include: * Los Angelas, California* North Carolina * Atlanta, Georgia * Washington DC Metro Area * and more!
You can visit the ANWA "Become an Instructor" page for the latest information by following the link below:
http://www.anwa.us/index.php?Become%20an%20Instructor&id=10
Note: If you run certified Nordic Walking Instructor Training courses and you would like to see your courses listed on this website email:
david @ nordicwalkingnewsonline.com
RAMBLINGS OF A NORDIC WALKER (PART 1)
.
=====================================================================================
My thanks to fellow UK based INWA Nordic Walking Instructor - Oliver Gynn from www.nordic-walkingholidays.com for contributing this interesting and amusing two part article. Look out for Part 2 next week.
=====================================================================================
The winter of 2006-7 saw much hard work to recover my Nordic Walking fitness after an arthroscopy to my left knee. To test my physical improvements I embarked on a number of adventures to distant lands.
My first foray was in May to Faakersee in Southern Austria, venue for weekend workshop I was leading. Due to an administration hiccup I find that I have a group of canoeists not walkers. Never mind, my enhanced upper body strength and improved triceps tone soon had me skimming across the lake like a demented water boatman insect. I felt like a nautical Pied Piper with my guests following in my wake.
Moral of story:- Check your travel details and itinery carefully.
My second trip was to Madeira to experience 'levada' walking. Lavadas are man made mini-canals used for irrigation; they hang precariously to precipitous mountainsides and distribute water from the highlands to the surrounding countryside. Our first choice was a levada with a very narrow footpath alongside. To have used my poles in anything like correct style I would have needed a Wellington boot on one, to go in the water and a 300foot extension on the other to reach the valley below...
...However with a pigeon heeled poling action I did manage to affect some benefit from the poles. My friend unwilling to compromise his Nordic Walking style decided to abandon poles and stick them in his rucksack. Thus we proceeded until we reached a low tunnel...
...My friend forgetting the poles projecting from his rucksack entered the tunnel with gusto only to be projected backwards as the tips of the poles made contact with the tunnel roof. He hurtled back with much haste ending up sitting astride the footpath with one foot in the water and the other hanging over the abyss. Beyond the tunnel the land opened out to a splendid plateaux well suited to Nordic Walking.
Moral of story:- If visiting Madeira make sure your routes are Nordic Walkable throughout their entire length.
Oliver Gynn
www.nordic-walkingholidays.com
NEXT WEEK: Oliver shares the stories of his encounter with an inquisitive 'Pilgrim' in the Pyrenees and rather bizarrely the lady with a pink 'hairdo' and matching small 'poodle dog' in the Dolomites... Yes, you did read that right!
=====================================================================================
My thanks to fellow UK based INWA Nordic Walking Instructor - Oliver Gynn from www.nordic-walkingholidays.com for contributing this interesting and amusing two part article. Look out for Part 2 next week.
=====================================================================================
The winter of 2006-7 saw much hard work to recover my Nordic Walking fitness after an arthroscopy to my left knee. To test my physical improvements I embarked on a number of adventures to distant lands.
My first foray was in May to Faakersee in Southern Austria, venue for weekend workshop I was leading. Due to an administration hiccup I find that I have a group of canoeists not walkers. Never mind, my enhanced upper body strength and improved triceps tone soon had me skimming across the lake like a demented water boatman insect. I felt like a nautical Pied Piper with my guests following in my wake.
Moral of story:- Check your travel details and itinery carefully.
My second trip was to Madeira to experience 'levada' walking. Lavadas are man made mini-canals used for irrigation; they hang precariously to precipitous mountainsides and distribute water from the highlands to the surrounding countryside. Our first choice was a levada with a very narrow footpath alongside. To have used my poles in anything like correct style I would have needed a Wellington boot on one, to go in the water and a 300foot extension on the other to reach the valley below...
...However with a pigeon heeled poling action I did manage to affect some benefit from the poles. My friend unwilling to compromise his Nordic Walking style decided to abandon poles and stick them in his rucksack. Thus we proceeded until we reached a low tunnel...
...My friend forgetting the poles projecting from his rucksack entered the tunnel with gusto only to be projected backwards as the tips of the poles made contact with the tunnel roof. He hurtled back with much haste ending up sitting astride the footpath with one foot in the water and the other hanging over the abyss. Beyond the tunnel the land opened out to a splendid plateaux well suited to Nordic Walking.
Moral of story:- If visiting Madeira make sure your routes are Nordic Walkable throughout their entire length.
Oliver Gynn
www.nordic-walkingholidays.com
NEXT WEEK: Oliver shares the stories of his encounter with an inquisitive 'Pilgrim' in the Pyrenees and rather bizarrely the lady with a pink 'hairdo' and matching small 'poodle dog' in the Dolomites... Yes, you did read that right!
Monday, December 11, 2006
David's Motivational Message - # 1
'
I have decided to do something different. I am going to post a regular motivational message - I hope they will be insirational for somebody! I love writing and talking about all things motivational... I am a great fan of 'personal development and apart from my sports and fitness back ground I am a qualified 'Life Coach', so this really is something that's close to my heart.
One of the biggest barriers standing in the way of achievement for anyone is something called 'self limiting beliefs' - And I mean anything and in any area of life! Eg - Health & Fitness / Family Life / Career / Your Recreation / Money / Relationships with anyone; including your partner, your children, your boss, your colleagues at work, your neighbours etc:
Do you know anyone who says things like...
"I can never lose weight because it's in my genes (eg it's my parents fault!) and that's the way I am".
"I just can't climb hills, they kill me... and that's the way I am!"
"I could never walk / run a marathon, I can't even go around the block without getting out of breath and all my family are the same (it's their fault) ... and that's the way I am!"
"I could never get on with those new neighbours; They took an instant dislike to me (it's their fault) because... and that's the way I am!"
"Be a Nordic Walking instructor? You gotta be kidding... I couldn't stand up in front of a group of people... I tried that once and everybody laughed at me... and that's the way I am!"
"I could never be glamorous / or cool / or look young again / be successful / be self employed / be a happy person again / etc etc... because, because, because... and that's the way I am!"
"I'll never have money - It was never meant to be... I fail at everything I try... It's my eductaion; it's my upbringing; it's my partners fault, it's the cat's fault; if the dog hadn't got pregnent; I'm too old / too young / too fat / too thin / the wrong color / race / creed...and that's the way I am!"
Self limiting beliefs suffocate achievement...
I hope you enjoy the following article. It is written by a gentleman that I have alot of respect for. He is a UK based internet marketer by the name of Martin Avis. Martin very kindly took time out to help me (a complete stranger) a couple of years ago when I was just getting started properly with taking my business online. I am looking forward to meeting Martin for the first time in January at an internet marketers lunch he is holding in London UK.
Martin runs a 3 times a week e-newsletter (e-zine) called 'Kickstart Today'. Whilst Kickstart is aimed at internet marketers, anyone with an interest in personal development should find it interesting / inspirational. If you'd like to check out Kickstart Daily (subscription is free) go to:
http://www.kickstartdaily.com
Here's Martin's Article
Let's start this new week by looking at the things that are inside your head that will try to stop you from being the success you deserve.
There is a technical term for them:
'Self-limiting beliefs.'
Take a look at those three words.
Self: Self implies that it is inside of you. That it has no external reference. It is your creation. No-one else's.
Limiting: To limit is to set a barrier. A barrier that you cannot pass.
Beliefs: Beliefs are ideas that are taken on trust. They have no particular basis in fact - they are something that you have come to accept without question.
Self-limiting beliefs: uncorroborated ideas that you have put in place to set artificial barriers for yourself.
We all have thousands of them. Every single one of us believes absolutely in hundreds of so-called facts that hold us back from where we really should be going.
When I was 11 my head teacher told my parents that I was a good student but I was let down by my writing. I took that to mean that I was a bad writer (I think now he meant my handwriting, but the damage was done). So for the next 30 years I hardly dared to write anything. I was NOT a writer. I believed that absolutely, but still there was a voice inside of me that was trying to get out.
Then one day I wrote a few things for my own amusement and other people got to see them. They said they liked what they saw and had I got any more?
Bang! My self-limiting belief was challenged. My inner voice escaped.
Now I write every day for thousands of people, have produced five ebooks and have at least three more on the blocks.
I can now say, without fear of my brain laughing at me, that I AM a writer.
My wife had a similar experience. An art teacher once held her work up to show the class and said, 'this is rubbish'. Delia has never drawn another picture again and despite people telling her that she could draw if she wanted to, the scar runs too deep.
I still have other self-limiting beliefs. I can read the words on a tax return, for example, but my brain refuses to let me understand them.
I know I COULD install my new forum software, but my self-limiting belief keeps telling me that I will mess it up.
But you know what - I recognize these self-limiting beliefs as the fallacies that they really are. I KNOW in my heart that they are only my brain's way of protecting
me from failure.
But what is worse - failing to succeed or failing to try?
Your self-limiting beliefs are probably every bit as silly as my ones. And you are sure to be far more able than you ever give yourself credit for.
So to start this week, my message is simply this - suspend your disbelief in yourself.
From now on, stop suspecting that you CAN'T and start to believe that you CAN.
You will find a lot of barriers melt away.
Martin Avis
http://www.kickstartdaily.com
Footnote from David... Or put another way: "If you think you can you can: If you think you can't you're right!"
I have decided to do something different. I am going to post a regular motivational message - I hope they will be insirational for somebody! I love writing and talking about all things motivational... I am a great fan of 'personal development and apart from my sports and fitness back ground I am a qualified 'Life Coach', so this really is something that's close to my heart.
One of the biggest barriers standing in the way of achievement for anyone is something called 'self limiting beliefs' - And I mean anything and in any area of life! Eg - Health & Fitness / Family Life / Career / Your Recreation / Money / Relationships with anyone; including your partner, your children, your boss, your colleagues at work, your neighbours etc:
Do you know anyone who says things like...
"I can never lose weight because it's in my genes (eg it's my parents fault!) and that's the way I am".
"I just can't climb hills, they kill me... and that's the way I am!"
"I could never walk / run a marathon, I can't even go around the block without getting out of breath and all my family are the same (it's their fault) ... and that's the way I am!"
"I could never get on with those new neighbours; They took an instant dislike to me (it's their fault) because... and that's the way I am!"
"Be a Nordic Walking instructor? You gotta be kidding... I couldn't stand up in front of a group of people... I tried that once and everybody laughed at me... and that's the way I am!"
"I could never be glamorous / or cool / or look young again / be successful / be self employed / be a happy person again / etc etc... because, because, because... and that's the way I am!"
"I'll never have money - It was never meant to be... I fail at everything I try... It's my eductaion; it's my upbringing; it's my partners fault, it's the cat's fault; if the dog hadn't got pregnent; I'm too old / too young / too fat / too thin / the wrong color / race / creed...and that's the way I am!"
Self limiting beliefs suffocate achievement...
I hope you enjoy the following article. It is written by a gentleman that I have alot of respect for. He is a UK based internet marketer by the name of Martin Avis. Martin very kindly took time out to help me (a complete stranger) a couple of years ago when I was just getting started properly with taking my business online. I am looking forward to meeting Martin for the first time in January at an internet marketers lunch he is holding in London UK.
Martin runs a 3 times a week e-newsletter (e-zine) called 'Kickstart Today'. Whilst Kickstart is aimed at internet marketers, anyone with an interest in personal development should find it interesting / inspirational. If you'd like to check out Kickstart Daily (subscription is free) go to:
http://www.kickstartdaily.com
Here's Martin's Article
Let's start this new week by looking at the things that are inside your head that will try to stop you from being the success you deserve.
There is a technical term for them:
'Self-limiting beliefs.'
Take a look at those three words.
Self: Self implies that it is inside of you. That it has no external reference. It is your creation. No-one else's.
Limiting: To limit is to set a barrier. A barrier that you cannot pass.
Beliefs: Beliefs are ideas that are taken on trust. They have no particular basis in fact - they are something that you have come to accept without question.
Self-limiting beliefs: uncorroborated ideas that you have put in place to set artificial barriers for yourself.
We all have thousands of them. Every single one of us believes absolutely in hundreds of so-called facts that hold us back from where we really should be going.
When I was 11 my head teacher told my parents that I was a good student but I was let down by my writing. I took that to mean that I was a bad writer (I think now he meant my handwriting, but the damage was done). So for the next 30 years I hardly dared to write anything. I was NOT a writer. I believed that absolutely, but still there was a voice inside of me that was trying to get out.
Then one day I wrote a few things for my own amusement and other people got to see them. They said they liked what they saw and had I got any more?
Bang! My self-limiting belief was challenged. My inner voice escaped.
Now I write every day for thousands of people, have produced five ebooks and have at least three more on the blocks.
I can now say, without fear of my brain laughing at me, that I AM a writer.
My wife had a similar experience. An art teacher once held her work up to show the class and said, 'this is rubbish'. Delia has never drawn another picture again and despite people telling her that she could draw if she wanted to, the scar runs too deep.
I still have other self-limiting beliefs. I can read the words on a tax return, for example, but my brain refuses to let me understand them.
I know I COULD install my new forum software, but my self-limiting belief keeps telling me that I will mess it up.
But you know what - I recognize these self-limiting beliefs as the fallacies that they really are. I KNOW in my heart that they are only my brain's way of protecting
me from failure.
But what is worse - failing to succeed or failing to try?
Your self-limiting beliefs are probably every bit as silly as my ones. And you are sure to be far more able than you ever give yourself credit for.
So to start this week, my message is simply this - suspend your disbelief in yourself.
From now on, stop suspecting that you CAN'T and start to believe that you CAN.
You will find a lot of barriers melt away.
Martin Avis
http://www.kickstartdaily.com
Footnote from David... Or put another way: "If you think you can you can: If you think you can't you're right!"
Sunday, December 10, 2006
NORDIC WALKING - SKI READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM (Week 2)
.
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to Week 2 of our ski readiness course. It is intended mainly for those joining our February Cross-country skiing holiday in the snowy hills of Norway (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness via Nordic Walking.
The course is progressive. So if you missed Week 1, then please go back to our posting of last Monday (4 December) and start from there.
This week we will concentrate mainly on using Nordic Walking to build stamina. But we will also work on muscles. This combination of stamina and muscle endurance will help prepare you for the delights (and demands) of swishing through silent forests under snow-covered trees on our cross-country skiing holiday.
Last Monday we described some useful mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout On Friday we described some muscle stretches for you to do after every workout (Please be sure to include them in your Nordic Walking sessions).
Let’s start with the Nordic Walking sessions...
Our main emphasis this week is on getting into a habit of doing regular sessions of Nordic Walking. The aim is to help you maintain physical activity for longish periods without feeling over tired. This week we want you to work at a fairly easy intensity. By that we mean that you should be able to hold a conversation throughout the Nordic Walking sessions – if you feel out of breath then slow down. (If you want to get technical about intensity of work rate, then see the note on heart-rate monitoring at the end of this article.)
Last week we asked you to put yourself into Category A, B or C, based on your current level of participation in Nordic walking.
CATEGORY A:
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the following combination:
- Three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes.
CATEGORY B
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the following combination:
- Two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
CATEGORY C
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the following combination:
- One Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Muscle Toning
Last week we introduced an exercise called the mini-squat (see last Monday posting). Mini-squats are great for toning the legs and they also help give you good balance, which of course will help your skiing skills to improve.
Last week we asked you to hold each mini-squat for a duration of just one second. And we asked you to do two or three “sets” of about 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to work just a little harder at it. Again, let’s work in our categories.
CATEGORY A:
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B:
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C:
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of two
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
A note on heart rate monitoring:
If you are serious about getting fit (or if you simply like playing with gadgets) then you should consider using a heart-rate monitor to measure and control how hard you are working.
Note: You should find some heart rate monitor links in the listings in the left hand column of this website. Just click on the links to go directly to the right pages on the Amazon.com website. It doesn't matter where you live, products on Amazon.com are shipped internationally.
Most monitors consist of a chest belt that relays continuous measurements to a kind of wristwatch. But you can get others that use just the wristwatch. When using a monitor to train, the first thing to do is to determine what is called your Maximum Heart Rate or MHR...
...For men you do this by taking the number 220 and subtracting your age. A man aged 50 will therefore have a MHR of 170 beats per minute. For women you do this by taking the number 200 and subtracting your age. A woman aged 50 will therefore have a MHR of 150.
This week we have asked you, when Nordic Walking, to work at a “fairly easy” intensity. In terms of heart-rate, this means working at about 65% of your MHR. So, if you are a man of 50, you should be aiming for about 170 x 65%, which is 110 beats per minute. If you are a woman of 50 then you should be aiming for about 150 x 65%, which is 98 beats per minute.
Whether or not you use a monitor, remember to slow down if your workout ever feels too strenuous or if you feel sick or dizzy.
Note: An alternative to using a heart rate monitor is the good old fashioned method of 'pulse counting':
Pulse counting is not as convenient as using a HRM, as apart from anything else you have to stop in order to count / check your pulse rate. But here's how you do it:
With your left hand facing palm upwards, place two finger tips of your right hand about an inch below the base of your left thumb. You are looking for an intermittent throbbing sensation in your wrist (your pulse). Once you have found your pulse, next, using a watch, count the number of pulse beats for 15 seconds and then multiply this number by four to get your heart beats per minute.
We will be back next week with week 3 of this training program.
Happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to Week 2 of our ski readiness course. It is intended mainly for those joining our February Cross-country skiing holiday in the snowy hills of Norway (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness via Nordic Walking.
The course is progressive. So if you missed Week 1, then please go back to our posting of last Monday (4 December) and start from there.
This week we will concentrate mainly on using Nordic Walking to build stamina. But we will also work on muscles. This combination of stamina and muscle endurance will help prepare you for the delights (and demands) of swishing through silent forests under snow-covered trees on our cross-country skiing holiday.
Last Monday we described some useful mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout On Friday we described some muscle stretches for you to do after every workout (Please be sure to include them in your Nordic Walking sessions).
Let’s start with the Nordic Walking sessions...
Our main emphasis this week is on getting into a habit of doing regular sessions of Nordic Walking. The aim is to help you maintain physical activity for longish periods without feeling over tired. This week we want you to work at a fairly easy intensity. By that we mean that you should be able to hold a conversation throughout the Nordic Walking sessions – if you feel out of breath then slow down. (If you want to get technical about intensity of work rate, then see the note on heart-rate monitoring at the end of this article.)
Last week we asked you to put yourself into Category A, B or C, based on your current level of participation in Nordic walking.
CATEGORY A:
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the following combination:
- Three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes.
CATEGORY B
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the following combination:
- Two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
CATEGORY C
If you are in this category, then this week you should do the following combination:
- One Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Muscle Toning
Last week we introduced an exercise called the mini-squat (see last Monday posting). Mini-squats are great for toning the legs and they also help give you good balance, which of course will help your skiing skills to improve.
Last week we asked you to hold each mini-squat for a duration of just one second. And we asked you to do two or three “sets” of about 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to work just a little harder at it. Again, let’s work in our categories.
CATEGORY A:
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B:
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C:
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of two
- Do 10 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
A note on heart rate monitoring:
If you are serious about getting fit (or if you simply like playing with gadgets) then you should consider using a heart-rate monitor to measure and control how hard you are working.
Note: You should find some heart rate monitor links in the listings in the left hand column of this website. Just click on the links to go directly to the right pages on the Amazon.com website. It doesn't matter where you live, products on Amazon.com are shipped internationally.
Most monitors consist of a chest belt that relays continuous measurements to a kind of wristwatch. But you can get others that use just the wristwatch. When using a monitor to train, the first thing to do is to determine what is called your Maximum Heart Rate or MHR...
...For men you do this by taking the number 220 and subtracting your age. A man aged 50 will therefore have a MHR of 170 beats per minute. For women you do this by taking the number 200 and subtracting your age. A woman aged 50 will therefore have a MHR of 150.
This week we have asked you, when Nordic Walking, to work at a “fairly easy” intensity. In terms of heart-rate, this means working at about 65% of your MHR. So, if you are a man of 50, you should be aiming for about 170 x 65%, which is 110 beats per minute. If you are a woman of 50 then you should be aiming for about 150 x 65%, which is 98 beats per minute.
Whether or not you use a monitor, remember to slow down if your workout ever feels too strenuous or if you feel sick or dizzy.
Note: An alternative to using a heart rate monitor is the good old fashioned method of 'pulse counting':
Pulse counting is not as convenient as using a HRM, as apart from anything else you have to stop in order to count / check your pulse rate. But here's how you do it:
With your left hand facing palm upwards, place two finger tips of your right hand about an inch below the base of your left thumb. You are looking for an intermittent throbbing sensation in your wrist (your pulse). Once you have found your pulse, next, using a watch, count the number of pulse beats for 15 seconds and then multiply this number by four to get your heart beats per minute.
We will be back next week with week 3 of this training program.
Happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
Friday, December 08, 2006
Nordic Walking (Ski Readiness) Training Program - Post Exercise Stretches
.
FOLLOWING ON FROM THE FIRST THREE PARTS OF THE WEEK 1 NORDIC WALKING (SKI READINESS)TRAINING PROGRAM POSTED EARLIER THIS WEEK...THE FOURTH PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO WARM DOWN AND STRETCH AFTER EXERCISE.
After every Nordic Walking session, be sure to walk around slowly for five or ten minutes to warm down. This helps your blood flow return to normal, and also helps prevent muscle soreness.
Then, when you have finished warming down, it is important to give your muscle groups a gentle stretch. Hold each stretch for about 20 seconds. Always consider your posture when you stretch eg don’t slump.
Note that these are ‘static’ stretches – this means that you hold each position still and do not bounce when doing them. Use your Nordic Walking poles for support / balance as appropriate
Tibialis Stretch (front lower leg)
- Stand with your feet side by side and about hip-width apart.
- Stand up on your toes and hold this position
Calf Stretch (rear lower legs)
- Stand with your feet side by side and about hip-width apart.
- Keep your heels on the ground and lift your toes upwards and hold this position
Alternative Calf Stretch
- Start with your feet side by side. Then step one foot forward about 18 inches and step the other foot back about 18 inches.
- Bend the front knee so that it is directly above the front ankle (your foot is flat on the ground)
- Your rear leg is straight and your foot is flat on the ground. Push down into the ground through your heel.
- Ensure the toes of the rear foot are pointing directly forwards and not turned outwards
- To increase the stretch take the rear foot a little further back whilst making sure that the knee of the front leg remains directly above the ankle
- Change legs and repeat
Quad Stretch (front upper leg)
- Start with your feet side by side and stand tall
- Lift the heel of one foot behind you (so that the knee bends) and take hold of that ankle with your hand (you can see why this is sometimes called the flamingo)
- Lengthen from the hip of the bent knee towards the knee and beyond
- To increase the stretch, gently pull the bent leg backwards whilst pushing the hip of the same leg forwards. You should be feeling a stretch on the front of the thigh of the bent leg.
- For extra stability hold on to a fixed object eg wall or a tree for balance with your spare hand or use your Nordic Walking poles for support.
- Change legs and repeat
Hamstring (rear upper leg) & Back Stretch
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Plant your Nordic Walking poles about three feet in front of you and bend forward at your waist and “hang” on your poles (don’t let your head sink)
- Keeping your arms fairly straight, push forward through your poles and push back through your hips.
- To increase the stretch take your feet further back and push forward through the poles more
Triceps Stretch (rear Upper Arm)
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Hold one Nordic Walking pole vertically behind your back, with one hand near the top of it (eg behind your head) and the other near the bottom (eg behind your lower back).
- Pull down with the lower hand
- To increase the stretch as you pull down on the pole with your lower hand push upwards through the elbow of the higher hand.
- Change hands and repeat
Ok that's all for this week. We will be back with week 2 of this training program soon.
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
FOLLOWING ON FROM THE FIRST THREE PARTS OF THE WEEK 1 NORDIC WALKING (SKI READINESS)TRAINING PROGRAM POSTED EARLIER THIS WEEK...THE FOURTH PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO WARM DOWN AND STRETCH AFTER EXERCISE.
After every Nordic Walking session, be sure to walk around slowly for five or ten minutes to warm down. This helps your blood flow return to normal, and also helps prevent muscle soreness.
Then, when you have finished warming down, it is important to give your muscle groups a gentle stretch. Hold each stretch for about 20 seconds. Always consider your posture when you stretch eg don’t slump.
Note that these are ‘static’ stretches – this means that you hold each position still and do not bounce when doing them. Use your Nordic Walking poles for support / balance as appropriate
Tibialis Stretch (front lower leg)
- Stand with your feet side by side and about hip-width apart.
- Stand up on your toes and hold this position
Calf Stretch (rear lower legs)
- Stand with your feet side by side and about hip-width apart.
- Keep your heels on the ground and lift your toes upwards and hold this position
Alternative Calf Stretch
- Start with your feet side by side. Then step one foot forward about 18 inches and step the other foot back about 18 inches.
- Bend the front knee so that it is directly above the front ankle (your foot is flat on the ground)
- Your rear leg is straight and your foot is flat on the ground. Push down into the ground through your heel.
- Ensure the toes of the rear foot are pointing directly forwards and not turned outwards
- To increase the stretch take the rear foot a little further back whilst making sure that the knee of the front leg remains directly above the ankle
- Change legs and repeat
Quad Stretch (front upper leg)
- Start with your feet side by side and stand tall
- Lift the heel of one foot behind you (so that the knee bends) and take hold of that ankle with your hand (you can see why this is sometimes called the flamingo)
- Lengthen from the hip of the bent knee towards the knee and beyond
- To increase the stretch, gently pull the bent leg backwards whilst pushing the hip of the same leg forwards. You should be feeling a stretch on the front of the thigh of the bent leg.
- For extra stability hold on to a fixed object eg wall or a tree for balance with your spare hand or use your Nordic Walking poles for support.
- Change legs and repeat
Hamstring (rear upper leg) & Back Stretch
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Plant your Nordic Walking poles about three feet in front of you and bend forward at your waist and “hang” on your poles (don’t let your head sink)
- Keeping your arms fairly straight, push forward through your poles and push back through your hips.
- To increase the stretch take your feet further back and push forward through the poles more
Triceps Stretch (rear Upper Arm)
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Hold one Nordic Walking pole vertically behind your back, with one hand near the top of it (eg behind your head) and the other near the bottom (eg behind your lower back).
- Pull down with the lower hand
- To increase the stretch as you pull down on the pole with your lower hand push upwards through the elbow of the higher hand.
- Change hands and repeat
Ok that's all for this week. We will be back with week 2 of this training program soon.
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
STOP PRESS - Brand New Nordic Walking Gift / Merchandise Website Now Launched !
.
I have some exciting news to announce today: I have just launched a brand new Nordic Walking gift / merchandise website.
http://www.nordicwalkinggifts.com
Over '150' "Nordic Walking" gift items are now on sale in my online shop and there is still time for many of you to get your orders in for Christmas (if you are really quick), at least I think there should be if you live in the USA where my online shop is based.
I'm not too sure about elsewhere in the world as it comes down to the the international mailing service (bearing in mind the festive rush!)...But it's worth a try. If all else fails there's some great after Christmas gifts available ;-)
Anyway... Please have a look at the website as there is a huge range of products including:
Nordic Walking 'Santa' gifts and novelty items. Nordic Walking Caps and hats, mugs, bags, bumper stickers. A wide range of adults and children's Nordic Walking clothing eg: T shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies etc. There are even 'Nordic Walkies' gifts for dog lovers!
Here's the link again... have fun browsing!
http://www.nordicwalkinggifts.com/
David
I have some exciting news to announce today: I have just launched a brand new Nordic Walking gift / merchandise website.
http://www.nordicwalkinggifts.com
Over '150' "Nordic Walking" gift items are now on sale in my online shop and there is still time for many of you to get your orders in for Christmas (if you are really quick), at least I think there should be if you live in the USA where my online shop is based.
I'm not too sure about elsewhere in the world as it comes down to the the international mailing service (bearing in mind the festive rush!)...But it's worth a try. If all else fails there's some great after Christmas gifts available ;-)
Anyway... Please have a look at the website as there is a huge range of products including:
Nordic Walking 'Santa' gifts and novelty items. Nordic Walking Caps and hats, mugs, bags, bumper stickers. A wide range of adults and children's Nordic Walking clothing eg: T shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies etc. There are even 'Nordic Walkies' gifts for dog lovers!
Here's the link again... have fun browsing!
http://www.nordicwalkinggifts.com/
David
Monday, December 04, 2006
NORDIC WALKING - SKI READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM (WEEK 1)
.
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Welcome to our 10-week Ski Readiness course. It’s intended mainly for those of you who are joining our cross-country ski week in Norway in February (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it is suitable for anyone who wants to combine Nordic Walking and other activities in order to boost their general fitness.
Nordic Walking is great for improving stamina. But there are other aspects of fitness besides stamina - muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and balance – and our course will work on all of them.
Every week we will post an article with the programme for that week. The course is progressive – which means that it gets harder as it goes on. The usual warning applies – if you have any doubts at all about your health or your suitability for fitness training then please see your medical practitioner before starting.
We are now in Week 1 and your main task – apart from simply getting started! – is to prepare yourself for the rest of the course. There are four parts to this preparation.
THE FIRST PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO ASSESS YOUR STAMINA
Each week we will offer three levels of workout...
1) Easy
2) Not so easy
3) Hard
...so that you can choose the one most suitable for you. We can use your current level of Nordic Walking as a rough measure of where you should start. On average, how many sessions do you do every week?
- If you do 5 or more sessions every week – put yourself in Category A
- If you do 3 or 4 sessions every week – put yourself in Category B
- If you do 2 sessions or fewer every week – put yourself in Category C
Having put yourself into one of the above categories, do the warm-up routine described below, and then go out Nordic Walking and walk for exactly one hour on a route that you can measure. Walk at a brisk but comfortable pace. You should feel that you are having a good workout, but you should still be able to maintain a conversation throughout.
How far did you walk?
- If you covered 4 miles (6.4km) or more, then stay in the category you achieved in the previous section.
- If you did less than 4 miles, drop down one category.
- If you were already in Category C, don’t worry - just stay in Category C.
We will refer to these categories every week until the end of the course.
THE SECOND PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO START TONING YOUR MUSCLES
In cross-country skiing you use the same muscles as when Nordic Walking. So as a regular Nordic walker you should already be in pretty good shape for skiing. But we want to help you get into even better shape, and each week we will include a muscle-toning workout.
We start now, and our first workout uses an exercise called Mini Squats.
Mini squats are good for developing the muscles of the upper leg: the quadriceps (front of thigh), hamstrings (back of thigh) and gluteals (buttocks). They also help to strengthen the knees. You can do them at home without any special equipment.
1) Begin by standing with your back straight and with your abdominal muscles slightly engaged.
2) Relax your shoulders and keep your hands low and loose.
3) Place your feet hip-width apart and keep your heels on the ground throughout (don't rise up on to your toes).
4) Now slowly squat down until your knees are above and in line with your toes. At the same time bend forward just a little at the hips. Keep your head facing forwards – don’t look down. Hold this position for a second and then slowly stand up again. You have just done one “repetition” of this exercise.
Note: When you hold the squat for one second in the bent knee position, this is very similar to the position you adopt when skiing straight down a slope.
For this week, whether you are in Category A, B or C, you should attempt two or three sets of about 10 repetitions in a session. And do two or three sessions in the week.
THE THIRD PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO WARM UP BEFORE EXERCISE
Mobilisation exercises are good for loosening your joints and warming up your muscles. Before every session we recommend you perform the following sequence, which starts with the ankles and works up through the body. It will take no more than 10 minutes. You do these exercises while standing still.
For the first exercises in the sequence, you can use your Nordic walking poles for balance.
Ankle Circles:
Lift one foot a few inches from the ground and slowly rotate your ankle, making a big easy circle with your toes. Keep your leg fairly straight while doing this. Do five circles in one direction, then five in the other direction. Now repeat with the other foot.
Ankles – Flex & Point:
Lift one foot a few inches from the ground. Keeping your leg straight, now very gently bring your toes up and back, as if you were trying to point your big toe up at your face. Hold this for a second and then tilt your foot so that your toes are pointing downward at the ground in front of you. Hold for a second. Repeat the movements five times. Then repeat the sequence with the other foot.
Heel Lifts:
Bring one heel up behind you to about knee height (knee is bent). Return your foot to the ground and repeat the movement with the other foot (alternating foot to foot). Repeat the movement five times with each foot.
Knee Lifts:
Now lift one foot off the ground and bring your knee up in front of you (knee is bent) to around waist height. Return it to the ground and repeat with the other knee. Do five times with each foot. This exercise helps to loosen the hips as well as the knees.
Hip Circles:
Now place your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Then rotate your hips as if you were using a hula hoop. Do this slowly and gently, and do five rotations in one direction then five in the other.
Now lay down your Nordic walking poles and start to loosen your shoulders.
Shoulder Circles:
Start by rotating one shoulder up and back and round. Do five rotations. Then do the same with the other shoulder. Now repeat in the opposite direction - up and forward and round. Now repeat again this time by rotating both shoulders together. Five rotations in one direction and then do five in the opposite direction.
Front Crawl Swimming:
For the last exercise in this sequence, continue to stand upright and simply move your hands and arms as if you were swimming front crawl. Take it easy and don’t strain. About five strokes with each arm will be plenty.
Now you are ready to go out Nordic Walking.
Note: In a second posting this week we will include some post exercise stretches for you to follow, so plesae check back in a couple of days.
Happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
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I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
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Welcome to our 10-week Ski Readiness course. It’s intended mainly for those of you who are joining our cross-country ski week in Norway in February (see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm for details). But it is suitable for anyone who wants to combine Nordic Walking and other activities in order to boost their general fitness.
Nordic Walking is great for improving stamina. But there are other aspects of fitness besides stamina - muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and balance – and our course will work on all of them.
Every week we will post an article with the programme for that week. The course is progressive – which means that it gets harder as it goes on. The usual warning applies – if you have any doubts at all about your health or your suitability for fitness training then please see your medical practitioner before starting.
We are now in Week 1 and your main task – apart from simply getting started! – is to prepare yourself for the rest of the course. There are four parts to this preparation.
THE FIRST PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO ASSESS YOUR STAMINA
Each week we will offer three levels of workout...
1) Easy
2) Not so easy
3) Hard
...so that you can choose the one most suitable for you. We can use your current level of Nordic Walking as a rough measure of where you should start. On average, how many sessions do you do every week?
- If you do 5 or more sessions every week – put yourself in Category A
- If you do 3 or 4 sessions every week – put yourself in Category B
- If you do 2 sessions or fewer every week – put yourself in Category C
Having put yourself into one of the above categories, do the warm-up routine described below, and then go out Nordic Walking and walk for exactly one hour on a route that you can measure. Walk at a brisk but comfortable pace. You should feel that you are having a good workout, but you should still be able to maintain a conversation throughout.
How far did you walk?
- If you covered 4 miles (6.4km) or more, then stay in the category you achieved in the previous section.
- If you did less than 4 miles, drop down one category.
- If you were already in Category C, don’t worry - just stay in Category C.
We will refer to these categories every week until the end of the course.
THE SECOND PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO START TONING YOUR MUSCLES
In cross-country skiing you use the same muscles as when Nordic Walking. So as a regular Nordic walker you should already be in pretty good shape for skiing. But we want to help you get into even better shape, and each week we will include a muscle-toning workout.
We start now, and our first workout uses an exercise called Mini Squats.
Mini squats are good for developing the muscles of the upper leg: the quadriceps (front of thigh), hamstrings (back of thigh) and gluteals (buttocks). They also help to strengthen the knees. You can do them at home without any special equipment.
1) Begin by standing with your back straight and with your abdominal muscles slightly engaged.
2) Relax your shoulders and keep your hands low and loose.
3) Place your feet hip-width apart and keep your heels on the ground throughout (don't rise up on to your toes).
4) Now slowly squat down until your knees are above and in line with your toes. At the same time bend forward just a little at the hips. Keep your head facing forwards – don’t look down. Hold this position for a second and then slowly stand up again. You have just done one “repetition” of this exercise.
Note: When you hold the squat for one second in the bent knee position, this is very similar to the position you adopt when skiing straight down a slope.
For this week, whether you are in Category A, B or C, you should attempt two or three sets of about 10 repetitions in a session. And do two or three sessions in the week.
THE THIRD PART OF YOUR PREPARATION IS TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO WARM UP BEFORE EXERCISE
Mobilisation exercises are good for loosening your joints and warming up your muscles. Before every session we recommend you perform the following sequence, which starts with the ankles and works up through the body. It will take no more than 10 minutes. You do these exercises while standing still.
For the first exercises in the sequence, you can use your Nordic walking poles for balance.
Ankle Circles:
Lift one foot a few inches from the ground and slowly rotate your ankle, making a big easy circle with your toes. Keep your leg fairly straight while doing this. Do five circles in one direction, then five in the other direction. Now repeat with the other foot.
Ankles – Flex & Point:
Lift one foot a few inches from the ground. Keeping your leg straight, now very gently bring your toes up and back, as if you were trying to point your big toe up at your face. Hold this for a second and then tilt your foot so that your toes are pointing downward at the ground in front of you. Hold for a second. Repeat the movements five times. Then repeat the sequence with the other foot.
Heel Lifts:
Bring one heel up behind you to about knee height (knee is bent). Return your foot to the ground and repeat the movement with the other foot (alternating foot to foot). Repeat the movement five times with each foot.
Knee Lifts:
Now lift one foot off the ground and bring your knee up in front of you (knee is bent) to around waist height. Return it to the ground and repeat with the other knee. Do five times with each foot. This exercise helps to loosen the hips as well as the knees.
Hip Circles:
Now place your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Then rotate your hips as if you were using a hula hoop. Do this slowly and gently, and do five rotations in one direction then five in the other.
Now lay down your Nordic walking poles and start to loosen your shoulders.
Shoulder Circles:
Start by rotating one shoulder up and back and round. Do five rotations. Then do the same with the other shoulder. Now repeat in the opposite direction - up and forward and round. Now repeat again this time by rotating both shoulders together. Five rotations in one direction and then do five in the opposite direction.
Front Crawl Swimming:
For the last exercise in this sequence, continue to stand upright and simply move your hands and arms as if you were swimming front crawl. Take it easy and don’t strain. About five strokes with each arm will be plenty.
Now you are ready to go out Nordic Walking.
Note: In a second posting this week we will include some post exercise stretches for you to follow, so plesae check back in a couple of days.
Happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
