History lesson. Variation of heart rate in normal walking vs. Nordic Walking

The test shown on below was carried out at the Finnish Sports Institute in Vierumäki (www.vierumaki.fi) with the medical station’s treadmill on 20 January 1999. The Table below was previously published in the guidebook From Sauvakävelystä Sauvaliikuntaan eng. Nordic Walking to Pole Sports (M.Kantaneva, R.Kasurinen 1999).

The purpose of the test was not to provide scientifically incontestable proof of increased heart rate resulting from Nordic Walking as opposed to normal walking. It was rather a concrete repeated test involving one individual, during which the heart rate curve variations at constant speed and constant slant of the treadmill was monitored. During the test, heart rate variations were monitored when a 5-minute walk was followed by 5 minutes of Nordic Walking. Furthermore, the purpose of the test was to find out what happens to the heart rate, if another 5-minute normal walking trip was taken after a Nordic Walking trip. There was no pause between the mode changes, instead the test continued without stopping for 15 minutes.

Walking 5 minNordic Walking   5 minWalking 5 minDIFFERENCE beats/min AND CHANGE %
av 1) 136,1 beats/minav 1) 156,2 beats/minav 1) 144,6 beats/minav 1-2) 20,1 beats/min / 14,8 %   av 2-3) 11,6 beats/min / 7,4 %

av 1-2) Walking 1 and Nordic Walking 2, difference between average heart rates and change in percent

av 2-3) Nordic Walking 2 and walking 3, difference between average heart rates and change in percent