Community Nordic Walking For Health

Team Members

Dr. Joanne Stocks, University of Nottingham, UK

Dr Catherine Hughes, British Nordic Walking

Dr Stefan Kluzek, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Focused challenge we are addressing

Increase physical activity in people who perceive their health conditions are a barrier to participation through community-level engagement.

Overall Idea

One-third of the working-age population has at least one long-term health condition.

Physical activity can benefit many chronic conditions, including painful musculoskeletal conditions. However, many patients mistakenly believe that physical activity will make their conditions worse.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we monitored physically active people in the global study ‘Running Through’. Whilst Nordic Walkers reported more pain and co-morbidities than runners, they still participated on average twice a week and for more than the recommended physical activity guidelines.

We aim to promote and support Nordic Walking as a suitable activity for people who feel their health conditions are a barrier to physical activity.

We propose organising short program of classes in local parks for people wanting to increase their physical activity levels and include a health care professional (HCP) to attend initial sessions to provide support and advice.

Our recent study found people are most likely to participate if a HCP recommends the exercise rather than simply taking it up themselves.

Equipment is cheap, but we propose to purchase equipment and hire to participants in subsidised taster sessions.

Participants will then be encouraged and supported to expand the groups in their own local neighbourhoods as Nordic Walking community champions.

How our submission meets the 3 judging criteria

Creativity and innovation Diverging from Covid-19 isolation, our innovative proposal uses a community–centred approach to provide opportunities for people to foster connections with both members of their local neighbourhood, and healthcare professionals, that are genuine, supportive and meaningful.

Unlike schemes that motivate inactive people, we primarily aim to support previously active people who have developed long-term pain or health conditions, that are now preventing them from participating in sports they enjoyed when they were younger.

Utilising Nordic Walking enables people of all fitness levels to experience a low-cost activity, providing a full-body workout, improving upper and lower–body muscular strength, flexibility and cardio-respiratory fitness.

Impact on identified challenge and UN Sustainable Development Goals

SD3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Our inclusive proposal will increase new options and opportunities for community-level engagement in physical activity ensuring that it is accessible to everyone of any ability, gender, age, race or socio-economic background.

SD5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Nordic walking is an activity which can be enjoyed by all genders equally. It is often taken up by people who stop doing their previous sport due to injuries or health problems. Many studies in countries around the world have investigated the specific health benefits in women.

Implementation feasibility Our team includes Nordic Walking Instructors, Academic Researchers and Health Professionals with support from British Nordic Walking, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals.

Nordic Walking equipment is cheap to enable the scheme to scale up and be taken into participant’s local communities, bringing people from different backgrounds together via participating or volunteering as a Nordic Walking community champion.

The team of British Nordic Walking Instructors have lived experience of a number of long-term health conditions and disabilities. They also have a wide experience of working with people who have health conditions.

Idea Development Stage

Early testing/brainstorming stage

Supporting Documentation

Abstracts presented at Congress of the European Pain Federation (EFIC) 2022 and British Pain Society 2022 using data from the Running Through study. This data was collected during the Covid pandemic but the study is still ongoing and could be used to monitor the success and impact of the Community Nordic Walking for Health Scheme. Investigating Physical Activity and Musculoskeletal Pain in Nordic Walkers

Multi-joint pain and physical activity in runners and Nordic Walkers

Peer Reviewed Papers on the Health Benefits of Nordic Walking to Women

Inspiration

People who once were active are looking for new ways to be active when they can no longer participate in sports they once did. Also, people who have painful health conditions report that exercise was the best treatment for their pain but they were reluctant to try it for themselves without the initial support or advice from a healthcare professional.

What it does

Nordic Walking is a whole-body workout which is popular globally but is less well-known in the UK. We plan to develop local community schemes where people can trial Nordic Walking whilst supported by an onsite healthcare professional. They will then be encouraged to continue Nordic Walking in their local neighbourhoods and encourage others in their community to participate.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We have made collaborations between academics, healthcare professionals and the Nordic Walking Governing Body in the UK

What's next for Community Nordic Walking For Health

Source funding and implement the idea as a pilot project

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