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Surprising study finds this type of walking is better for your heart than HIIT

It's time to grab those poles and set off on foot for your heart health.

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man with hiking poles nordic walking
Diego Giron / Pexels

Exercise in general has been proven beneficial for your heart health, from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease to lowering blood pressure and inflammation. You don’t have to spend hours exhausting yourself at the gym or running marathons to see these heart benefits.

Previous research shows that walking at an average pace of around three to four miles per hour lowered the likelihood of a heart arrhythmia by one-third and resulted in a 35% reduced risk of heart rhythm abnormalities. Walking at a pace faster than four miles per hour slashed that risk by 43% as well as lowering the levels of inflammation. Taking a brisk walk around the block is also advantageous for your heart.

The heart-healthy power of Nordic walking

Man walking with Nordic walking poles outside by the trees wearing a hat
Lucas Favre / Unsplash

Nordic walking involves the use of specially designed poles to help support your body on diverse terrain. Researchers set out to uncover whether Nordic walking, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or moderate-to-vigorous-intensity continuous training was more beneficial for adults with coronary artery disease. Let’s explore the latest research.

The study

nordic walking poles
Ghost Acolyte / Pexels

In a 26-week study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 130 participants with coronary artery disease took part in different types of exercise, including HIIT and Nordic walking. The researchers measured the functional capacity of participants using a walk test at the start of the study, after six weeks, and after 12 weeks. Functional capacity refers to an individual’s capability to perform their typical daily life activities. 

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The goal was to determine how different exercises impacted health, quality of life, functional capacity, and more.

The results

person nordic walking in snow
Harrison Haines / Pexels

Interestingly, the study results revealed the following:

  • Those who did the Nordic walking had the most notable improvements in the distance covered in the walking test and their quality of life. Nordic walking poles are designed to help accelerate your walking pace.
  • The Nordic walking group had a 19% improvement in their functional capacity compared to a 13% improvement for HIIT and a 12% enhancement for moderate-to-vigorous continuous training.
  • The researchers concluded that Nordic walking might be the most effective choice for boosting heart health overall, though all types of movement were shown to be beneficial in this study.

The heart-healthy power of HIIT

Man doing HIIT workout.
Airam Dato-on / Pexels

Of course, this is just one study, and high-intensity interval training still provides benefits for your heart. Previous research reveals that HIIT can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, even for those with obesity and high blood pressure. HIIT circuits have also been found to lower blood sugar levels, which is good news for your heart.

The takeaway

Fat-burning HIIT workout
Sam Moqadam / Unsplash

So, whether you feel like Nordic walking on a sun-speckled nature trail or powering through a HIIT circuit, you’ll get plenty of benefits for your heart. Most fitness professionals recommend doing what you enjoy and varying your workout routine with different types of exercise.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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