Can you no see, there's nae snow?

It's as well that I have a thick skin and don't suffer from excessive vanity, because my wife's latest wheeze in 'helping' me to battle Parkinson's, would be impossible for me otherwise.

And what is this latest wheeze? Nordic Walking! And what is Nordic Walking I hear you ask? Well according to Parkinson's UK;


"Nordic walking is a style of walking where you use a specially designed walking pole to help you move forwards. This means that you use your arms as well as your legs and, as the poles ‘propel’ you, they help you to walk faster and more steadily than you may do normally. When properly used, the poles take the weight off the knees and lower body joints, which can make you feel lighter on your feet".

It actually originated in Finland, hence the name 'Nordic Walking', following the coming together of a Finnish Sports Institute and a Ski Pole company, who agreed to develop a special high-performance pole and come up with a technique that would give maximum health and fitness benefits.

In Finland, it is now the most common form of fitness walking.

So, it's an exercise, it's been scientifically developed and it is for all, not simply PD sufferers.

So what's the problem? Well, I will admit, I have a ridiculously low embarrassment threshold, but striding through town, walking in a style that's a poor imitation of cross-country skiing, has got to be a challenge for anyone.

Upon saying that however, in my little group, no one but me see's this as an issue.

Of course, it's not helped by the cackling comedians you meet in the park who seem to believe that they are being creative and original by pointing out "Can you no see, there's nae snow"? Usually, they then stagger off laughing to themselves or repeating their comment to their long-suffering wife.

Several times.

Now when I say stagger, I'm not suggesting drunkenness, I am suggesting a frailty caused by old age. Which makes a suitably rude response difficult.

Which is intensely frustrating.

Being winter, the weather is at best variable and there are some days when your park comedian is robbed of his favourite joke, simply because we are in what seems to be a blizzard.

Actually thinking about it for a second, considering their age and physical infirmities, you have to give them credit for being out for their daily exercise, in weather designed to make paths a dangerous killer. I don't mind the snow, I actually enjoy it, it's wind and heavy rain I loathe.

So is Nordic walking a good exercise for PD sufferers, by which I mean, does it give better results than a normal brisk walk? PUK lists what it believes to be the benefits;


It is good for your overall health, improving your body’s use of the heart and lungs, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and helping blood sugar regulation.
Nordic walking in particular can help you maintain a better posture and keep you more upright.
At the same time, taking longer strides can gently stretch your limbs and keep your body rotated, which can help you loosen up and improve your coordination.
IFor those that feel that they tend to walk slower and take smaller steps, Nordic walking creates a steady beat to improve their pace.



The first point is equally applicable to the known benefits of a brisk walk, however, the rest of the points do seem to provide additional benefits for PD patients, that standard walking alone won't provide.

So all is well and good, except that I came upon this piece of research that suggests that things may be a bit more ambiguous,

 

Effects of Nordic walking in people with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis;


The practice of Nordic Walking does not lead to clinically significant changes in global motor impairment, functional mobility, balance and physical fitness in patients with PD. This therapy seems to improve walking ability and quality of life, although further research in this latter outcome is needed.

There is a lot of research done into the benefits of Nordic walking and the one thing they all appear to agree on is that it does provide benefits to those who try it. It should be remembered that it wasn't developed specifically for Parkinson's, so it is probably a good thing to be realistic about the probable benefits.

However, personally, I will continue with it. I will put up with the weather and feeling like a plonker. I will even put up with the wife telling me I'm doing it wrong! But if the Park comedian tells me one more time, that there's 'nae snow' he may well have to ask his wife to help him remove my walking pole from where the sun doesn't shine.

If I'm in a bad mood.............................!