Change of trunk movement during Nordic walking with curved poles

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of trunk movement during Nordic walking with curved pole（CP） compared to the Nordic walking with straight-poles（SP）. Twenty-one healthy young men were recruited, and Nordic walking with CP and Nordic walking with SP was measured using a three-dimensional motion analyzer. We hypothesized that the structure of Nordic walking with CP would facilitate increased trunk rotation during walking. The results showed that there were no significant differences in temporal and distance factors of gait between the two conditions. However, the results showed that the inward inclination of the pole had increased, as well as the extension and the rotation of the thorax. The rotation of the pelvis actually decreased during the Nordic walking with CP compared to that Nordic walking with SP.