Happy New Year and welcome to Nordic Walking 2020. 

If you need a little encouragement to get going again, here is some info. These snippets are about benefits of exercise and of nature. Nordic walking of course is a winning combination of both!

 

The value of forests: How trees reduce anxiety, boost brain function and help power the planet

Writing in the New Zealand Listener in January 2020, Sally Blundell lays out the case trees, Tree are not only life-supporting but also vital to our emotional wellbeing, reducing stress and boosting brain function. Yet they are under siege. She details research showing you get the benefits, by paying attention – and seeing the wood for the trees. Read more

The Big Number: Why your risks for 7 types of cancer could be reduced with physical activity

If you need a reason to get up and get moving, consider this: Your likelihood of developing seven types of cancer may be reduced by physical activity, according to new research from the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and other organizations.

A New Zealand Herald Lifestyle article says the seven cancers are breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, liver, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Read More..

 

New Zealand day walks: What to wear, eat or avoid

Good general walking tips are featured in the New Zealand Herald Travel section. It’s Day Walks in New Zealand competition, asked for tips on how best to enjoy your hike. Readers responded with their top tips on what to wear, eat or avoid for Kiwi Day walks. Read more.

Happy ski bunnies

Nordic Walking was developed as summer training for cross-country skiing. Now researchers have found that cross country skiers are less likely to develop depression, Parkinson’s and vascular dementia.

The study compared 200,000 people who took part is a long distance cross-country ski race in Sweden with a matched cohort of the general population. Read more

See you on the trail!

Linda D