Nordic Walking

General walking

Before the NW program, participants completed a one-week familiarization phase to practice pole use. Training was held three times: 15 minutes on days 1 and 2, and 20 minutes on day 3, at 40-60% heart rate reserve (measured with a pulse oximeter). Warm-up included a 1-minute slow walk, toe raises, seated dorsiflexion, mini squats, scapular adduction, and shoulder/wrist stretches. Each session ended with a cool-down of a 2-minute slow walk and 20-second stretches for major muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, lumbar extensors, gastrocnemius, shoulders, wrists).The walking poles used in this study were the Evolite Ultralite Titanium Antishock Trekking Pole, which has a titanium alloy body and a three-piece telescopic structure, adjustable to the desired length between 68 and 135 cm.

This is a widely used clinical assessment tool in geriatrics for evaluating lower limb function, muscle strength, balance, and overall physical performance in older adults. Participants were instructed to sit on a chair approximately 48 cm in height, keeping their back straight, feet flat on the floor, and arms crossed over the chest. They were then asked to stand up and sit down repeatedly for 30 seconds. The total number of complete stands performed within the 30-second period was recorded

This is a widely used assessment in geriatrics to evaluate upper body strength and endurance, particularly of the arm muscles (7). The arm curl test was performed with participants seated on a chair without armrests. Holding a dumbbell in the hand with the palm facing the body, participants executed elbow flexion with supination through a full range of motion, ensuring the elbow was fully bent and then fully extended for each repetition. Women used 2 kg dumbbells and men used 3 kg dumbbells. The total number of controlled repetitions completed in 30 seconds was recorded.

It is a widely used, simple, and validated clinical assessment to measure aerobic capacity and functional exercise tolerance in older adults (8). The participant was instructed to walk along a 30-meter flat surface for six minutes. At the end of the six-minute period, the total distance walked was recorded in meters.

This is a clinical and research tool to assess mobility, balance, walking ability, and fall risk in older adults (9). While seated on a chair approximately 48 cm in height, the participant was instructed, upon hearing the "start" command, to stand up, walk 3 meters forward at a normal walking speed, return, and sit down again. The test was performed twice, and the average time was recorded.

It is a validated tool used to assess an individual's confidence in performing daily activities without falling. Participants rated their perceived safety during various daily activities on a scale from 1 (very confident) to 10 (not confident at all). Scores were converted to a total between 0 (low fall-related self-efficacy) and 100 (high fall-related self-efficacy), with higher scores indicating greater fear of falling (10).