According to several studies, Nordic walking, which consists of walking quickly with sticks, would have positive effects on the quality of life of breast cancer patients.
In recent years, Nordic walking has become increasingly popular. This sport that comes to us from Finland consists of walking quickly with sticks and today has more than 8 million followers worldwide. The sticks allow you to project yourself more quickly forward and solicit 80% of the muscles of the body, which makes it more dynamic in sport than the traditional walk (during which you spend 40% more energy) but less violent for the joints than running.
Indeed, according to the French Athletics Federation, during a race, the feet support 2 to 4 times the weight of the body against 1.5 times in brisk walking. Today, scientists are highlighting the health benefits of Nordic walking. According to a set of studies published in the European Journal of Cancer Carethis sport can benefit breast cancer patients by having a positive impact on disability, their figure and their quality of life.
By analyzing nine studies, the researchers found that Nordic walking had only positive effects on breast cancer patients. “According to the results of the studies analyzed, Nordic walking had a significant and positive impact on a number of symptoms, including lymphedema, physical condition, disability and morbid perceptions. No adverse effects were signal,” the authors note.
However, “the current data come from a small number of surveys with limited methodological quality. Therefore, further well-designed studies are still needed to explore the potential benefits of Nordic walking on this population”, nuance- they.
11,900 women die of breast cancer every year in France
For ten years, the French Athletics Federation has regularly encouraged “people of all ages” and “all conditions” to practice Nordic walking. “Nordic walking is an outdoor sport, most often practiced for leisure. But beware, Nordic walking is not just about putting one foot in front of the other: it is practiced using poles specially designed for this sport. In Nordic walking, the poles allow you to project forward more quickly and solicit all of your muscles. Unlike hiking, the poles are not placed vertically in front of the body but are oriented pointing towards the back, like in cross-country skiing. Thanks to the poles, the movement is fast and the attitude of the Nordic walker is athletic”, explains Virgile Van-Rampelbergh, Nordic walking coach for the French Athletics Federation at the site Newfeel.co.uk.
As for breast cancer, it is the most common among women in the world. Indeed, it represents 16% of all female cancers. In France, 54,000 new cases are diagnosed each year and, at the same time, 11,900 women die from it. In most cases, the disease appears after the age of 50, the average age of diagnosis being 61 years.
But despite these worrying figures, the incidence seems to be stabilizing after having doubled between 1980 and 2005, reports the League Against Cancer. What’s more, mortality has not increased since the 1980s. And this, thanks to enormous progress in terms of screening and medical management of the disease. Thus, at present, more than 3 out of 4 breast cancers are cured. An encouraging ratio when we know that all types of breast cancer do not have the same prognosis at all.
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