Nordic Walking and its Influence on Cardiorespiratory Health: A Scoping Review
Abstract
Cardiorespiratory health represents the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygenated blood to working muscles, while maintaining pulmonary function and quality of life. Regular aerobic exercise is important for the prevention and management of cardiopulmonary impairments. Nordic walking engages both upper and lower extremities, causing greater oxygen consumption and higher energy expenditure, leading to improved cardiopulmonary health. Aiming to systematically synthesize the available evidence on the effects of Nordic walking on cardiorespiratory health, this scoping review search was conducted across PubMed, ScienceDirect, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Scopus between January 2015 and November 2025. The articles were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, complying with the Population–Concept–Context framework. Data were extracted using the standardized charting form, capturing study characteristics, intervention protocols, and cardiorespiratory outcomes. Out of 256 records identified, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The included study outcomes were Volume of Oxygen Maximum/ Volume of Oxygen Peak, six-minute walk test, metabolic equivalents, heart rate, and blood pressure in cardiac patients, post-menopausal women, older adults, and normal individuals. Most studies reported improvements in aerobic capacity, functional endurance, and exercise tolerance following Nordic walking across both clinical and community populations. Nordic walking appears to be an effective, safe, and low-cost exercise intervention for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, functional capacity, and exercise tolerance.
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