Personalization of Nordic walking programs in a sanatorium-type medical center

Abstract

To assess the effectiveness of Nordic walking in adolescent 15-17 years old depending on type of initial vegetative tone and the time of the lessons. It was examined 60 adolescents aged 15-17 years of the II health group including 30 persons with vagotonic and 30 persons with sympathicotonic type of initial vegetative tone. In each groups the subgroups were identified who were engaged in Nordic walking from 8:00 to 9:00 (morning subgroups, 15 teenagers) and from 18:00 to 19:00 (evening subgroups, 15 teenagers). The course included 21 sessions of 45 minutes daily. Heart rate variability, the level of self-esteem according to D. Keirsey, well-being, activity and mood according to the SAN method, subjective load tolerance according to the Borg scale and general physical endurance according to the results of a test with a 6-minute run were assessed. A significant positive effect was observed with the differentiated use of Nordic walking taking into account the type of the initial vegetative tone and the daily rhythm of physical activity. In adolescent vagotonics training in the evening according to the analysis of heart rate variability, the functional reserve and activity of regulatory systems increased with a tendency to normalize the sympathetic-parasympathetic balance, the indicators of the psychological sphere improved, physical endurance increased, as well as the motivation for training and their subjective tolerance. In sympathicotonic adolescents, a similar positive effect of Nordic walking took place when exercising in the morning. A different distribution of training time (morning hours for vagotonics and evening hours for sympathicotonics) was accompanied by tension in the work of the autonomic nervous system apparatus caused disharmony in the emotional state, did not lead to an increase in physical endurance and worsened subjective load tolerance. When planning a course of Nordic walking in adolescents it is necessary to take into account the type of initial vegetative tone and choose the right time for classes: with vagotonia they should be carried out in the evening, with sympathicotonia - in the morning.