Functional capacity, to clarify, is the participant's ability to complete general life activities, so pinpointing a form of exercise that supports this will naturally bolster quality of life and well-being as well. More specifically, participants who engaged in Nordic walking experienced a 19% improvement in functional capacity, while HIIT garnered a 13% improvement, and moderate-to-vigorous continuous training showed a 12% increase.
The poles are intended to help improve your speed, so when practiced over an extended period of time , it would stand to reason that this group of participants showed the most success in that area.If you don't have a pair of poles readily available to take up Nordic walking, don't stress—walking without them is still a healthy option.