The digital challenge for physical activity. Quantitative and qualitative monitoring of Nordic Walking activity.

Nordic Walking (NW) has become increasingly popular in recent years, both as a discipline to improve fitness levels and promote health in healthy individuals, and as a means of counteracting the negative effects of most non-communicable chronic diseases that are sensitive to physical exercise. However, as highlighted in the literature, the correct execution of the NW technique appears to be a relevant factor for maximizing the positive effects associated with the practice that scientific research is characterizing. This raises the need to utilize and further develop new technologies specifically designed to monitor the biomechanical parameters of NW practice, in conjunction with traditional activity- related metabolic parameters. This approach is consistent with recent observations, which have shown an increasing use of commercial technology in various fields, including health, physical exercise, and sport. It is also essential to understand how such tools can support the daily practice of movement professionals, allowing the monitoring of the activities carried out by users and providing feedback, including remotely, thus expanding the possibilities for analysis, improving the accuracy of assessments, and promoting the development of more targeted and effective interventions. From this need arose the idea of Gabel S.r.l. to develop a system capable of addressing these challenges, which materializes in an instrumented NW pole called E-Poles, accompanied by a dedicated mobile application and web portal. This system comprises a pair of poles capable of acquiring, processing, and managing a wide range of biomechanical parameters that can be detected during NW activity, thus providing detailed information on the technical gesture. The associated digital 5 platform also enables the monitoring of progress over time, the analysis of data in an integrated manner, and the provision of immediate feedback, thereby facilitating the optimization of practice and the adoption of personalized interventions to improve performance and the safety of the activity. This doctoral thesis, therefore, has as its primary purpose to provide scientific support for the further development of the instrumentation already under development by the company, which is co-funding the doctorate, by integrating increasingly advanced and specific parameters and assessments. This is achieved through the evaluation of its validity and effectiveness using a series of tests, experiments, and data collections, which concern both the use of different types of poles among a group of NW practitioners and the effects of using E-Poles in various populations. In parallel with the project, indications were provided to optimize its accessibility, as well as proposals and targeted suggestions or ideas for improving the dedicated app and the service portal. Specifically, in Study 1, various aspects of the use of three different types of Nordic Walking poles were analyzed. In particular, the focus was on gait biomechanics, metabolic responses, and muscle activation, while also considering the subjective perception of participants during the use of the three different poles. The results indicate that the classic type of NW pole, the model on which E-Poles is also based, still remains the best choice. Subsequently, with Study 2, the focus shifted more towards investigating possible effects and/or differences in the learning of the NW technique, using the system devised by Gabel S.r.l., E-Poles, in two different populations: a group of breast cancer survivors (BCS) and a group of healthy women (HW). The results indicate that the use of E-Poles is a potential monitoring tool for both BCS and HW. However, further studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness and to define its practical applications more precisely. It nevertheless emerged that the use of this technology contributed positively to maintaining adherence to the training program. And finally, Study 3, carried out concurrently with Study 2 and on the same population, but with a different objective: to investigate the effect of an exercise program based on Nordic Walking on aspects of strength, flexibility, and balance. In this case, the results confirm the positive 6 effect of NW practice as a total-body form of exercise, already widely described in the literature, but also show that, in the presence of a pathological condition, an exercise program may require more time to have the same effects as in a healthy population. The results of this doctoral thesis are therefore aimed at deepening the understanding of the effects of using different types of NW poles, investigating how electronic poles can be incorporated into structured exercise programs involving various populations, and evaluating the effects of NW on different domains of health.