Nordic Walking

The concept of fitness walking with ski poles first began in Finland in the late 80's, and in 1997 the Fin's labeled it "Nordic Walking".

Nordic Walking (NW) can increase energy consumption by as much as 46% when compared to normal walking. The reason for this is nearly 90% of your whole body musculature is activated; raising the training effect on your cardiopulmonary system.

The increased stability and reduced joint loading provided by the poles has the potential to improve the exercise experience for many individuals who may experience pain during other forms of exercise, including running. NW Reduces the load on knees is of benefit to people who are overweight, or those suffering from arthritis.

• The lateral mobility of the neck and spine increases significantly during Nordic Walking, reducing neck, and shoulder and back pain in many cases due to the increased activity and circulation in these areas.
• Heart rate is generally 15% higher with Nordic walking when compared to regular walking; it feels easier because your upper body takes on a significant amount of the load.
• The abdominal, broad back muscles, the rear part of the shoulder muscles, the large pectoral muscles and the extensors and flexors of the forearms are actively involved to stabilize the upper body.
• Calorie consumption is as much as 400 calories per hour - compared with 280 calories per hour for normal walking.
• Poles improve stability, and therefore safety, on most surfaces in all weather conditions. Nordic Walking is the most suitable outdoor sport for rehabilitation after sports injuries.
• The minimum gear requirements make Nordic Walking accessible to everyone. The Nordic Walking poles can be used for special stretching and strengthening exercises.
• Using the upper body during Nordic Walking can increase bone density, improve postural strength and develop increased core stability.
• With a partner you can do exercises that would usually have to be done with special machines in a gym Nordic walking Poles can be used to perform special stretching and strengthening exercise.
• Nordic Walking classes include, jumping and walking exercises as well as games, making a refreshing alternative to the gym.

Nordic Walking provides runners of all abilities with an ideal alternative to long endurance runs. It stresses the heart and lungs to the same degree as lower intensity, high mileage runs and the resulting muscular conditioning is very specific to running. Scientific studies of high intensity NW have demonstrated heart rate levels reaching 75% of maximal values while participants were still walking.

Running with Nordic walking poles allows you to crank up the intensity even further. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is much less during NW because the load is spread over more muscles, and also it's less likely to lead to overuse or high impact injuries for the same reason. The lowered RPE experienced during Nordic Walking the heart is working hard, while you are feeling relatively comfortable. The whole body muscular activity, high heart rate response and yet lowered RPE found with NW means you can work at a higher intensity, for longer and with more ease than in many other types of training techniques - in effect, this is ideal cross-training, for the more advanced runner, Nordic Walking can also provide an opportunity to increase the intensity of specific workouts. In particular during bounding, or plyometric, and hill work, as well as providing an opportunity to include some intense aerobic upper body work into their routine - often neglected by the running hardcore.