History
Nordic Walking is a technique first developed in the 1930s by Finnish cross-country skiers for summer training. It became a recreational activity in the early 1980s. It is now one of the fastest growing fitness sports, with enthusiasts in over 20 countries. In Europe, it is estimated that there are now 3.5 million regular Nordic Walkers and 3000 instructors. Nordic walking poles are like a ski pole but have a rubber foot on the end.

Why Nordic Walk?
‘Nordic Walking’s’ chief attraction is that, unlike normal walking, it exercises the whole of a person's body, rather than just their legs. As participants use their arms to push off from their flexible poles, the whole range of upper-body muscles is used, helping to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. Enthusiasts say it uses 90 per cent of the body's skeletal muscles, compared to, say, swimming which uses 35 per cent or running which uses 70 per cent , and because the arms take more of the strain, a lighter load is placed on the knees and other lower body joints. This has made the activity popular with elderly outdoor enthusiasts. Among claims made for Nordic walking is that it can strengthen bones, combat the effects of osteoporosis, reduce neck and shoulder tension and alleviate symptoms of repetitive strain injury.

Nordic pole striding has become an accepted form of exercise training for athletes. Physiological responses (oxygen consumption and energy expenditure) of Nordic walking were compared to ordinary walking on the track. Nordic walking resulted in a significant increase in oxygen use (23%) and caloric expenditure (22%) compared to regular walking, without an increase in perceived exertion (Church et al 2002) (Porcari 1997). Walking poles have also been recommended by Orthopaedic Surgeons for patients with arthritic knees to decrease the load on their joints and hence increase their walking ability (Willson et al 2001). In Willson’s study it was found that the use of walking poles allowed the participants to walk at a faster speed, with reduced vertical ground reaction and vertical knee joint reaction forces. It also changed the biomechanics of the knee extensors.
When Nordic Walking you use your legs, your arms, the rear part of your shoulders, and your chest and back muscles. Although you are using more muscles and doing more exercise, the effort is spread across your whole body and, therefore, Nordic Walking can actually feel easier and less tiring than normal walking!



The forces normally placed through your lower limbs during walking or running is distributed through the arms in Nordic Walking. This decreases the load on your knees by up to a third and other joints allowing you to exercise more comfortably. This is particularly beneficial for people with joint problems and those who are overweight.
If you were to try Nordic Walking while wearing a heart rate monitor, the lowered rate of perceived exertion (RPE) felt with Nordic Walking means you might be surprised at just how hard your heart is working, while you are feeling relatively comfortable. This whole body muscular activity, high heart rate response and yet lowered RPE found with Nordic Walking means you can work at a higher intensity, for longer and with more ease than in many other types of training techniques - ideal cross-training.