Nordic Walking in the mud

If you are a ‘fair weather walker’, you will miss about a third of the year in the UK, as the terrain is usually muddy in winter. This is a bit of a shame, as being outdoors in winter is good for your immune system and mental wellbeing. And mud gives you a special workout (a bit like walking on soft sand or in deep snow). It can be safe if you use the right technique. Here are a few tips:

• Relax and breathe, keep your knees soft and your body elastic. Most accidents happen when we are tense.
• Shorten your step and slow down. If you take a long step, you commit too much and if you land on mud, your foot will slide.
• Plant the poles firmly, even if it ‘splashes’. Don’t worry about getting dirty. Dirt is fun!
• Pole technique: Safety first – usually, we want our poles at a 45-degree angle, pointing backwards and pushing back behind our body (to fully engage our chest and arm muscles). However, this does not apply on mud or ice: Take your poles forward a bit more and reduce the backward swing. When using your poles more at the side or in front of your body, you are walking with ‘four legs’. One pole is always firmly on the ground. (this is more the Trekking style than Nordic walking, which we usually try to avoid, but it will keep you safe on snow or mud)
• Even if you plant the poles a bit further in front: never swing the pole tips forward, always lead with your hands (meaning the pole tip is behind or right under your hand, not further forward than your hand). If you swing your pole-tips forward, you won’t be able to plant them in time in case you slip. Your pole is in the air and you fall… So: shorter steps, shorter pole movement, but certainly no swinging-forward of the pole tip.
• Put your feet firmly down – this may cause mud splashes – but it will prevent you from slipping. You need to seek ‘ground’ below the muddy parts.
• When you get home; just shower off the lower parts of your trousers and hang them over night, no need to wash them every time… and have a second pair of shoes ready for the next day walk.
• Note: Walking on black ice: Do not plant the foot too forcefully, carefully test out if a slippery looking part will take your foot. Do not over-commit, thread lightly on ice and take the poles even closer to your body.  
• Relax and breathe, keep your knees soft and your body elastic. Most accidents happen when we are tense.
• Shorten your step and slow down. If you take a long step, you commit too much and if you land on mud, your foot will slide.
• Plant the poles firmly, even if it ‘splashes’. Don’t worry about getting dirty. Dirt is fun!
• Pole technique: Safety first – usually, we want our poles at a 45-degree angle, pointing backwards and pushing back behind our body (to fully engage our chest and arm muscles). However, this does not apply on mud or ice: Take your poles forward a bit more and reduce the backward swing. When using your poles more at the side or in front of your body, you are walking with ‘four legs’. One pole is always firmly on the ground. (this is more the Trekking style than Nordic walking, which we usually try to avoid, but it will keep you safe on snow or mud)
• Even if you plant the poles a bit further in front: never swing the pole tips forward, always lead with your hands (meaning the pole tip is behind or right under your hand, not further forward than your hand). If you swing your pole-tips forward, you won’t be able to plant them in time in case you slip. Your pole is in the air and you fall… So: shorter steps, shorter pole movement, but certainly no swinging-forward of the pole tip.
• Put your feet firmly down – this may cause mud splashes – but it will prevent you from slipping. You need to seek ‘ground’ below the muddy parts.
• When you get home; just shower off the lower parts of your trousers and hang them over night, no need to wash them every time… and have a second pair of shoes ready for the next day walk.
• Note: Walking on black ice: Do not plant the foot too forcefully, carefully test out if a slippery looking part will take your foot. Do not over-commit, thread lightly on ice and take the poles even closer to your body.