Why Nordic Walking has greater health benefits than Regular Walking

We keep hearing the same jokes on our walks from passers-by: "Where is the snow?", "It's 50 miles to the mountains". 🙂 Many people do not understand why we walk with poles on the flat trails around West London.
They don't understand that Nordic Walking is a high intensity sport which can be done both in the mountains and the low lands.  It is done with a special technique and is - even on flat terrain - much better for your health and fitness than regular walking. Here are a few reasons why it is has superior impact:

1) You walk faster, use your whole body, and burn more calories. 
Research has shown that you can walk 25% faster with poles (only when using the right pole technique) and you engage 90% of your skeletal muscles. If you walk very sportive, you can burn up to 45% more calories than with regular walking. Even with moderate engagement, you still burn about 18% more calories than without poles. 

2) It is better for your joints. 
Even though Nordic Walking is a full-body workout, it is gentle on your joints. You can take weight off your knees, specially when walking downhill and uphill. Many people with osteoarthritis find that pole-walking is much more convenient for them than regular walking. 

3) It is a better cardiovascular workout - and has many other extra health benefits.
Research has shown that Nordic walking can improve your cardiovascular health in just four weeks. It reduces your blood pressure and can regulate blood sugar levels. 
As Nordic walking engages more parts of your body and makes you walk faster, you get a better aerobic workout. Your metabolism gets a kick-start, and oxygen is flowing through your body much more intensely than with regular walking. 
The pendulum motion of your arms massages your lymphatic system, so Nordic Walking is also very good for people who recover from breast cancer.

4) It is safer.
The two poles give you "four legs", so the risk of a fall is much smaller. Nordic walking is great for people who go through rehab and have to avoid re-injury. It is good for people who feel a bit stiff or unbalanced, for people who live with Parkinson's, and people who suffer or recover from chronic illness. 

5) It is more fun -  it gets you out walking even if you are not in the mood.
Walking with poles is just more exciting... people who get easily bored on their walks love it, as it adds an extra dimension (and a new "toy" - your poles!) to the walk. So even if you just have time to go on a walk in the well-known local park, going pole-walking will motivate you more than just going on yet another stroll. 
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