What is Nordic Walking?

Walking with two poles is a whole-body workout. It uses 90% of your skeletal muscles and burns up to 46% more calories than normal walking. It can be done at a slow pace or highly energetic ways, and it is very gentle on your joints. It may serve you well if:

• You would like to get fit in a fun way, while being outdoors and enjoying nature
• You have not exercised for a while and would like to get back to it
• You are a runner who has knee problems and is looking for an alternative sport
• You are recovering from an illness or surgery and would like to start gentle exercise again
• You like to walk with other people, make new friends and have some fun

A bit of history

• Since 1930: Finnish cross-country skiers have used poles for their summer training.
• 1966: First documented "walking with ski poles" lessons outside of competitive sport training. The idea of Nordic walking was born. The technique was further developed and some research projects started demonstrating its special benefits.
• 1997: The name "Nordic walking" was presented in English - it was introduced as a sport in more and more countries in Europe.
• 2004: Nordic walking started spreading outside of Europe.
• Today: It is the fastest growing sport worldwide!