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Trend-spotting: Nordic Walking Snow? No need. This fitness routine is all about the poles 
Poles may seem like an odd exercise accessory when snow or elevation isn’t involved, but studies show they can give a real boost your walking workout. Nordic walking – also called balance or pole walking – involves holding speciality poles behind the body and then moving them rhythmically with one’s own gait. “It’s very, very simple to do,” says Ray Margiano, author of “Balance Walking” and CEO and founder of footwear retailer Foot Solutions Inc. “You don’t have to do it perfectly to get benefits.” And the benefits abound. A study by the Dallas-based Cooper Institute found that walking with poles burns significantly more calories, and increases oxygen consumption and energy expenditure by approximately 20 percent compared to regular walking at the same speed. Also, Nordic walkers with proper technique utilize up to 90 percent of their body’s muscle mass, whereas normal walkers, even with a fast pace and good stride, only use approximately 70 percent of the muscle mass in their body at any given time, according to the American Nordic Walking Association “You’re working your upper body, as well as your lower,” Margiano explains. An added benefit is that Nordic walking can be done anyplace, at any time – and at any pace, he says. Nordic walking is hugely popular in its native Europe, where an estimated 3.5 million people engage in it regularly. Nordic walking requires only good walking shoes and specially designed walking poles, which start at around $75, according Björn Hanson, owner of Out There, a Nordic and outdoor gear retailer in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Two types of poles are available: single shaft and adjustable. Single shaft poles look like cross country ski poles, although Nordic walking poles are about 25 percent shorter. Adjustable poles – which he sells more of – can be extended as a Nordic walker becomes more accustomed to the sport, or used for more than individual. “Being properly fitted for poles makes a huge difference,” Hanson notes. He says 75 percent of the people who show up for his store’s Nordic walking clinics have poles too long for them. “It has made it enough work that they didn’t like it because it seemed awkward.” With no official Nordic walking footwear, Hanson advises choosing shoes based on the intended walking surface. Walking and running shoes are fine for paved roads, he says, whereas trail running shoes with good traction should be considered for off-the-beaten-path adventures. |
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