It’s not often that an activity is easy to do and so good for you in every way. Nordic Walking, the simple addition of poles to your daily fitness walk, is just that.
Nordic Walking got it’s start in Finland in 1997 when Marco Kanteneva harvested the benefits that Nordic skiers received from using their poles during summer workouts to maintain upper body strength and cardio fitness and created a pole infused way of walking.
So what’s the difference? Nordic Walking turns your everyday “vanilla” walk into a full body “hot fudge sundae with sprinkles on top”. It adds an upper body workout that engages your back, shoulders, arms and core muscles. You have the potential of working 90% of your body’s muscle groups while Nordic Walking. It’s less stressful to your joints, burns more calories, increases your oxygen consumption and your heart rate, adds stability and balance, and relaxes your mind while increasing your coordination.
Anyone can do it regardless of fitness level or age and you can walk right out your front door to get started. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes and a set of poles. FYI, a Nordic Walking pole is different from a Trekking or hiking pole. Equipment is always designed to enable proper technique, ensure safety while in use and enhance performance and the experience of the activity. If we can accept the premise that if we want to golf we will buy golf clubs, if we want to mountain bike we will buy a mountain bike and if we want to cross country ski we will buy the skinny skis, we understand that if we want to Nordic Walk we will buy a Nordic Walking pole. A pair of quality poles will be an investment of about a hundred dollars and you can spend up to $200 per pair for all carbon poles. It should be a long term purchase, something that you will use for up to 10 years. I like to figure that it costs me about $45 per year to use my poles, including replacement tips. It’s important that you have warranty on the poles, can purchase replacement parts and have someone to talk to when you have a problem. Nordic Walking poles should be a quality piece of equipment and serve you well for years to come.
I’ve been a fitness walker for over 30 years and started Nordic Walking in 2005, so I have personally experienced the difference that adding poles has made to my overall fitness level especially in upper body strength. I am 69 years old and I want activities that I can enjoy for years to come. I know that Nordic Walking is fun, safe and a great workout. Join me and discover for yourself the power of poles.
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