Nordic walking is, as the name suggests, a physical activity originating from Scandinavia where it is both popular and widespread.As its fame has grown, Nordic walking has begun to be taken up in England. Supporters say that it is an enhancement of ordinary walking making it twice as effective by the use of special poles.
There are currently 750 trained Nordic Walking instructors in the UK and several of them are also health walk leaders. What exactly is Nordic walking and can it be used alongside regular health walks?
Nordic walking Nordic Walking is a specific fitness technique where the walker uses poles to help them along. These poles are specially devised - ie they are not the same as normal walking poles - and the walker is taught to use them in a particular way.
Nordic Walking UK says that walkers using the poles gain two major benefits:
·the upper body muscles are used as well as the legs;
·the poles help to propel the walker along which means he/she works harder than usual yet the support given by the poles makes it feel easier.
Using the poles undoubtedly takes the pressure off leg muscles, joints and spine and, for this reason, may well make walking easier for people with knee, ankle, hip and back problems. In Europe it is used in rehabilitation for those with neck, shoulder and back strain.
The Nordic Walking technique has to be learnt correctly from a qualified instructor and is endorsed by the British Heart Foundation.
Compatible with health walks? Several health walk schemes in England are now combining ordinary walking with Nordic Walking and find that this works well. The Nordic Walkers will tend to go faster than they would otherwise and feel as though they are using less effort. It was initially thought that Nordic Walking was best suited to those who had already gained a certain level of fitness through health walks but evidence suggests that it may also be of use to frail walkers and those with specific joint and back conditions.
PACEin Manchester (Physical Activity and Community Exercise) is run by the Primary Care Trust and combines health walks and Nordic Walking in the range of activities on offer. Craig Jones, co-ordinator of PACE, finds that it is useful for walkers at both ends of the spectrum
Nordic Walking is a good alternative for walkers who are struggling because of, for example, chronic arthritis in the knee. By taking the pressure off the legs, it can allow people to walk more comfortably. It is also a good progression activity for those who have acquired a certain level of fitness through health walks and now want to combine faster walking with an upper body workout. Craig Jones
Both Health Walk development officers within PACE have been trained as Nordic Walking instructors and combine the two forms of walking to good effect.
At the beginning of the health walk, one of the Nordic Walking instructors works with those who have opted for Nordic Walking and takes them through the warm up and technique. The instructor comes along on the walk but it is led by a regular health walk leader. Craig Jones
Nordic Walking has become very popular and PACE loans out the poles to walkers at £1 per session so that people are not prevented from trying it out for financial reasons.
We've been offering Nordic Walking for 3 years now - both outdoors and as part of our indoor health walks in the velodrome for those who are more frail - and are pleased with the results. It has benefits for those who have balance problems or need joint support and also enables those who cannot normally walk uphill - perhaps because they have a heart condition “ to tackle steeper gradients. Craig Jones
Go Active in Great Yarmouth
Sally Dravenieks, Walk Co-ordinator with Go Active health walks in Great Yarmouth, is also a qualified Nordic Walking instructor and runs two Nordic Walking sessions a week as part of the health walk programme. The local PCT funded her training and lends out poles to those wishing to try out Nordic Walking.
With Nordic Walking you can, as on health walks, cater for people with a very low level of fitness. It can also help people build up to the basic level of balance and strength needed to take part in a health walkas well as being suitable for experienced and very fit walkers. In Finland, Nordic Walking is the accepted national method for improving fitness and has been very effective in reducing the incidence of strokes. Sally Dravenieks
Walkers often find that, with Nordic Walking poles, they can walk for longer and so find it easier to complete the recommended 5 x 30 minutes of walking per week.
I think people find Nordic Walking just as sociable as normal health walks - they can still talk and laugh etc and go at the same pace as the other walkers. Sally Dravenieks
North Norfolk Fit Together
Melanie Brown is the co-ordinator of North Norfolk Fit Together health walks. As part of the programme of activities Fit Together offers a weekly Nordic walking session but this is kept separate from the regular health walks.
A Nordic Walking instructor, Sally King, talks the group of ten to twelve through the correct use of the poles before setting off. Keeping the group fairly small means that Sally can keep an eye on people and their techniques. She stops along the two-mile route to conduct exercise using the poles.
Some of our walkers take part in health walks and in Nordic Walking and others are so taken with Nordic walking that they prefer it to regular walks. Once walkers have mastered the techniques they feel that they get a better work out using the poles both aerobically and also in the upper body. Melanie Brown
Nordic Walking: other advantages
·Can help with weight management because it burns more calories than normal walking.
·Can be useful for people with balance problems because the poles offer additional stability.
Nordic Walking is growing and we will be seeing a lot more of it especially now that several Primary Care Trusts are providing funding for instructors to be trained. Veronica Reynolds, WfH Training Office
Nordic Walking: some considerations
·Walkers need to be aware that, although the poles can reduce stresses and strains, they do demand more energy from the upper body and so Nordic Walking can be more draining than an ordinary walk of the same duration.
·Health walks are aimed at beginners - those who take little or no exercise - and the emphasis is on starting off at your own pace and building up gently. WfH has some concern that Nordic Walking may encourage beginners to walk too hard too soon and then lose the motivation to continue with physical activity.
·Health walks require no expenditure and walkers can simply turn up in comfortable clothes and footwear. Nordic Walking requires the special poles which cost between £15 and £70 a pair and, although several schemes rent these out for a nominal amount, Nordic Walking may be perceived as less accessible than normal health walking.
·Health Walk leaders need to recognise the difference between simply using poles and Nordic Walking and also to be aware of when it is necessary to refer a walker back to a qualified Instructor for guidance.
·It is a technique that requires an understanding of how the added muscle work impacts on the whole body and who should or should not be attempting it.
·Unlike ordinary walking poles, the Nordic Walking poles cannot be telescoped and so the walker has to use them throughout the walk. This may make some people self-conscious about using them for independent walking, meaning that they do not maintain or build up their level of physical activity between group walks.
·Leaders have to pay or be funded to take the Nordic Walking qualification. There is a possibility that, because the WfH training and the Nordic Walking training cover some of the same topics, a half-day training will be devised for those who are already health walk leaders.
Nordic walking is, as the name suggests, a physical activity originating from 
Go Active in Great 
correct use of the poles before setting off. Keeping the group fairly small means that Sally can keep an eye on people and their techniques. She stops along the two-mile route to conduct exercise using the poles. 
