Nordic walking and health walks

Nordic walking has made its way from Scandinavia to England and was originally devised by cross-country skiers as a means of keeping them fit in the summer months.

There are around 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?

What is Nordic walking?

Nordic walking is an enhanced form of normal walking in which the arms are used to push on poles. Nordic Walking thus burns 20-46% more calories than normal walking but without the walker feeling they are working much harder. Because it can be done at many different levels, it is suitable for people recovering from illness or with low levels of fitness and for those seeking to lose weight. Nordic walking poles are specially designed - 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.

Is Nordic walking compatible with Walking for Health?

Any equipment – including walking poles and pedometers – which encourages people who take little exercise to become more active is compatible with Walking for Health.

Several health walk schemes are now offering Nordic Walking alongside their standard health walks.

Nordic walking can be a progression activity for walkers who want more of a challenge. However, it may also be useful to frail walkers and those with specific joint and back conditions.

Note however that as Nordic walking requires the walker to use special equipment and to learn a specific technique from a qualified instructor, with additional expense, it is considerably less accessible than simple health walking and this may present a barrier to some groups of walkers. Walkers can enjoy significant health benefits without adopting Nordic walking techniques and we do not recommend that schemes promote Nordic walking at the expense of traditional health walks.

Below are some examples of health walk schemes who have been experimenting with Nordic walking.

PARS, Manchester

The Physical Activity Referral Service (PARS) walking scheme in Manchester is run by the NHS and both of their health walk co-ordinators have been trained as Nordic walking instructors.

Beth Sutcliffe, health walk co-ordinator, explains:

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.

Nordic walking has become very popular and PARS loans out the poles to walkers at £1 per session, so that people are not put off from trying it out for financial reasons.

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.

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.

Nordic Walking: considerations for health walkers

Walking for Health recognises Nordic walking as a useful addition to the portfolio of walks that schemes might offer. It is important to bear in mind that:

Health walks are aimed at beginners - those who take little or no exercise - and the emphasis must be on starting off at your own pace and building up gently.
Health walks are usually free and walkers can simply turn up in comfortable clothes and footwear. Nordic walking requires special poles which cost between £15 and £70 a pair. Ideally, to fit with the WfH ethos, walk schemes should lend out the poles or charge only a small rent so that the walks remain accessible.
Walkers using Nordic poles need to have been taught the technique by a qualified instructor.

Nordic Walking provides many benefits for individuals, including those with injuries or medical conditions that prevent them from walking without support.
Kate Williams, WfH team

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