About Nordic Walking

 Nordic Walking is fitness walking with specially designed poles and a learned technique to create a low stress, total body workout. It is applicable to almost anyone and can be done on a variety of surfaces - grass, footpaths, forest trails, the beach and even in snow. As the name suggests, Nordic Walking was developed in the Scandinavian countries by cross-country skiers wanting to improve their summer training methods. The poles are quite different to regular hiking poles, and are used with a push back action like cross-country skiing.

As a form of exercise Nordic Walking is gaining popularity around the world, due to the health benefits and because it is fun! The use of the poles reduces the impact forces and weight-bearing on your legs and back when your foot contacts the ground. You use more muscles, burn more calories, move faster, and get a whole body workout. There is more movement in your trunk and increased use of your muscles, improving posture. 

Put simply, it is 'smarter walking'!

At Nordic Walking Brisbane we train you in Nordic Walking technique and specific drills and exercises. In most cases it takes around six sessions of instruction to build the basic technique, with practice time required between each session.

Nordic Walking can be used as part of a rehabilitation program and variations on the basic technique can be made to accommodate for specific injuries. It is especially useful to help you get up hills easier. For those at a higher level of fitness and skill, the poles can be used for Nordic Jogging, Bounding and Skating drills.

 

Benefits of Nordic Walking

  • activates 90% of the body's muscles
  • burns more calories than regular walking
  • has a greater cardio fitness effect than regular walking
  • reduces weight-bearing load and impact on joints in the spine and legs
  • offers a more intense workout, but with less perceived exertion
  • strengthens and tones important muscles in the back, shoulders and arms
  • improves core stability, posture and spinal mobility
  • improves walking/gait technique
  • assists people with balance and lower limb neurological conditions to walk with more security and confidence
  • can be used during rehabilitation from many injuries and orthopaedic surgeries to commence walking sooner and tolerate greater distances
  • aids in the prevention and management of stress, depression and mood fluctuations
  • can be performed on a range of surfaces - grass, pavement, trails, sand or snow