What is Nordic walking?

From a distance, a group of Nordic walkers can look like cross-country skiers who have lost their snow. That is more or less what they are. The activity started as summer homework for skiers and became something much bigger: a brisk, sociable way of walking that puts the whole body to work without needing a mountain.

Where it comes from

According to the International Nordic Walking Federation (INWA), competitive cross-country skiers in Finland were already using poles for off-season training in the 1930s. Over the following decades Finnish teachers and coaches promoted pole walking as something for everyone, and the name "Nordic Walking" was coined in 1997, when the first dedicated poles were launched and the activity was introduced to the Finnish public. INWA itself was founded in Finland in 2000 and now has instructors in dozens of countries. You can read the timeline on INWA's history page.

How it differs from hiking with trekking poles

They look similar, but they do different jobs:

• Nordic walking poles have a glove-like strap and are used diagonally behind the body. You push back on them, and that push helps move you forward. The movement is rhythmic and continuous, closer to skiing than to hiking.
• Trekking poles usually have a simple loop and tend to be planted in front of or beside you, for balance and support on rough or steep ground. Our page on trekking poles covers them in detail.

So Nordic walking suits flat or rolling paths, parks, beaches at low tide and long seafront promenades. Trekking poles come into their own on rocky mountain trails.

The technique in plain words

INWA describes the method as resting on three things: posture, walking technique and the use of the poles. In our own words, it goes roughly like this:

• Walk normally first. Tall posture, relaxed shoulders, arms swinging naturally, opposite arm to opposite leg.
• Let the poles trail. Hold them loosely in the straps and let them drag behind you as you walk. Your arms will find the rhythm on their own.
• Plant and push. As your arm swings forward, the pole tip lands at an angle, roughly level with your body, pointing backwards. Push down and back through the strap as you pass it.
• Open the hand. At the end of the push, the hand opens and the strap keeps the pole attached. Then the arm swings forward again and the hand closes.

The first ten minutes usually feel like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. Then, quite suddenly, it clicks, and you notice you are walking faster than usual and talking more.

How to try it

• Book a taster or beginner course. A good instructor will adjust the poles, correct the one thing you are doing wrong and save you weeks of flailing. INWA lists courses and national member organisations on its site, and many walking groups and sports centres run their own sessions.
• Borrow or hire poles first. Most instructors lend poles for the first sessions, so you can find out whether you like it before buying a pair.
• Choose an easy route. A flat park loop or a seafront is ideal while you learn.
• Go with others. Nordic walking is famously social. Groups often end at a café, and it is hard to be in a bad mood while moving in a line of people who look slightly like a ski team.