About Nordic Fitness Walking: Overview

Get More Out of Walking, Get More Out of Life.

Nordic walking, pole walking, ski walking...whatever you call it, it's the hottest new fitness trend in Europe and now it's spreading around the world.

In just a few years, over 8 million people have switched to this modern way to walk for exercise. In some countries you can even buy poles in grocery stores, and there are several magazines devoted entirely to Nordic walking!

If you want to learn more about this exercise and why so many are switching to it, you're in the right place.

Check out the information below to help decide whether Nordic walking is for you - or for your friends and family. If you still have questions, please give us a shout any time. Contact Us

What Is Nordic Walking / Pole Walking / Ski Walking?

Quite simply, Nordic walking is using specially-designed poles for fitness walking.

Using poles, you transform regular walking into a total-body exercise that's actually gentler on your knees and joints. You get a better aerobic exercise while adding light resistance training for your arms and upper body that you don't get with regular walking.

Note that not all poles are the same. In fact, the innovative new Boomyah™ Tone 'n Trek™ poles include several unique user-friendly features making them the most significant advance in Nordic walking poles in years. To learn more about the different types of fitness walking poles available and things to look for when choosing poles, click here to Compare Poles.

Background Of Nordic Fitness Walking

Nordic walking was inspired by competitive cross-country skiers doing training in the off-season. Cross-country skiing is one of the most efficient and effective exercises you can do - unfortunately it's not very convenient for most.

In the mid-1980s poles were developed that could help anyone get the benefits of cross-country skiing, while walking on any surface. The poles had different grips, bottom tips and sizing specifically designed for fitness walking, but no straps.

In the late 1990's a few companies in Europe added straps to enhance the fitness benefits and enable better blood flow to the hands. They began to aggressively promote the exercise: once people had a chance to try it, it took off. In Germany, for example, it's reported that the exercise grew from 10,000 Nordic walkers in 2001 to over 2 million in 2004.

Now the exercise is spreading to the United States, Canada and other parts of the world.

Why It's So Popular

Nordic walking is one of the fastest-growing new exercises in history, mainly because it's easy, anyone can do it, anywhere, anytime, and it flat-out works. It's like a one-stop-shopping exercise ideal for busy lives, providing superior total-body fitness & health benefits in less time.

Walking is the world's most popular exercise, and this improves it in almost all ways:

Better for losing weight - and keeping it off
Firms up your arms and upper body muscles
Easier on your knees and lower-body joints
Increases your heart rate, yet no huffing & puffing
More time-efficient: you get more out of walking, in less time
Makes walking more interesting and energizing
And much more!

And, you don't have to change where you walk. Tone 'n Trek poles have interchangeable bottom-tips so you can use them almost anywhere: neighborhood sidewalks, parks, beaches, trails, snow...even indoor tracks and malls.

To learn more about how Nordic walking compares to regular walking, click below.

Who Is Nordic Walking For?

It's tempting to say that everyone should be Nordic fitness walking - from devoted couch potatoes to lean, mean athletic machines - but we'll try to be more objective than that.

While Nordic walking can indeed play a vital role in almost anyone's health and fitness program, in reality it will be more fitting for some than for others.

Below is our view on who may benefit, and how. Please CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR before starting any new exercise, including Nordic walking - especially if you have any health issues.

Anyone currently walking for fitness: You're already walking to get - or stay - fit, why not get more out of it and save time? With the simple addition of Tone 'n Trek poles, you'll get your whole body more fit and tone, in less time, while actually reducing stress on your knees and joints.
Low-impact exercise for weight loss & general health: This is a time-efficient total-body exercise you can actually enjoy. Increases your heart rate and burns far more calories than regular walking, without the huffing & puffing or pain of running.
Former runners or runners in pain: If you experience a lot of pain in your knees and joints from running, but walking doesn't seem like 'enough', this is for you. By increasing the intensity of your pole-plants, you can get an aerobic workout similar to running without the joint pain. Plus you get the added bonus of toning the muscles in your arms and upper body.
Rehab from surgery: From knee and hip replacements to heart surgery, and all things in-between, Nordic walking has proven to be popular in rehab situations. It's an easy, efficient exercise and the poles not only take stress off your lower-body joints but also provide extra balance and stability.
Recovery from pregnancy: An easy, body-friendly way to burn more calories, faster, to help you get to your desired weight and total-body fitness level after pregnancy. Some also use the poles during pregnancy, appreciating the added balance, stability and joint-relief.
Serious Athletes: If you're currently doing intensive exercises, quite honestly Nordic walking may not be at the top of your list. However, some athletes use it as a low-impact cross-training exercise to round out their fitness program.
Trend-setters: Some people just like to keep up with the times. Many consider this modern way to walk the 'new' yoga / pilates / spinning / etc. If that's your reason for Nordic walking, more power to you. We'll keep an eye out for the celebrity Nordic walkers!

How To Nordic Walk

One of the reasons Nordic fitness walking has become so popular, so fast, is that it's really easy to do for anyone, regardless of age, fitness level or athletic ability.

In fact, for some people, when they see others Nordic walking it looks so effortless that they are skeptical about the fitness benefits - how could something that looks so easy actually do anything for you? However, all it takes is one try and you'll immediately feel how well it works.

Please click here for instructions on how to Nordic walk. We also encourage you to watch our short instruction video, which was designed for Beginner-level Nordic walkers.

Note that every pair of Tone 'n Trek poles includes a FREE Instruction DVD, along with a handy instruction guide that you can use as a 'how-to' reminder on your first few walks.

By following Tone 'n Trek's simple instructions and techniques you should be able to get the basic hang of the exercise on your own and immediately feel it working for you.

Click here to check out the innovative new Tone 'n Trek poles.