Nordic Walking FAQs

1. What is Nordic walking?
Nordic walking is a full-body exercise that combines standard walking with specially designed poles to engage your arms, shoulders, and core.

2. How is it different from standard walking?
Nordic walking uses a specific poling technique that propels the body forward. It increases calorie burn, improves posture, challenges the cardiorespiratory system, and strengthens the upper body.

3. How is it different from hiking?
Hiking poles minimize effort by helping improve balance and stability while walking on rough terrain and tackling hills. Nordic walking maximizes effort by making standard walking more challenging.

4. Do I need special equipment?
Yes, Nordic walking requires poles designed specifically for the activity.

5. Can I use my hiking or ski poles?
Hiking poles, downhill ski poles, cross-country ski poles, and Nordic walking poles are all different, the same way that a basketball, volleyball and soccer ball are all different. It’s important to use the equipment designed for the activity.

6. Do I need special clothes?
No, the clothes and footwear you wear for a brisk walk will be just fine.

7. What does research say about Nordic walking?
More than thirty years of research shows that Nordic walking burns more calories than standard walking, improves cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and posture, and can benefit heart health, functional ability, and overall quality of life.

8. Do I need professional instruction to start?
Yes! While Nordic walking isn’t overly difficult, learning from a book or YouTube video can be surprisingly challenging. Even one lesson with a certified instructor can make a big difference.

A good instructor will help you avoid the most common mistakes, such as using your poles like hiking poles or missing the key propulsion component. You’ll learn the fundamentals, the subtle details that are easy to miss, and how to use your poles efficiently and confidently from the start. Proper instruction can also help you avoid developing bad habits that are difficult to correct later.