WHAT IS NORDIC WALKING?
Nordic Walking is an effective way of walking with the help of a pair of poles. The movements of the arms, legs and body are equivalent to the rhythm of movements while walking firmly without poles. While performing Nordic Walking the arms and legs move in cloister and swing forward and backward. In order to obtain good training results it is very important to learn this rhythm before performing the actual Nordic Walking. The swing of the arms and the powerful placement of the pole on the ground have a strong effect on the length of the stride. A small arm swing means a limited pelvis rotation and shorter stride length. When the movement of the pole is larger, the length of the stride will also increase as well as the rotation in the pelvis and in the higher parts of the upper body. Using the arms effectively and learning good Nordic Walking techniques train almost all muscles of the body. Nordic Walking is considered a ‘total body workout’.
There are special Nordic Walking poles. These actually consist of two equipments: the walking poles and the Gymstick fitness tool. The poles can be converted to the Gymstick exercise bar in just a few seconds. This enables the walker to stop for a comprehensive body workout anytime, anywhere. The compact “fitness studio” does not disturb the walking anyhow – the walker will not even notice that the resistance bands are inside the shafts unless he/she needs them for training.