Nordic Walking – Fitness for Every Body
– Fitness RX Magazine

Finally, a new fitness regimen that anyone, even the less-than-fit, can enjoy without hesitation or intimidation. Although the “silly factor” (i.e., walking down the street on a perfectly sunny day with two ski poles in hand) seemed to stunt the initial growth of Nordic walking when it was first promoted by several Northern European pole manufacturers in the 1990’s, this very user-friendly workout has now become an international sensation. To give you an idea of just how big Nordic walking has become, more than 10,000 instructors were certified by the International Nordic Walking Association by 2002, and current estimates of Nordic walkers in the United States range from 50,000 to several hundred thousand. (The Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2007)

Bernd Zimmerman, founder and Master Coach of the American Nordic Walking Association (ANWA), says that Nordic walking is a cross between cross-country skiing and fitness walking, and was originally developed so that cross-country skiers could train in the off-season when there is very little snow. He believes the explosion in popularity of Nordic walking is due to several factors: you can do it year round; it works for all ages and fitness levels; it has proven to be effective for weight loss; it’s a total-body workout; it’s low-impact and joint-friendly; and it’s time-efficient and convenient. Almost sounds too good to be true, except that there is scientific research to support his claims…Read Full PDF