Nordic Walking Growing in Popularity in the U.S. & Canada

Part common sense and part marketing ploy, a new trend called Nordic walking is taking off in Europe and is beginning to take hold in North America as well. Nordic walking is cross-country skiing without the skis or snowshoeing without the snowshoes. Nordic walkers use hiking or ski poles in rhythm with a walking cadence for added stability on various surfaces to reduce impact on joints, and to increase the aerobic impact of a workout by engaging the muscles in the neck, arms and upper torso.

Nordic walking can be performed anywhere, such as sidewalks, frozen ponds, trails and even sandy beaches. All a nordic walker needs is a pair of ski or hiking poles and a pair of hiking boots, sneakers or ice cramp-ons (in winter) for stability and traction.