Walk the Nordic Way

By Karen Asp for Live Right Live Well

I’m walking through my neighborhood on a summer day when I pass a woman who stares at me funny and shouts, “Trying to ski on asphalt?” I laugh. By now I’ve heard all the jokes. Sometimes it’s “Where’s the snow?” I can’t blame these people. After all, walking with two long poles, one in each hand, does look goofy. But if they knew the benefits of Nordic walking, I doubt they’d be so quick to laugh.

Nordic walking got its start in Finland in the 1930s as a cross-training tool for Nordic skiers. Europeans adopted it as a recreational exercise activity in the 1980s, and in 1997, Exel introduced the first official pole designed specifically for Nordic walking (rather than Nordic skiing). While Americans started to take notice of the sport a couple of years ago, today millions of Europeans engage in Nordic walking. Its popularity in the United States is growing fast as more and more health clubs, spas and resorts add Nordic walking to their class offerings. In fact, pole manufacturers report that, based on sales in this country, they expect five million Americans to pick up the sport in the next five years — and with good reason.

Nordic walking offers a slew of benefits. Research shows that by adding two poles and the Nordic walking technique to your stroll, you can improve your overall health in at least five ways:

  • Burn up to 46 percent more calories than walking without poles
  • Build upper body and core strength
  • Reduce stress on the joints
  • Obtain the same aerobic intensity as running without the impact
  • Relieve shoulder and neck tension, due to the unique mechanics of using poles as you walk

Plus, anybody can learn Nordic walking. “There’s a small learning curve with Nordic walking, which is dependent on your body awareness, coordination and athletic ability, yet the basics take only about an hour to learn,” says Selena M. Moffitt, Nordic walking master trainer for Exel and personal trainer at Cascade Athletic Club in Gresham, Ore. And even though you have a pole in each hand, you’re still moving opposite arm with opposite leg, just as you do when you’re walking without poles, she says.

Another bonus: You can do Nordic walking almost anywhere, including on grass, dirt, concrete, sand — even snow.

It’s also an activity that suits all fitness levels, from the beginner who’s just starting an exercise program to the advanced athlete who’s looking for a new training tool to kick up the intensity. You can even enter full-length marathons with your poles, as select marathons are beginning to include Nordic walking divisions.

To get started, you’ll need a pair of Nordic walking poles. These have special features, including straps for your hands, spiked tips for walking in dirt or grass, rubber tips to put over the spike when walking on hard surfaces, plus a lightweight composition.

Expect to spend between $70 and $100 for a good pair of poles, which usually includes a helpful DVD that teaches you the basics. Higher-performance poles may cost more. To figure out which type is best for you, head to a sporting goods store or a shoe store that specializes in walking and try out different models.

You should also know that there are two types of poles: adjustable and fixed length. Because poles are fitted to your height, buy adjustable if you’re sharing with other people, advises Suzanne Nottingham, director of education for LEKI USA and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. Otherwise, the choice is yours.

For your feet, regular walking shoes will work. If you wind up getting serious about the sport, you might consider shoes specially designed for Nordic walkers.

Ready to give it a go? Most people can pick up the basics from the DVD, but nothing beats a hands-on lesson from a real-life instructor. So if you can, search the Internet for “Nordic walking” to locate instructors and classes in your area. Or call community centers, local health clubs or walking stores to find out if there’s a Nordic walking clinic near you. Then lace up those sneakers, grab those poles, and soon, you’ll wonder how you ever walked without them.

Karen Asp is a freelance journalist who writes the fitness column for Allure and contributes to numerous other publications including Fitness, Prevention, Self, Shape, Woman’s Day and Women’s Health.She is also a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor.

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The MomActive Challenge ~ Let’s Talk Training Schedules

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Last week Michele and I announced that we’d be training to run the Inaugural Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Oct 1-3.  No matter what your fitness level you can train for this race or any of the races we’ll run along the way.  We have LOTS of time and you’ll be amazed at how your body and mind transforms over the next 21 and a half weeks.  Did you know that most training schedules for a half marathon are only 12 weeks in length?  Yes, 12 weeks… just about three months.  We almost have enough time to train for a half marathon TWICE! When you look at it that way it doesn’t seem like such a big deal does it?

We decided to break the next 23 weeks into 3 phases, building a base in the first 8 weeks, using the 5k race as a training run prior to running a 10k.  When we get to the 3rd phase we hope to have inspired enough people along the way to be able to split into training groups so that we can customize schedules based on individual goals and experience.

Right now this is what it looks like….

Phase I:  8 weeks Build a Base (5k race at end of week 8)

Phase II:   2 weeks – Great place to jump in! (10k race at end of week 10)

Phase III:  12 weeks half marathon training

Each week we will post an example training schedule with options for different levels.  If you would like help customizing a plan that works for you please contact me at fiona.bryan @ momactive . com and I’m happy to help you out!  Michele and I will be documenting our training and posting our personal training schedules and logs weekly.  We’ll also be posting about the nutritional advice we receive.  If you’d like to join the official MomActive Team and cross post updates from your personal blog on MomActive, let us know!

To Get Started Read:  Preparing for Phase I of The MomActive Challenge

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Stay Healthy This Holiday Season with Earth Footwear Exer-Walk Giveaway!

Mom Certified Shoe Tester 125x125I was one of six women to participate in Earth Footwear’s Earth Exer-Walk “Change Your Body in 30 Days” Challenge.  I was a little skeptical about exactly what kind of changes I might see in my body over a period of just 30 days but I committed to wearing the shoes every day and went about my normal daily life and exercise routines.  I could tell that the muscles in my legs were working differently but I was really surprised when I took my measurements and realized that I had lost 2 inches in my hips!

Studies have shown that women wearing Earth Footwear burn 4x the fat than normal shoes.  The secret is in the patented Kalso Negative Heel Technology, which positions the toes 3.7º higher than the heels. The slight angle shifts your weight back over the heels, and helps strengthen and tone the body while also burning more calories.

Join us for a discussion with tips on how to enjoy a healthy holiday season!  I will be a panelist Tuesday December 1st for the Earth Footwear sponsored #GNO Twitter Party (9-11pm EST).   Enter the giveaway at Mom-it-Forward ~ Three lucky winners will win a pair of Earth Exer-Walk from @earthfootwear!

And lookie!  I’m famous — I’m in an Earth Footwear ad!  I’ll also be included in an ad that will run in Weight Watchers, Lucky & More Magazine!!  I just wish they had airbrushed “Fred”, that pesky zit that is always hanging out on the left side of my chin….

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Changing My Body In 30 Days

I fell in love with Earth Footwear a few months ago just before the Type-A Mom Conference.  I purchased a pair of the Kalso light shoes because my buddy Leah from Bookieboo swore they were comfy and that I’d burn calories just by wearing them.  I’m an exercise freak but if I can tone and burn calories just by wearing a pair of shoes?   I’m all over it!  I was skeptical though.  I’ve spent a gazillion dollars on the ugliest MBT shoes you’ve ever seen, simply because my skinny minnie gal friends wear them.  Honestly, I don’t think they did much for me except that I did feel mighty tall in them.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I felt totally SORE after working out with Tracey Mallet and Leah at Type A Mom Conference Earth Footwear booth.  Keep in mind that I’m a strong girl that hits the gym hard consistently.  A fluke, perhaps … or not?

I was totally excited when Earth Footwear contacted me and asked if I’d like to participate in the “Change your Body in 30 days” program.  Who doesn’t want to change their body?

They sent me a pair of the new Exer-Walk shoe that will be released to the public in January.  (They “sent me” means FREE, just in case you are the FTC) It is a nice enough shoe – designed with the patented negative heel technology.  It’s a little heavier than the Kalso that I like so much but it’s a comfortable enough shoe.  I didn’t truly appreciate this shoe until today…. when I weighed in at Weight Watchers…. the week after Halloween.  Halloween is a chocolate infested holiday that holds my sweet-tooth hostage for a good week every year.  This year was no different and I fully expected to weigh in with a gain today.  BUT…. I neither gained nor lost and let me tell you friends, that is a victory!

I’ve been wearing my Exer-Walks for almost two weeks now and had definitely been noticing my glutes and inner thighs feeling a bit tighter.  I wasn’t giving them any credit for calorie burning though because it all seemed a little “black magic” to me.  I’m sold now though, because this weekend we were in the mountains doing our usual activity (we are active, keep in mind) and I wore my Exer-walks most of the weekend…. while shoving Twix, Snickers, and Milkyway chocolate into my trap for three days straight (not that there was any candy in the house earlier in the week …).  Honestly, I should have gained weight this weekend and I normally would have gained.  When I weighed in today with my jeans and winter gear I still hadn’t gained a single pound.  I was exactly the same weight I was last week.  Phew….  so, do I think it is because I burned 4 times more calories, as Earth Footwear claims?  I have no other explanation.  It has to be the shoes.  So, is my body changing two weeks in to a 30 day program?  I have to say yes, despite the chocolate train that threw me off track, I do think that wearing the Exer-Walk every day has made a difference.  I do feel that my legs are toning and for sure, I feel my glutes are tighter.  I’m a runner so I’ve only actually exer-walked three times in these shoes on the treadmill, but even just wearing them in my daily life has definitely made a difference.

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