Poles to make walking more effective exercise

An exercise craze sweeping Europe and the US is hitting New Zealand - and poles will be provided.

Nordic Walking is essentially cross-country skiing - without the skis or snow.

It began in Finland as a summer training method for cross-country skiers and has been shown to burn up to 20 per cent more calories than normal walking.

It has become so popular that many Scandinavian tour operators offer guided Nordic Walks.

The ski poles remain behind the walker and point diagonally down at all times.

While striding forward, the poles are swung forward and backward - an action said to increase upper arm movement and exercise the main muscle groups.

The pace should be steady and Nordic Walkers should be prepared for between half an hour and two hours each session. Benefits include:

* Heart rate is five to 17 beats a minute higher in Nordic Walking.

* Energy consumption increases by 20 per cent when using poles.

* Motion releases pain and muscle tension in neck and shoulders.

* Consumes about 400 calories an hour (compared with 280 for normal walking).

The Nordic Walking Experience is being introduced here by sports equipment distributor Beattie Matheson. Managing director John McMath says he was converted on a business trip to Europe and has been Nordic Walking since August.

Despite facing "the odd wisecrack", Mr McMath said he was feeling much better than the days when he used to visit the gym five times a week.

The 65-year-old completed an 11km walk a few weeks back and could have "turned round and done the same back again".

"There's something quite magical about it and it doesn't matter about age, gender, fitness, athleticism or anything else," Mr McMath said.

"It's sociable like walking, with a good workout, but a low exertion rate."

The name Nordic Walking dates from about 1997, though an American firm claims to have been promoting the technique under a different name since the 1980s.

However, it has started to become widely known only in the past couple of years.

There are 15 master coaches, 100 master trainers, more than 15,000 instructors and guides, and an estimated five million Nordic Walkers worldwide.

Mark Fenton, host of the US TV series America's Walking, will be in Auckland to train eight Nordic Walking coaches in a three-day seminar.

"New Zealand is an ideal country for Nordic Walking," Fenton said. "The people are very attuned to outdoor activity."


* CLARIFICATION: The sport of Nordic walking arrived in New Zealand in 2003, not in May 2005 as stated in an earlier version of this story.