Nordic walking was thought up as a summer season fitness routine for cross country skiing. This is also called Nordic Skiing.
It went by different names such as: ski walking, hill bounding or ski striding
Coaches wanted to maximize the training of their athletes and when top Nordic skiers were seen doing it -it caught on. It quickly became the “thing to do” for training.
Head’s up for optimum breathing and back support.
It wasn’t long before people with knee and hip issues realized they could walk better with trekking poles. Poles for hiking were made with adjustable lengths. They are shortened for uphill and lengthened for down. This is because going uphill you want the poles behind you and pushing…coming downhill, they should be in front and stopping your movement. Not your knees.
Trekking poles are different than Nordic Walking poles. NW poles are adjusted for each different height user…but one they are moving you always keep them behind you so there is no need to adjust them. Nordic Walking is an activity on more or less level surfaces.
Tom Rutlin, is credited with introducing Exerstrider poles in America in 1988. He added rubber tips so the activity could be done on most surfaces.
We’ll continue this thread in future posts. Now go out and walk!