The roots of Nordic walking actually go back before Moses. Remember his walk in the desert? A single staff to aid walking has been around for centuries. To get us into the 20th Century, recognize that Finland is the home of some of the world’s best cross-country skiers. The sport is also known as “Nordic Skiing.” During their dry winters and short summers, it had been a challenge to keep at top performance on dry land. To employ the muscles of the upper body and arms, the Nordic Track hit the scene. It involved pulling on a cable rope with the arms while sliding mini-ski’s forward and back. This replicated the Nordic Skiing motion. The large wooden device appeared in gyms then in homes. The ungainly equipment has long been relegated to the back room as a coat hanger.
Many reports say that in 1966, Leena Jääskeläinen, of Helsinki, introduced “walking with ski poles” to her students. Then in 1979, Mauri Repo (also of Finland) came up with an off-season cross-country ski-training method using poles on dry land. In 1998, American Tom Rutlin replicated flat skiing using lightweight poles to push off the ground in a motion very similar to Nordic Skiing. He coined the word: “Exerstriding.” Thus, modern Nordic Walking as we know it today was created. Ski pole manufacturer Exel started making dedicated poles just for Nordic walking. As the technology evolved, new equipment refined the sport. Fixed length, then adjustable poles, became available. Exotic material such as aluminum and carbon fiber replaced low grade steel.
Several manufacturers produce poles. The market leader is Leki, a German company. Others include: Komperdell, Exel, SkiWalk, Exerstrider, and Swix. Asian companies also mass-market generally inferior poles. A good company will warrant the poles for life. Quality poles are not cheap and can range from over $100 to $150.
Nordic Walking is mainstream in Western Europe. Norway, Sweden, Demark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary and other countries have adopted Nordic Walking as a fitness routine. Groups 
can be seen going around parks together or even inside shopping malls before the open. Some estimates claim that over 8 million people in Europe do Nordic Walking. This fitness activity is emerging in the USA with instruction offered by several sources. The American Nordic Walking Association, the Association of Nordic Walkers, International Nordic Walking Federation and several others promote the activity. Several independent consultants and of course, Rick Deutsch, teach classes in their area.