Nordic walking is the latest
fitness craze. Members of the Rotary Club of Ottawa – Stittsville not only
heard about it at their July 15 meeting but also actually tried it out. Four
members, armed with Nordic walking poles, went outside and under the watchful
eye of instructor Wendi Paterson, who was the guest speaker at the meeting,
they walked up and down, engaging the proper technique and experiencing first
hand the feeling of fitness obtained from Nordic walking.
This is just after they had
heard about this new fitness sport from Wendi Paterson who is an
internationally certified personal trainer and now a Nordic walking specialist
who leads a Nordic walking group in the area and who does provide free introductory
clinics for the sport.
While new in Canada, Nordic walking has been around since the
1930’s, having been used in off-season training by Finland’s Olympic cross country ski
and biathlon teams. It became a recreational fitness activity in the early
1980’s, spreading across Scandinavia and Europe.
It has now hit North America, gaining such
popularity that some marathons have added a Nordic walking category.
Ms. Paterson described Nordic
walking as one part walking and one part cross country skiing. Due to the use
of poles, Nordic walking increases the intensity level over simple walking,
burning from 20 to 46 percent more calories than regular walking.
She explained that Nordic
walking promotes weight loss, improves posture and “builds bone”, thus helping
in the fight against osteoporosis. It is very cardiovascular in nature, she
said. Heart rate is increased, virtually all the body’s muscles are engaged and
abdominal fat loss is a noticeable benefit.
Ms. Paterson encouraged
people of all ages and fitness levels to try Nordic walking.
“You’ll love it,” she said.
The poles used in Nordic
walking are specially designed for the sport. There are specific poles for left
and right hands and they are adjustable for the height of the participant. The
poles can be purchased in the $100 range.
Besides poles, the Nordic
walker wears regular walking or running shoes and a hat for protection from the
sun or rain since Nordic walkers usually walk in both rain and shine.
Ms. Paterson is holding a
couple of free clinics to introduce the sport in the coming weeks, one on
Tuesday, July 29 and another on Saturday, August 16. More information about
these free clinics or about the local Nordic walking group guided by Ms.
Paterson can be obtained by calling Wendi Paterson at 613-832-4407 or emailing
her at wendipaterson@hotmail.com.