Nordic Walking - Benefits for Sports

Nordic walking as well as being a great leisure/fitness activity and sport in its own right, can also help you improve other sporting interests you may have. Perhaps it could be another enjoyable way to cross-train that you hadn’t thought of?
Skiing -The number 1 obvious sport being skiing, in particular cross country skiing.  Nordic walking can help to get you ‘ski fit’.  Get your body ready for a skiing holiday and enjoy it even more.

Swimming - Nordic walking uses the large muscles in the upper body as well as the lower, therefore significant gains in strength and flexibility can be achieved, along with the cardiovascular benefits, through Nordic walking regularly.

Running – Nordic walking is a great cross training exercise for running.  Due to the low impact nature of Nordic walking, it is an excellent way to maintain training without stressing the lower limb joints.  It is particularly useful if coming back from an injury, as half the workload is transferred to your upper body.  It can also improve your core stability muscles and upper body muscles.  It is a fantastic tool for endurance training, as the full technique uses 90% of all your skeletal muscle.  Throw in some vigorous hill training and even Nordic running or bounding and potentially your stamina and strength can increase.

Rowing, cycling, ... - Any sport where you want to increase your cardio-vascular fitness, co-ordination and muscular fitness, Nordic walking can help.

A Personal Note from Helen

From personal experience I know Nordic walking works. It has increased my stamina and endurance and all round fitness.  I completed the Isle of Wight Long Distance Walking Association annual 73 mile continuous walk around the island in under 22 hours.  

Nordic walking can bring new challenges.  Many group members that have never tried an event before such as a 10 km race have surprised themselves at what is possible to achieve. Below, Poles Ahead entered the Gold Hill 10 km in Shaftesbury, Dorset.

If it is your health that is challenging you, then Nordic walking can offer an alternative way to improve it.  Almost without exception Nordic walking will help you to feel better whatever your condition, done regularly.