Even the art of putting one foot in front of the other goes through trends – and right now, Nordic walking is cool. Caroline McEneaney finds out more about how you can get involved right here in Abu Dhabi.
If you think you need to live in one of the five Nordic countries in northern Europe to practise Nordic walking, then think again.
An exciting and vigorous activity, it’s walking that uses specially designed poles, similar to ski poles.
Walkers press into the poles with their hands while they walk, in the same way you would in cross-country skiing or on an elliptical trainer at the gym, so it adds a fitness dimension to regular walking.
ProActive is an organisation in Abu Dhabi that runs a Nordic walking group on Yas Island. Helen Beckley is the sports development director, and she has been a Nordic walker for seven years. She explains, ‘Nordic walking is an enhanced version of ordinary walking. It makes something we learn to do as babies twice as taxing. It’s a great workout but people also like it because it’s a social activity. You can make friends while you get fit.’
Nordic walking should not be confused with trekking or hill walking, where the poles used are not tied to the walkers’ hands. Helen explains, ‘In Nordic walking, the poles are strapped tightly to the walker. They become an extension of their arms.’
Nordic walking was invented as a way for skiers to train during the months when there was no snow. While skiers had long used their poles for walking during the off-season, the first poles designed specifically for the sport of walking rather than for ski training were developed in 1997 by Exel, a Finnish sports equipment company that coined the term Nordic walking in 1999.
The Nordic walking group has been running in Abu Dhabi for six months and interest is growing, with classes typically welcoming eight to 12 curious walkers – a great turnout, as the maximum class capacity is 12. The six-week courses consist of weekly hour-long classes that teach technique and focus on different aspects of the sport.
Helen explains, ‘The first class is typically slightly longer – it might last for 90 minutes rather than an hour, because we teach the technique first, and then we go on a walk. The remaining classes will focus on something new each time such as speed, distance or circuit training, where we might find stairs to climb or benches to stop at and use for upper-body exercises.’
There are many physical benefits of Nordic walking over regular walking: it uses the entire body with greater intensity because the walker is putting pressure on the poles with each step. This works the chest, triceps, biceps, abdominals and spinal muscles, and causes the heart rate to increase more than it does during regular or even vigorous walking. It also promotes mindfulness, as walkers must concentrate on technique and posture.
Because Nordic walking burns more calories than regular walking, it is a safer and less intense alternative to running, which puts more pressure on the knees and joints, and can result in injury. Helen says, ‘Many people try Nordic walking because it is less intimidating than joining a gym and it is a great way to become fit.’
So what is the basic technique? ‘Some of the most important pointers are to make sure that when you swing your arms, you are swinging from your shoulders rather than your elbows. You should also maintain good posture: you want to stand tall throughout your stride.’
Classes meet at Du Forum on Yas Island on Sunday evenings at 6.15pm and Tuesday mornings at 8.30am. The six-week course costs Dhs240; single classes cost Dhs40. ProActive provides the walking poles.
Email Helen@proactive.ae, www.proactive.ae (050 8100 774).
