Burn more calories
Reduce back, neck and shoulder pain
Stay motivated
For sports people

Burn 20% more calories than in normal walking
When Nordic Walking you use your legs, your arms, the rear part of your shoulders, and your chest and back muscles. Using more muscles in Nordic Walking means on average you burn 20% more calories than in normal walking at the same walking speed* , but that's not all:

Although you are using more muscles and doing more exercise, the effort is spread across your whole body and, therefore, Nordic Walking can actually feel easier and less tiring than normal walking!*

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Reduce back, neck and shoulder pain
Sitting down for most of the day, whether at home, in the car or at the office, often leads to back pain, and neck and shoulder tension. Good Nordic Walking technique increases the rotation of the spine over normal walking, strengthening the spinal discs and reducing the incidence of back pain.

Using Nordic Walking poles strengthens the large muscles of the back that pull down the shoulder blades, significantly reducing neck and shoulder tension. Exel Nordic Walking poles have specially designed straps (different from normal walking poles), which allow you to release the grip as you push forward. With good Nordic Walking technique squeezing and releasing the grip through the stride strengthens the muscles of the wrist and this can reduce symptoms of RSI (repetitive stress injury).

When Nordic Walking, the increased use of the upper body reduces the load on your knees, allowing you to exercise with much more comfort than normal walking or jogging.

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Nordic Walking is easy to stick to
Do you start an exercise programme with all the best intentions in the world but find you have stopped, and the new equipment is in the cupboard, after just a couple of weeks? Have you wanted to exercise with other people but felt that you weren't fit enough, or that you'd only slow them down? Or perhaps you're the fast one that others slow down.

With Nordic Walking intensity determined by upper body effort, you can now walk at the same speed as your family and friends while exercising at your optimal level. Enjoy being able to share Nordic Walking with others; it makes you more likely to stick to your exercise programme and you get all the fresh air benefits of being outside as well.

If you prefer exercising with others why don't you find a class near you?

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For sports people and regular exercisers
Nordic Walking is an ideal cross-training exercise technique and addition to your regular programme. Scientific studies of high intensity Nordic Walking** have demonstrated heart rate levels reaching 75% of maximal values while participants were still walking. Running with Nordic Walking poles allows you to turn up the intensity even further.

Try Nordic Walking while wearing a heart rate monitor. The lowered rate of perceived exertion (RPE) felt with Nordic Walking means you might be surprised at just how hard your heart is working, while you are feeling relatively comfortable. This whole body muscular activity, high heart rate response and yet lowered RPE found with Nordic Walking means you can work at a higher intensity, for longer and with more ease than in many other types of training techniques - ideal cross-training.

* Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 73 (3), 296-300. September 2002
** Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 33 (5), S496. May 2001