Nordic Walking is a recently discovered activity, a really complete exercise to be performed in the nature. At the same time, it allows to reach the optimal anaerobic threshold and cardiac frequency.

What Nordic Walking is, and the difference between Nordic walking and a normal walk Nordic Walking is a sport that can be practiced all year round, and has a large audience. Most of the Nordic Walkers are more than 30 years old, they are usually people who have never practiced other sports, or have interrupted their activity for a long time but want now to start again doing some physical exercise. Nordic Walkers care about their health and, as a consequence, about their physical shape. It can be done both on a competitive level, in the mountains, being a more demanding sport than simple jogging, and in a more relaxed way, on the plain, by whoever is simply able to walk.

Origins
Its origins can be found in a country where inhabitants are used to move with poles: Finland. Nordic Walking comes from cross country skiing, and not from normal walking as people might believe. In the 90s this discipline developed to become a really popular activity in Finland, also because of the development of a special type of pole. Nordic Walking poles are still different in the peculiar combination of carbon and glass fibre, as well as for the innovative system of handstraps. From Finland, Nordic Walking has conquered the Scandinavian countries and Germany, where it is nowadays perceived as a publicly acknowledged activity, a successful sport and part of the insurance and health system programs as well as a recreational activity for company employees.

The equipment: shoes

A good Nordic Walking shoe must support in a proper way the foot on any type of floor and protect bones, muscles and joints, absorbing every step and allowing the Nordic walker to perform the complete roll of the foot: heel, sole, tip. Since Nordic Walking can be enjoyed all year round, a versatile shoe is recommended, to suit all atmospheric conditions: transpiring in the Summer but also resistant to wind and water.

Diet

It is good to have with you a light flask, as for other activities performed in the nature. For longer excursions we can take energy bars and isotonic drinks for a supply of calories and liquids.