Nordic walking is a gentle endurance fitness activity that became popular in Finland in 1997. Nordic walking involves using two specially designed poles that provide propulsion, making walking easier and faster. It was established during a professional biathlon, which involved cross country skiing and alpine athletics, as a summer training method. It develops the upper body muscles through the use of poles made from a carbon fibreglass mix and a special hand strap. The fast pace also improves cardiovascular fitness.

Nordic walking is easy to learn and is suitable for any age group or fitness level because the exercise can be individually adjusted according to age and training level. It is great for people who haven’t exercised much and would like to increase their general fitness levels because there is very little strain on the joints. For this reason it is exceptionally good for people suffering from conditions like osteoporosis, osteoarthritis or back problems. However, it is important to seek medical advice if you haven’t exercised for a long time, suffer from any medical condition or are obese.

When using the poles, it is possible to burn 20% more calories due to the increased level of oxygen intake compared to a normal walk. This endurance exercise is great for losing weight because it stimulates the fat burning process in the metabolism. It is also popular with people who are not great fans of exercise because the effect of the exercise on the muscles is not felt that much, so it is enjoyable rather than tiring. Each training session should last between 30 and 90 minutes. The least intense the training is the longer the training time should be and the more intensive the training is the shorter the training time should be. The longer duration and the least intense form of Nordic walking benefit the body the most because it encourages the fat burning process in the muscles. 

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Idogo Walking