Could this be your new SLIMMING SECRET?

Lose weight, feel fabulous and enjoy the great outdoors

If you’ve ever seen hikers striding across a hill with poles in their hands, you’ll have an idea what Nordic walking is all about. The sport, which came to wider popular attention in the 1990s through the Finnish crosscountry skiing team, has been growing in popularity thanks to its versatile nature and accessible beginners clubs. Not only that, Nordic walking provides a host of benefits, from increased cardiovascular health to weight loss.

Grab the poles

Nordic walking is great for improving your fitness levels quickly. ‘The poles provide propulsion and support, enabling people to walk further and faster,’ says Gill Stewart from Nordic Walking UK. ‘The secret ingredient is known as the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) factor because, despite it feeling easier, you are actually working harder!’

Nordic walking also improves cardiovascular fitness, and is good for your posture and core strength. In fact, there is almost no part of the body that it doesn’t positively affect in some way. ‘Nordic walking is a whole-body exercise that harnesses the action of a cross-country skier in order to propel the walker forward,’ explains Gill. ‘Once you learn how to use the poles, you will be able to tone the whole body with every step.’