Should You Try Nordic Walking?

Stacy Gavarter knows as much about Nordic walking as the average American: nothing. "I've seen people with poles, walking," she says, "I just didn't know what it was called."

But thanks to ClassPass, which allows exercisers to try different fitness classes without committing to any one membership, the 40-something teacher is here in Central Park on a warm summer night with poles clipped to her gloved hands, sneakers on her feet and buds in her ears. Through them, she hears the Australian accent of Sonja Johansson, a Feldenkrais practitioner -- a type of movement specialist -- and certified Nordic walking instructor who's leading the class of three beginners from a few strides ahead.

"Your elbows will want to bend, but don't let them," Johansson calls out. "Push off the balls of your feet," she encourages. "Close and release your hands," she instructs. "Keep pace with me," she dares -- a deceivingly challenging request coming from the smallest one in the group.

Suddenly, walking isn't so simple. "This does not feel natural," Gavarter admits.

[See: Easy Ways to Get 10,000 Steps Per Day.]

Nordic walking -- a full-body workout that involves a particular type of pole and a certain posture and stride -- originated in Finland as a way to train cross-country skiers in the off-season. It quickly spread as a hobby throughout Europe and the rest of the world, but its appeal in the U.S. has lagged, says Bernd Zimmermann, president of the American Nordic Walking Association, which he founded in 2004.

"We expected, when I founded [the foundation], it would be successful like it was in Europe, but unfortunately, that was not the case," Zimmermann says. "But this has changed the last three, four years dramatically." Today, he says, there are an estimated 12 million Nordic walkers throughout Europe and 3 million in the U.S.

One reason for the sport's growing appeal? An increasing appreciation among health professionals and fitness buffs for the activity's many health benefits, Zimmermann says. When done correctly, Nordic walking can burn up to 40 percent more calories than regular walking, reduce knee and joint stress, boost oxygen consumption (which, in turn, benefits the brain) and help realign the body after a day hunched at a desk. It can even appeal to the exercise-averse since it feels easier than other exercises that require equal effort, says Dr. Pam Roberts, a family physician who teaches Nordic walking as a health and wellness coach at The Summit Medical Fitness Center in Kalispell, Montana. "[Nordic walkers] are getting a higher level of fitness, but they're not feeling the drudgery of it," she says.

More than a hobby, the sport -- which has a low risk for injury and can be done virtually anywhere that's walkable, from shopping malls to city sidewalks -- can be therapeutic for a wide range of health conditions, including fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a condition in which people's damaged nerves can make it difficult to sense the ground when walking. Poles change that, Roberts says.

Nordic walking can also relieve people with orthopedic issues. One of Roberts' clients, Diana Dorris, for example, first tried the activity a few years ago after all but giving up on being able to walk comfortably again. The now 66-year-old in Kalispell, Montana, had undergone two hip replacements and used canes to get around when she had to; otherwise, she called on others to help out. "I was bent over and really hobbling," she says. Then, she attended Roberts' seminar on Nordic walking, and her outlook changed.

"It's hard to explain," Dorris says, "it's like I was hopeful for a change." Today, she has poles of her own, which she mostly uses to get around and occasionally for exercise. She moves at a normal pace, doesn't fatigue nearly as quickly and isn't hindered by the back pain she suffered from before. "When I got the poles in my hands, it was like freedom," Dorris recalls. "It gave me back my independence."

Inspired? Whether you want to try Nordic walking for fitness or are prescribed poles for therapy, keep these expert tips in mind:

1. Drop Stereotypes

While Nordic walking can help people like Dorris get back on their feet, it can also help runners and other athletes achieve a full-body cardiovascular workout without damaging their joints, says Bill Rosson, who co-founded HYVA, the Nordic walking organization in New York City, with Johansson in 2015. "Anybody can take a walk, but this is so much more effective because you're using your upper body as well," he says. "The poles defray a lot of the tension and the stress from your knees and your joints."

Rosson's goal? To destigmatize Nordic walking -- which can be made more difficult by increasing the pace to a run or adding jumps, for example -- as a retirement community activity. HYVA aims to engage baby boomers, who are generally sedentary, as well as millennials, who trend toward high-intensity indoor workouts. To them, Rosson pleads: "Get the hell of out the gym."

2. Seek Instruction

Nordic walking merely looks like walking with poles, but there's more to it than that, enthusiasts say. "People say, 'Why do I have to learn how to walk?' but Nordic walking isn't like regular walking -- it's like having four legs," Zimmermann says.

To fully reap the sport's benefits, it's a good idea to take a class from a certified instructor or, at the very least, watch a video online, he says. You'll learn, for example, which part of your foot to step on first, the correct angle at which to carry your arms and how to appropriately propel yourself forward. "You just have to get down the basic cues," Rosson says. There's no harm, however, if you don't, he adds. "Worst-case scenario: You get a nice walk."

3. Invest in Proper Equipment

Not all poles are created equal -- a hiking stick isn't a cross-country ski pole isn't a Nordic walking pole. While the latter varies by brand and their materials and features, most come with a glove-like grip that clips into the pole and a sharp point at the end that can be capped during the summer and used to walk on ice in the winter. For people with arthritis, poles that allow a looser grip are preferable, Roberts says. Still, she adds, "any pole is better than no pole" since they all can help improve walkers' posture and lengthen their stride.

4. Ditch Pride

American Nordic walkers have heard it all. "Sometimes," Dorris says, "I get teased about looking for the ski slopes." But more often than not, people approach her with genuine questions about how the poles might benefit them. She's even made a walking date with a woman she met in a Wal-Mart bathroom who was given Nordic walking poles after an accident but is too embarrassed to try them out alone. "I told her I love them," Dorris says.

[See: The Best Exercises You Can Do for the Rest of Your Life.]

As for Gavarter, who's spent the previous few months cycling between fitness studios, the looks she gets from runners, cyclists and dog-walkers in Central Park are worth the chance to exercise outside on a nice night with personalized instruction. "Try it," she suggests after her first class. "Don't be afraid of walking around with poles in the park."