Keep fit with a Nordic Walk in the park

IF you can walk, you can go Nordic Walking. That's the first thing I'm told by instructor Karen Heldt when we meet at Rowntree Park.

Karen has been teaching Nordic Walking for four years and begins by getting me to limber up with a few stretches.

Next, she adjusts my poles and shows me how to "click" the accompanying glove into the pole - and how to take it out again.

"It's useful to be able to do that if you need to go over a style," she says.

There are no styles in Rowntree Park, but there is a mix of terrain - grass and tarmac, and a few green banks that are perfect for a lesson in how to go up and down a hill, Nordic style.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First, I have to learn to walk using the poles. Karen tells me to put one foot forward in time with the opposite arm - almost like a march. It is little more than an exaggerated walk and I realise that her first statement is true: if you can walk, then Nordic Walking should be, well, a walk in the park.

Of course, it's not quite as simple as that. Beginners are invited to attend four hours of instruction before they can join the regular Nordic Walking groups organised by the city council.

Four hours, I hear you ask. Well, yes, there's a lot learn, as I soon appreciate when Karen starts to put me through my paces.

Lesson one is that the poles are always behind you, as in skiing. In fact, Nordic Walking is a spin off from cross-country skiing. "It comes from Scandinavia, where people wanted a similar technique they could use in summer. So they stuck saw paws on their poles and started to walk on grass." The "paws" are removable and cover a short spike, which can be helpful when walking on softer ground.

Lesson two is that you push back on the poles to gently propel yourself forward. This action is a great work-out for the triceps (and the enemy of the bingo wing). On a more serious note, the exercise is so effective in toning the backs of the upper arms that there is a special Nordic Walking group for women following breast cancer treatment and who have developed lymphoedema.

Lesson three is that there are three "gears" you can walk at. The first is quite steady, the second will raise your heart rate a bit and the third, where you stretch the pole further back and "roll" your foot forward and take wider strides will have you breaking into a sweat.

The sticks remain behind you, even when tackling a hill. This seems odd at first, as the instinct on the ascent is to plonk the poles in front of you and drag yourself forward. But the Nordic technique is easier, and you seem to glide up and down the hill, with ease and confidence.

As workouts go, Nordic Walking is pretty complete. "It utilises every single muscle in your body," says Karen. "Especially if you smile."

ON THE MARCH: Nordic Walkers in Rowntree Park

It burns more calories and fat than ordinary walking and is great for posture too, she adds.

"It is an all-body work out, especially if you do the warm up, follow a good technique and remember to stretch at the end."

It is also low-impact, so ideal for people who are recovering from illness or injury.

Gordon Farquhar,75, and his wife Pat, 73, are regular Nordic walkers. Gordon has had a double heart bypass as is determined to stay fit. Nordic walking helps with that, he says. The couple have even been on a Nordic Walking holiday and set up their own spin-off group for speedier walkers. Group members are friendly and welcoming, they say, and people tend to decamp to the Rowntree Park cafe for a hot drink after Friday's walks.

Pat says Nordic Walking is quite energetic without being too tiring. "When I get home I always want to get things done in the afternoon."

Janet Johnson, 62, is a keen runner and has been Nordic Walking for two years, and volunteers to lead a group in New Earswick. "On my rest days I go Nordic Walking as it uses different muscles."

Angie Rawlings, 49, volunteers to lead the Rowntree Park group. A former aerobics instructor, she had to give it up following a back injury. Nordic Walking is the one pursuit she can follow that doesn't aggravate her back. "It is very good for those with back pain because when you walk with the poles, it gives you better posture."

How to get into Nordic Walking

City of York Council offers a range of Nordic Walking activities for residents of York including free tasters, learn to Nordic Walk courses and regular group walks.

Courses consist of four hours of instruction and cost £20 (including pole hire).

Once you have completed the course, you will receive a certificate and a Nordic Walking UK Freedom Card which will allow you to attend the council-run social groups free of charge. For the social session, pole hire is £2 per pair from the walk leaders.

The next taster session takes place on Friday at Rowntree Park from 1.30pm to 2.30pm. Cost is £4 per person. The content will be the equivalent to session one on the four-hour course so people can join a techniques course in November for £16 once they have completed this.

The next courses are:

Weekends: Meet: Rawcliffe Bar Country Park, Shipton Rd, YO30 5XZ

Starts: 10.30am-12.30pm on Saturdays

Dates: Saturday 7 and 14 November (note this this two hours over two Saturdays)

Weekdays: Meet: Rowntree Park Reading Cafe, Richardson Street, York, YO23 1JU.

Starts: 11.30am-12.30pm on Fridays.

Dates: Friday 6, 13, 20 and 27 November Over winter, the Rowntree Park Nordic Walking group will continue on Fridays from 10am-11am, meeting at the main car park at Rowntree Park.

The council is also looking more experienced Nordic Walkers to become walk leaders. Training will be given.

Booking is essential for the taster day and all courses. To book, or find out more information, contact Gillian Chefrad (01904) 553377 or email gillian.chefrad@york.gov.uk