Nordic Walking - Book Review

Nordic Walking for Health, Fitness and Fun

Nordic walking with walking poles is a European fitness trend that is slowly making inroads in the Americas. Claire Walter explains how nordic walking gives a better workout than regular walking, and is appropriate for all age levels. She covers the history of nordic walking, the gear, shoes and other equipment for walkers. The explanations of exactly how to use the walking poles could be better illustrated.

This books succeeds best in being a resource for nordic walking rather than a tutorial in exactly how to use nordic walking poles.

I enjoyed the few pages on the history of nordic walking, as I've been an avid reporter on it since the early 1990's. Walter covers the personalities and timeline of the converging development of walking with walking poles in the United States by Tom Rutlin of Exerstrider and in Europe by Marko Kantaneva. I have taken nordic walking instructor training from Leki myself.

Walter then devotes chapters to how regular walking and nordic walking can be a part of fitness for people of every age group, and for specific populations such as seniors and those with disabilities.

Walking Poles: The gear section gives a comprehensive run-down on every aspect of the walking poles. She includes the debate over fixed-length poles vs. adjustable poles, how to select the right length of poles, and the specifics of each brand of poles.

Nordic Walking Shoes: Shoes specifically designed and marketed for nordic walking are popular in Europe but harder to find in North America. Walter has an impressive chapter detailing the models that each manufacturer is gearing towards nordic walking. She discusses using trail running shoes for nordic walking.

Finally, after two thirds of the book, we get down to how to actually use the nordic walking poles. I found this to be the weakest area of the book, although the advice that nordic walking is best learned live from an instructor or group is my advice as well. Like racewalking, this is a technique that can benefit from having an instructor help you get it right from the beginning.

I found it kind of funny that 10 pages are devoted to excellent photos of stretches using the nordic walking poles, but there are only three pages with tiny photos showing nordic walking technique.

Part of the problem is that there are competing techniques. Tom Rutlin's Exerstriding technique is very different from classic INWA Nordic Walking technique. But the book would have been much better with pages of photos and technique illustrations devoted to each. Then it would help those using the poles to check their technique. Instead, we get lists from the major pole companies on technique.

Even with this flaw, I still found the book to be a good resource for my walking library.

A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher.