Nordic Walking

Nordic Walking Beginner Courses

10 courses will be provided free of charge with 5 places available on each course. Specialist Nordic walking poles will be provided free of charge. Courses consist of four 1.5 hour sessions and will run over 2 days a week apart.

Participants are expected to complete and return a pre-course readiness questionnaire and to attend all four sessions in order to learn foundation-level Nordic walking technique safely and effectively.

Allocation of places

In order to allocate firm course places, participants must have a certain level of walking fitness and a clear understanding of what kind of exercise Nordic walking involves.

Walking fitness

Are you able to walk comfortably for half an hour at a brisk pace, for example, to the extent that you are breathing harder, feeling warmer, perhaps starting to sweat, but still able to talk with the person at your side?

Weather

Our policy is to postpone sessions if over 30mph wind with/without rain is forecast or ice/snow is covering our tracks. Another session will then be offered to try and ensure people don’t miss out.

More information about Nordic walking

Nordic walking is for people who want to get more out of outdoors, walking-based activity than when walking normally. If you can walk swinging your arms, you’ll be able to Nordic walk. It will help improve how you walk anyway: better posture, gait, balance and co-ordination.

Nordic walking is learned by taking part in a course led by an accredited instructor.

Get more information about the multiple benefits of Nordic walking.

You can find information on the benefits of:

• health 
• fitness 
• wellbeing
• weight-loss

There are 4 broad categories of people likely to benefit from Nordic walking.

People who:

• are comparatively healthy, for example, those seeking a healthier, and better quality of, life across the life course
• have defined health risk factors and self-reported health problems, for example:
  • overweight
  • high blood pressure
  • back pain and mild to moderate anxiety
  • depression or stress, including carers and the bereaved
• live with certain long-term/progressive conditions, for example:
  • diabetes
  • cancer
  • heart disease
  • osteoarthritis
  • osteoporosis
  • asthma
  • Parkinson’s
  • Multiple Sclerosis and fibromyalgia
• are recovering from medical treatment/ rehabilitation, for example for:
  • cancer
  • heart disease
  • stroke and joint replacement
  • similar operations.

Nordic walking is learned by participating in a course led by an accredited instructor.

These courses:

• are not the same as a GP Referral for Exercise or Exercise on Prescription Scheme
• require warming up at the beginning of sessions and stretching at the end
• enable participants to reach the foundation level of technique for Nordic walking on-road, off-road, on the flat and over gentle ups and downs.

Nordic walking provides aerobic exercise (for the heart and lungs) and strengthens muscles. By improving your normal walking to make it more natural combined with learning how to propel the body forward using specialist poles, Nordic walking engages more muscles throughout the body than both normal walking and walking with trekking poles. With good technique, this makes Nordic walking much better than most other forms of physical activity at exercising the whole body.

Nordic Walking taster sessions

If you’d like to try it out first, taster sessions are available:

• 11:30am to 1pm Wednesdays
• 9:45am to 11:15am Saturdays

£15 per person, poles included, for 3 to 6 participants.

Sessions will start on the Event lawns in One Garden before moving into Stanmer Park.

For booking or enquiries, send an email to peter@nordicwalkingforhealth.co.uk.