Nordic walking: what the poles change and who may enjoy it

How do you use the poles?

The International Nordic Walking Federation describes natural alternating gait with poles angled backwards during propulsion. As the right foot comes forward, the left arm comes forward; the pattern then changes sides. Pressure through the pole and strap helps propel the walker as the arm travels backwards.

The hand can relax and open as it passes behind the body, while the strap maintains contact. That is why the strap is part of the technique rather than just something that prevents a dropped pole. Keeping the pole far ahead and leaning on it for support is a different movement from the active backward push being studied here.

Think of this description as something to recognise during a lesson. An instructor can see whether you are pushing through the pole, gripping unnecessarily hard, shortening your stride or trying to move both sides together. A photograph cannot show whether force is going through the pole at the right moment.

For the first lesson, ask for room to practise the sequence on a manageable surface before joining a longer walk. Learning the rhythm while also trying to keep up with an experienced group can make it difficult to work out which part needs changing. Give the instructor a specific observation: 'I lose the opposite-arm rhythm' is more useful than assuming you are simply bad at it.

Can you try a pair before buying?

British Nordic Walking's equipment advice recommends light poles with glove-style straps and a length that suits the user. It says most of its instructors lend poles to beginners and can help with adjustment. Its website also links to a local-instructor finder, so a first enquiry need not begin with a purchase.

A practical starting fit used in the 2026 trial was approximately a right angle at the elbow while holding the pole. LEKI's fitting guidance describes the same approximate check standing upright on level ground. Treat it as a starting point to check with an instructor, not a medical rule that every body must match exactly.

Try the strap as well as the length. Can you relax the hand during the backward movement while remaining connected to the pole? Can you release the hand from the strap when you stop? Ask the instructor to demonstrate both, particularly if the fastening is unfamiliar or you have difficulty with your fingers.

Fixed and adjustable poles are different practical choices. British Nordic Walking notes that adjustable versions can help when travelling or sharing equipment. Before choosing, check whether the model fits you, how its adjustment locks and what replacement straps and rubber paws are available. Ask which tip arrangement suits the surfaces on your usual route rather than assuming one setup covers everything.

Comfortable walking shoes with grip are sufficient for many sessions; specialist Nordic footwear is not required by British Nordic Walking's kit guidance. Spend the first lesson finding a comfortable fit and learning the movement before treating a more expensive pole as a solution to technique.

What changes at the same walking speed?

A 2021 laboratory study compared walking with and without poles in 15 healthy men aged 19–30. At the same treadmill speeds and gradients, Nordic walking increased activity in measured shoulder and arm muscles and raised oxygen uptake. At 5 km/h on level ground, oxygen uptake averaged 14 rather than 12 millilitres per kilogram per minute.

That is roughly one-sixth more oxygen use at that particular speed, calculated from the reported averages. It helps explain how the upper body can contribute to a walk's cardiovascular demand without requiring a faster pace. It is not a personal calorie calculation: the men were young, the test was on a treadmill and the result concerns those conditions.

Muscle activation also has a narrower meaning than muscle growth. A short recording showing that an arm muscle works harder does not establish how much stronger it becomes after months. Likewise, additional energy use during a test does not establish lasting weight loss, which the experiment did not measure.

For your own walks, distinguish speed from effort. Two outings at the same pace may feel different when one involves active pole propulsion. Conversely, a slower Nordic walk might involve similar overall effort to a faster ordinary walk. Do not use step count alone to decide which was harder; our walking-pace guide explains what that measure leaves out.

What did the cardiac rehabilitation trial show?

The CRX randomised trial involved 135 people with coronary artery disease after procedures to restore blood flow. Average age was 61 and 85% were men. They attended one of three exercise programmes twice weekly for twelve weeks; the registered protocol confirms supervised sessions on site.

The six-minute walk test measures the distance someone can cover in six minutes. Average improvement was about 77 metres with Nordic walking, 51 with high-intensity intervals and 48 with continuous training. The Nordic group's additional improvement was therefore roughly 26–29 metres, not 77 metres beyond the other groups.

The researchers reported a statistically significant difference in how the groups changed over time, with p=0.042, and described Nordic walking's functional improvement as clinically superior. That supports a real advantage within this programme, while individual responses varied substantially. It does not establish one universal distance threshold for every healthy walker.

The outcome was walking capacity, not fewer heart attacks or longer life. If you are attending cardiac rehabilitation, ask that team whether Nordic walking fits your programme rather than copying an exercise intensity from the paper or replacing prescribed sessions yourself.

Did poles outperform ordinary walking in older adults?

A 2026 trial randomised 32 adults aged 65–80; 28 completed twelve weeks. Sessions were individual, supervised by a physiotherapist, three times weekly. Nordic participants first completed three short familiarisation sessions. Both groups progressed from 15–20 minutes of walking to 30, then 50 minutes over the programme.

The adjusted advantage for Nordic walking in six-minute walking distance was about 51 metres, with a 95% confidence interval of roughly 24–78 metres. The timed up-and-go test did not show a significant difference. A questionnaire about falls-related confidence was not a count of prevented falls.

The groups started with different abilities, and the physiotherapist both delivered training and assessed outcomes without blinding. Their intensity prescriptions differed too: 40–60% heart-rate reserve for Nordic walking versus below 60% maximum heart rate and comfortable conversation for ordinary walking. Those percentages refer to different calculations.

This was not a clean comparison of identical walks with and without poles. Nor is its progression to 50 minutes an unsupervised beginner prescription. It shows what happened during a supported programme, with uncertainty about how much of the difference came from poles themselves.

Is Nordic walking always better?

An earlier randomised trial studied 33 previously untrained older adults over eight weeks. Both groups improved, but Nordic walking was not superior for the primary outcome of walking at a self-selected speed or most secondary outcomes. The studies therefore do not all point to an extra benefit for every measure.

It helps to separate two questions: does a programme improve a measured outcome, and would that programme improve your own routine? A supervised class may add instruction, regular attendance and company as well as poles. Those features can matter to your choice even when a trial cannot isolate their individual contributions.

When comparing a few sessions for yourself, note the route, duration, effort and any discomfort. A longer, hillier Nordic walk cannot tell you what the poles changed compared with a short, flat walk. Use the talk test to describe effort alongside any personal exercise advice, rather than trying to match a study's heart-rate percentage without its clinical assessment.

What to ask before your first session

Before booking, ask whether the session includes instruction and borrowed poles, how long the walking part lasts, and what surfaces and slopes it uses. Check whether you can shorten the route or slow down. 'Beginner' can describe unfamiliarity with the poles without necessarily meaning a short or easy walk.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS guidance includes Nordic walking among activity options and advises appropriate professional support when health problems, pain or fear of falling affect exercise. Tell the instructor about relevant difficulties before setting off, including shoulder, hand or wrist symptoms that make pole use uncomfortable.

If you already need a walking aid, seek individual advice before replacing it with exercise poles. An active backward-pushing technique should not be assumed to provide the stability or weight-bearing support you were prescribed. Likewise, a fall-confidence questionnaire in a study is not evidence that a new pair of poles will prevent your falls.

Keep strength exercises and, where appropriate, balance practice as distinct considerations. Working the arms during walking does not make every strength or balance task redundant. A suitable lesson will help you judge whether Nordic walking adds an enjoyable, manageable form of effort to your week, with a technique you understand and equipment that fits.