Have you ever seen healthy people walking with two sticks? My first impression was, “good idea for old folks who have problems with their equilibrium and it’s a good use for someone’s out dated ski poles”. I have been a certified Alpine Ski instructors for almost 50 years and did not want to get caught dead walking with two ski poles. Only when one of our ex-employees, the head soccer coach of the Bavarian Sports Academy, Kurt Schreiber, visited me from Munich, Germany, did I get a taste of an activity that is not something just for old people.

“Look at this”, he said, as he pulled a telescopic walking stick out of his car trunk. How smart, I thought, a ski pole that reduces in size so it fits in ones luggage. I laughed since I still could not imagine that anyone would walk along the edge of a road with two poles, hand weights may be, but not sticks. “They all do it in Europe”, Kurt said, “not me” I replied. A few months later I talked to another friend, Bernt Zimmerman, president of the American Nordic Walking Association, who mentioned that he is importing a Nordic Walking stick from a company in Germany, because “everyone over there is doing it. I’ll send you a video.” Now I am getting curious.

Is there something in the fitness category we American’s don’t know about? Absolutely! Looking at a Nordic Walker one cannot help to notice the erect body position, the positive strives and powerful arm engagement. It is much more disciplined and energetic then the way we normally walk. I got excited. On the video I could see how the entire body is engaged. It looked sporty with a certain rhythm and coordination. I have got to try it, at least once, I thought. I took a lesson (out of town) from Gottfried Kuermer an Austrian Instructor and Director of Education & Technical Development for the American Nordic Walking Association. I was hooked! I never thought that as a physical educator, athlete, ski instructor, and movement education teacher I would have to take a lesson in “walking with two sticks”. And I am glad I did! I had to take several instructions to get it right and today I am convinced of its incredible qualities. In fact I got so into it that I became an instructor of the American Nordic Walking Association. Let me tell you, if you do it right, it really is fun!

To make matters even more unbelievable, I have arthritis in my knee, my ankle, and my shoulder. Walking is some times difficult for me, but not with my “fancy walking sticks”. A lot of the energy, required by the lower body, is transferred to the upper body, and my arthritic joints experience less strain. Now, I Nordic walk for fun, with friends and to stay fit. It has became the only worth while fitness training for me. You must try it too. It will take a few lessons for you to feel comfortable but give me a call and we will “take a hike together”.

I still can not believe that I am promoting Nordic Walking and how wrong I was laughing about those sticks? Only now do I know why there are three Nordic Walking magazines published in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. We are truly not yet “on the go” here in the United States, but I for one, will never go on a Treadmill again, huffing and puffing without experiencing an environment that I can select and a surrounding I enjoy exploring.