Terje Raa (Denmark)
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Nordic Walking,
ranging from ridicule to praise. So here are some of the pros and cons
from those who do the work, the poles. There are four of us, usually
parked inside our owner's door, always eager to get going, for we enjoy
overcoming his Parkinson's.
"Hey there! You forgot your skis! Ha-ha-ha!" People get
so excited that they wind down their car windows to tease our owner,
forgetting that he’s heard the same comments a hundred times before.
The prejudice against Nordic Walking is partly self-inflicted - by
owners using us wrongly, especially elderly ladies who lift us up in
the air in front of them.
"Lower, lower!" we whisper into their ears. "Think of
the face of a watch with your hands swinging back and forth between
five and seven o’clock - short forceful movements that nearly send you
flying." Those who do it wrong will be told so by their shoulders one
day, a reminder to study and slavishly imitate those who follow the
rules. Try to watch their ease, elegance and high spirits, and you too
will feel the benefits.
Walking poles come in pairs and do not like to be separated. People who do tear us apart should get themselves a traditional walking cane. As to our appearance, one pair is black and blue, the other black and green. Composite materials make us light and flexible, and we come with an extra set of footwear and a pair of gloves marked Left and Right. All this is produced in Finland, where cross-country skiing eventually developed into Nordic Walking.
The gloves are already attached to our handles, with velcro to tighten and lock them on, allowing you to open and close your hands freely. At the other end we sport metal tips suited for walking on grass or gravel, which if used on a hard surface make an irritating noise. That's why you get a pair of asphalt paws to put on - very practical in urban areas. Paws come in plastic or rubber and in different designs.
Short or long
Our length is a source of never-ending discussions. Various formulae claim to calculate the optimal length, such as your own height multiplied by 0.7, although the most recent says 0.66. The four of us each measure 110cm. "Too short!" some would say on hearing that our owner is 1.76m tall, but they forget that limbs are all individual sizes. When our owner holds us vertically, his elbow angle is slightly over 90 degrees. Recommendations seem to err towards shorter poles. "Rather too short than too long!" - which could also be said about the weight - the lower the better.
You may have noted that two of us have adjustable lengths, we are the so-called telescopic poles, perfect for experimenting with, and for travel as we fit into any standard suitcase. The two joints, however, do make us a bit heavier. "Not reliable!" protest those who forget to use both hands when tightening us. Our experience at airports suggests you may get permission to transport your full-size poles fastened to the outside of your suitcase.
The boss is coming. It must be weeks since we saw him - normally he comes on Saturday afternoon. "Blue or green?" He picks the blue pair again. "Why?" He mutters something about green and travel. That's right, the green pair had three weeks in Spain around Christmas, at Clinica Montebello, where Nordic Walking is regarded as a therapy, and the locals don't raise an eyebrow as the Scandinavians come rushing past with their colourful poles.
Let’s evaluate how our man uses us during his one-hour walk. Left hand into its glove from below, close tightly, right hand the same procedure. He’s ready to start walking with both asphalt paws pointing backwards, which means he will roll on them. There’s our man, off he goes - diagonally - left foot and right arm forward, then right foot and left arm, just like skiing.
Take-off
Over the big road first, then it begins. Our friend
stretches his body a bit as if trying to make himself taller, still
maintains a slight bend forward, thereby strengthening his arms. With
relaxed shoulders and a light bend in the elbows, his hands rotate
between 5 and 7. Resembling propellers fueled by the strength of his
upper body, the poles stimulate him to walk faster, balance problems
apparently left behind. Although his spine is twisting well, our man
does show signs of Parkinson's, especially when tired – his feet drag
and he has a rigid right arm.
Pavements usually have flagstones which are not ideal
to walk on; asphalt is better, so our friend takes the cycle paths - on
the wrong side of the road in order to see approaching bikes and avoid
them by jumping onto the pavement. This works quite well if you stay
alert. Nature supplies new energy, and it's never far away - trees an
explosion of green, the sun sparkling on the lakes, hordes of goslings
practicing their own special way of walking before they can fly.
Our man seems to repeat the rules to himself from time
to time - longer steps, shoulders relaxed, left foot with right arm and
vice versa, hands from 5 to 7, push strongly - grip, open, grip, open.
It's a good idea to keep the rules at the back of your head, with a
list of effects - strength and endurance, a boost in calorie burning,
the return of balance and stability, stronger bones and muscles, no
harm done to hips, knees or ankles. One side effect though - red cheeks!
Nordic Walking lacks the qualities that could make it
hot and trendy - like being expensive, high-tech, an element of risk or
a touch of exclusivity. It's old-fashioned in every way - only suitable
for simple living. But this is exactly the lifestyle that Parkinson's
necessitates. Just see what our man gets out of it - speed, balance,
the feeling of mastering something, proud as an old Finnish ski
champion.
Our boss may not be aware that today's little adventure
points to the future, whereas the four of us and all our pole
colleagues are convinced that the future holds something grand in store
for poles and their followers - a Nordic Walking renaissance.
