Taking a page from his Nordic countrymen,
Markku Mustonen, a Finnish native is trying to get others
in the United States interested in the European practice
of skiwalking, also known as Nordic walking.
It's about the ski poles, which Mustonen and others say
add intensity to walking workouts and are a great tool
for becoming fit.
"Slowly people are getting involved with it," said Mustonen,
president of Norcross, Ga.-based Skiwalk Inc., which organizes
the local walking group and sells ski poles. "The reaction
basically is, `Who is this crazy person?' But once you
explain it to them, then they say, `Oh, really? That makes
sense.'"
The poles used by ski walkers are similar to those found
on ski slopes — they are made of aluminum, fiberglass
or ultralight carbon fiber. Skiwalking poles, however,
typically have rubber tips so walkers can use them on
hard surfaces such as streets or sidewalks. Some skiwalking
poles telescope so they can be easily taken on trips.
The poles, which help walkers propel themselves forward,
help develop arm and shoulder muscles and get the heart
pumping. A 2002 study by the Cooper Institute, a research
organization in Dallas that focuses on exercise, found
that people who walk with the poles burn 20 percent more
calories than those who don't.
It is unclear how many Americans participate in Nordic
walking, but the International Nordic Walking Association
estimates that more than 3.5 million people do it worldwide,
mostly in Europe. Finnish kindergartners use ski poles
in their schools' physical education activities. Enthusiasts
also hail from other, non-snowy locales, from the beaches
of California to the deserts of Saudi Arabia.
"Anywhere you live, you can enjoy this," said fitness
instructor Malin Svensson, a native of Sweden who leads
Nordic walking classes in Santa Monica, Calif., where
she discovered she could easily ramp up her workouts by
using the poles on the beach.
John Rudd, a 55-year-old engineering consultant in Austin,
Texas, said he has used the poles on his four-mile walks
five days a week since February and has lost 10 pounds.
"I didn't change anything other than added the use of
the poles during my regular walking routine," he said.
"It's similar to doing an elliptical trainer that has
handles. You're exercising your whole body, not just your
legs," said Dr. A. Herbert Alexander, an orthopedic surgeon
in Sun Valley, Idaho. "For individuals who have arthritis
in the knees or hip, it's like having a cane — it's
helpful taking weight away from the legs."
For that reason and because the poles provide some stability,
more senior citizens seem to be taking up ski walking,
said Svensson, president of Nordic Walking USA, which
promotes the exercise throughout North America.
Back at Stone Mountain Park, near Atlanta, about a dozen
ski walkers — mainly Finnish families — swiftly
used their poles to get a quick start on a five-mile walk.
Sid Barrett of Atlanta carried two old-fashioned walking
sticks that he takes backpacking. His wife, Lauren, held
two lime-green ski poles.
"I'm surprised more people don't do it, because in backpacking,
it's standard," he said.
