Skiwalking with Nordic Walking Poles for Winter Fitness Fun

If you've been on the lookout for some fun and effective winter fitness activities, look no further. Skiwalking with Nordic walking poles is hitting the scene as more and more people discover this inexpensive and easy to learn activity.

What is Skiwalking?

Skiwalking is one of the more popular winter fitness activities in Europe. Over half the entire population of Finland has tried skiwalking, and 6 million people worldwide have participated in this fun new way of walking. Skiwalking is simply walking with specialized Nordic walking poles. It's super-easy and anyone who can walk can skiwalk. It can be done anywhere, and it doesn't matter if there's any snow on the ground or not. As a matter of fact, skiwalking has been used for years by ski coaches as a conditioning activity for the summer months.

The Benefits of Skiwalking

There are lot of benefits to skiwalking that make it worth a try. You don't need any advanced level of fitness or athletic ability to take advantage of skiwalking. Seniors, overweight people, those who suffer from chronic joint pain, as well as people with balance issues can participate. If you can walk, you can probably skiwalk. Skiwalking is great if you're looking for new winter fitness activities, since the poles increase stability when walking in snowy conditions. Snow, however is not needed in order to participate in skiwalking. Many people skiwalk year round. Skiwalking is actually easier for many people than traditional walking since the stress on the hips, knees, shins, thighs, and other joints is decreased. Skiwalking strengthens the neck, back, arms, shoulders, and abdominal muscles. Even better, although this activity is low impact, it actually burns 40% more calories, yet it engages more muscles than traditional walking. If that's not a reason to try skiwalking, I don't know what is! Finally, skiwalking is an inexpensive activity to get started in, with Nordic walking poles available at around $70. Buy yours here and get started today.

Hitting the Skiwalking Trails

Your skiwalking trail could be your neighborhood or nearby park. It could even be the beach or any other place you like to walk. Many winter skiwalkers are taking advantage of the same trails used by snowshoers and cross country skiers. You might even pack your poles and head for a luxury ski resort for a skiwalking weekend. How much fun would that be? If you'd rather stay at home, check out nearby ski resorts for suitable skiwalking trails near you. If you don't live in a traditional skier's heaven, that's ok too. There really are no limitations. The world is your trail! Anywhere you can walk, you can skiwalk, although I don't think I'd try it at the mall!

Resources
Article by gabbi525 (18,209 pts ) 
Edited & published by KJ Fitness,Ink (3,333 pts ) on Dec 17, 2009

1. Skiwalking: www.skiwalking.com

2. Skiwalk: www.skiwalk.com

3. Nordic Walking USA: www.nordicwalkingusa.blogspot.com