What's the Difference?

Many people, who bring along poles to their first session with us, turn up with trekking poles NOT Nordic walking ones. And although you can use trekking poles to Nordic walk there are some key differences in the design of the poles and how they are intended to be used. That's why our community group is always happy to lend out Nordic walking poles to those who come along and why we always suggest you do not buy your own poles before trying the variety of Nordic walking poles we have.

Nordic walking was developed as a way for cross county skiers in Finland to keep their fitness levels up during the summer months when there was no snow on the ground. Using poles to aid regular walking increases fitness, strengthens posture and provides a whole range of other health benefits too.

Nordic walking poles are designed to be angled backwards so that you can walk in a natural way with a full arm swing. The pole handles have a special glove-type strap (not loop) that is attached to the poles and can allow you to let go of the handle entirely, pushing through the strap so that you can swing your arm far behind your body. Being taught the correct Nordic walking technique is essential to gain the maximum health and fitness benefits from using the poles correctly. The paws (feet) on the end of the poles cover the tip of the pole when walking on hard surfaces and are slanted backwards to ensure the best grip when the pole connects to the ground as the arm goes backwards. This means the correct pole angle and arm swing can be maintained whatever the terrain.

Comparing this to trekking poles, we can see that they have quite a chunky handle, sometimes with finger grooves and a ledge at the bottom to rest your hand on; this encourages your hand into a fixed position while you walk. They have a looped strap which keeps the poles attached to your wrist, should you let go for any reason but you cannot push into it. There are no angled paws, just a rounded stopper and if you were to place your pole behind you then you would be balancing on the rim of this.

Trekking poles are there to support you on a long walk, making it easier to go over rocky ground and up and down hills. They are used more in front of you to test the stability of the ground you are about to step on. But there’s no particular technique for this and trekking poles are not designed to strengthen your posture or provide any specific health benefits. Sometimes people only use one pole rather than two so that means your body is not supported in a balanced way, and you’ll be working one side of your upper body harder than the other, which is likely to have a knock-on effect throughout your body. Placing poles in a front and upright position helps with stability but it means that your elbows are always bent, and it is impossible to swing your arm to a full extension and in a natural way. Consequently, you can be walking with an inhibited upper body action and arm swing. Even if you angle your trekking poles backwards to allow your arms to swing naturally, you cannot extend your arm to its maximum reach behind your body because the loop strap doesn’t allow you to maintain control of the pole once you let go of the handle.

Although you can’t Nordic walk to the maximum effect using trekking poles, you can trek well with Nordic walking poles! Done correctly, this will greatly boost your walking style, provide extra propulsion and enable you to trek long distances with good posture. Some of our Nordic walkers have taken on amazing challenges over the years using their Nordic walking poles and techniques learnt to good effect over long hikes and trails all around the world!

It can all get a bit confusing. Nordic walking poles also come in different shapes and sizes now as Nordic walking becomes more popular and can be adapted for a wide range of fitness levels. The design of trekking and running poles is changing too. They are becoming lighter and the handles more streamlined. Trail running poles now even have a Nordic walking style strap. This is good news as it increases the versatility of trekking poles and provides the opportunity to overlay the Nordic walking technique on trekking.Therefore it is always a good idea to try before you buy and get in touch to talk about what poles might suit you best. Coming along on a number of Nordic walks with us and trying different poles out means if you decide to buy you will be getting the best ones for you and your life-style.