Nordic walking is a form of exercise that involves walking with specially designed poles. Thanks to this, the muscles of the chest, triceps, biceps, arms and abdomen are stimulated differently. They are strengthened more than during walking, jogging or even cycling. When you master the correct technique, your pole walk automatically engages 90% of the muscles of the entire body.
Nordic walking is a new trend, started in the late 90's by Finnish cross-country skiers. The trainers of this discipline, which enjoys great popularity in Nordic countries, were looking for a new form of physical activity that would be suitable for summer trainings.
As a fitness activity, Nordic walking was created and developed as a result of research conducted by the Finnish National Sport. A Finnish company produced and marketed specially designed walking poles and developed a training programme. Nordic walking then spread to the United States and Europe, where it has been gaining more and more popularity ever since.
The forerunner of the discipline, the so-called mother of the movement, is Sirpa Arvonen, who trained many European instructors herself. Nordic walking was described as a physical activity by such personae as Malin Svensson – a NW teacher in the USA, who is regarded as the precursor of NW training, also in Europe.
According to her, NW owes its popularity to the fact that:
Tom Rutlin, although often disregarded, also deserves praise, as he significantly contributed to the development of this form of activity. For instance, he was the first person to devise special rubber pads that are placed on one end of the pole (Nordic Walking Pads).
Health aspects
Scientific research conducted by the National Health Institute in Finland and the Cooper Institute in Texas confirmed that regular practice of Nordic walking helps:
Hi! I’m Maciej, and sport has been part of my life since I can remember.
As a kid, I trained in a football club that competed on a national level. Later, I fell in love with athletics — not just as a runner, but also as a certified athletics judge. You could say I’ve grown up with sport all around me, learning what it really means from the inside out.
I followed my passion through to university, where I earned a Master’s degree in Physical Education and became a qualified Athletics Coach.
Over the years, working with all kinds of people — some super active, others just getting started — I saw one clear thing: not everyone needs hard workouts to feel better. Sometimes, all it takes is a little movement, done regularly and with care.
That’s why I became a personal trainer, to help people individually, and a Nordic Walking instructor, because it’s such a great way to stay healthy, enjoy nature, and feel good — no matter your age or fitness level.
I've also had the chance to lead Nordic Walking sessions for people with disabilities and those who are visually impaired, and it’s been an amazing experience to see how inclusive and uplifting this activity can be.
Now I get to share what I’ve learned with others — helping people feel stronger, more relaxed, and simply better — step by step.
Group trainings are mostly characterised by diversity and adjustment to individual needs of the participants, so that everyone achieves the intended results. However, the best quality of this type of trainings is the positive and motivating atmosphere which is what makes Nordic walking primarily a fun, socialising activity in the fresh air.
Each training consists of three parts:
Warming up (talking about what everyone did during the weekend)
is an essential factor in the achievement of physical goals. It is meant to prepare the body for exercise.
Main part (exhaustion with a smile)
realises goals and objectives of each training depending on its specificity and individual needs and predispositions of the participants. In this part, regardless of fitness, age and will to achieve goals, every participant realises their own individual scope of activities with regard to the intensity and distance, under instructor's supervision.
Final part (complete relaxation and satisfaction)
is designed to bring about homoeostasis from before the effort. It is to soothe "the mind and spirit".
Only this type of training and the right technique will allow you to engage 90% of your muscles and take full advantage of the health benefits of Nordic walking. All that needs to be done under the supervision of a qualified instructor.
Join us for Nordic Walking sessions every Monday! We meet alternately in two different locations, so please feel free to get in touch with the instructor beforehand to check where we’ll be meeting.
Classes take place in any weather - this way we strengthen our immune system (if the weather conditions are unfavorable for classes, we will inform you). Don’t have your own poles? No problem! Just let us know ahead of time, and we’ll reserve a set for you.
We also recommend bringing a bottle of water to stay properly hydrated throughout the session. See you on the trail – let’s walk together for health and well-being!

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