— PRESS RELEASE —

Nordic walking is having a moment in the sun. So says personal trainer and group exercise instructor Barb Gormley.

“It’s fantastic to see so many people out walking with poles,” says Gormley, who has been leading classes and certifying instructors in Toronto for Nordic walking company Urban Poling for 15 years.

But for every person who powers by with proper Nordic walking poles and Nordic walking technique, she sees a handful of others trudging along using their poles in a hiking fashion.

“Too many people still think that hiking poles and Nordic walking poles are interchangeable and that their walking techniques are the same,” says Gormley, author of The Urban Poling Ultimate Guide to Nordic Walking, a how-to book for beginner, intermediate and advanced Nordic walkers.

So what’s the difference?

”Hiking poles are designed to minimize walking effort, and there’s no particular walking technique associated with them,” she says. “Alternatively, Nordic walking technique maximizes walking effort to make standard walking more challenging.”

You’ll recognize Nordic walking (also called urban poling and pole walking) by its longish stride and elegant long-arm swing. A down-and-back pressure on the handles propels you forward and also helps with balance.

One of the biggest attractions to Nordic walking is that it involves the entire upper body, including the core muscles. Because it requires more effort than regular walking or casual hiking, Nordic walking also helps fix slouchy posture and burns more calories.

A research study by the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, showed that Nordic walking resulted in a minimum 20 percent increase in calorie burning compared to regular walking at the same speed.

According to Gormley, Nordic walking isn’t tremendously difficult to learn, but it can be challenging to coordinate all the pieces on your own.

“I wrote my book because not everyone has access to an instructor, and some people just prefer to learn on their own,” she says. “I also wanted to capture all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years in one resource. It’s such an exhilarating workout once you master the posture and coordination.

The book includes information on: how to set up your poles; proper Nordic walking technique; technique troubleshooting (for example, solving slipping and bouncing boot tips); must-do stretches; avoiding rookie mistakes; what to wear; the top 20 FAQs; how to train for a 5K event; step-by-step instructions for using the ACTIVATOR poles (for people with balance issues); and much more.

The Urban Poling Ultimate Guide to Nordic Walking is available in digital and soft cover versions from www.barbgormley.com, www.urbanpoling.com, www.amazon.ca and at select Wellwise By Shoppers Drug Mart stores.