Walk This Way

Written By Sarah Bowen Shear

Taking it to the poles

Walking with Nordic Poles--rubber tipped metal rods (shown below) that resemble cross-country ski poles--burn extra calories and gives you an upper body workout while taking stresses off the ankles and knees, says PBS's Mark Fenton, who is a fan of Nordic walking.  "Using the poles is a great way to intensify your workout," he says.  And how:  A recent study found that Nordic walkrs burn an average of 20 percent more calories and get their heart rates up fight to eight beats per minute higher than regular walkers going at the same speed. Nordic walking poles were introduced in the United States this past January. They debuted in Finland in 1997, and now about 10 percent of FInns walk with them (go to www.nanordicwalking,com for more information).

If you're self-concious, recruit freinds to Nordic-walk with you, or usethe poles on wooded trails, where youll feel less consipcuous.

Published in:  Real Simple, August, 2004