When the idea of walking with poles finally found acceptance in Finland in the 1990s, the sport literally took off. Today Nordic Walking is one of the world's fastest-developing health-promoting physical exercises.

More than half a million Finns practise Nordic Walking. At least the same number of Nordic walkers can be found around the rest of the world. It has made a breakthrough in western Europe, and has also conquered Australia, Japan and North America.

"The secret of the sport's popularity is that it's suitable for everybody - regardless of age, sex and physical condition. It's easy to practise all the year round, it's safe, effective and its social nature is attractive," says Aki Karilahti, the senior vice president of the sport division at Exel Oy, which produces the ski poles.

Besides developing equipment, the Finnish stock exchange company is also the commercial inventor of the sport and the international builder of its image. "We started from scratch i.e. we began to build up the sport starting with the name," Karilahti says. The name has now achieved an established position, and the company dominates the world market with its market share of 70 per cent.

When you walk correctly with the poles, the oxygen and calorie consumption increases by an average of 20 per cent, although it can go up by as much as 46 per cent, compared with normal walking. The forearm extensor and flexor, deltoid, pectoral and dorsal are the muscles that are worked most. Lateral mobility of the neck and spine increases significantly, and the strain on the joints and knees is reduced thanks to the poles.

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Nordic Walking is suited to everybody and is one of the most effective sports for controlling your weight.
Photo: Robert Bösch