Local people are feeling the health benefits of taking up a little-known sport that has been dubbed as a ‘full body workout’ by those who participate in it.

Nordic wallking is growing in popularity across the UK, with at least one active group in every county in the country. Locally, there are groups in Gilwern, Govilon, Llanfoist and Goytre Wharf every month where people meet up and make the most of being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air.

But there is an art to this form of walking and the activity isn’t as simple as it may seem to the novice walker or typical rambler.

“It can be like learning to walk all over again,” said Ed Woolley, who was the instructor on our walk from Llanfoist Crossing to Govilon.

“The coordination required to get the poles out and use your arms as well as your legs to push you along is not always easy and there is an ideal sequence to follow in order to get the best out of the workout.”

The nordic poles are essentially ski poles where the spikes on the bottom have been replaced by pads. The sport originated in Scandinavia, where winter athletes were looking for a way to train and practise during the summer when there wasn’t any snow on the ground. However, nordic walking would soon become a sport in its own right after being taken up in the USA and other parts of the world.

“We were relatively late to the party here in the UK,” Ed explains.

“It wasn’t until 2005 that nordic walking officially became a sport here with a fully functioning governing body and a calendar full of competitive events soon followed. I discovered the sport during my twenties and thirties, when it helped me recover from illness and return to a clean bill of health.”

“From there I started going to events, not necessarily to compete but just to get out and enjoy it, and eventually I became an instructor.”

Nordic walking is designed to work the whole body over the course of the walk, not just the legs. By using the poles to push off the ground beneath the walker, the movement helps to stretch and build muscles in the arm as well as twisting the lower back. The motion can also help to build muscle in the chest area and burns more calories than simply heading out with a pair of boots and a backpack.

The social element of the walk was also important to the group that meets up regularly for a walk. Above all, they say, getting out of the house and into nature is the biggest appeal to the sport for them. It’s a sport which appears to be quietly growing in popularity.

“It often goes under the radar but more people are beginning to see the benefits and pick up the sport,” Ed continued.

“Ultimately, everybody does it for a different reason. Some people are here for the fitness element but a lot will also appreciate being able to get out and meet new people, but it’s an easy way to tick those boxes for almost anybody.”