With technique it is not about doing it “right” or “wrong”. But some small details make walking more comfortable and the movement more effective, and many people make the same ones at the start. Do you recognise yourself? It is no shame, nearly everyone who starts has them.
You plant the poles too far forward
If the pole lands far in front of your body, you pull yourself towards it instead of pushing off from it. You will notice the poles clacking in front of your feet and your walking being jerky. Try holding them diagonally backwards and planting them roughly level with your foot.
You grip the pole tightly
A firm grip belongs to the moment the pole touches down. As soon as your hand passes the hip, open your palm and let the strap hold the pole. If your forearms ache at the end of the walk and your hands are stiff, you are holding on all the time. It takes a little while to get used to the strap, but it pays off.
You do not extend the arm backwards
The push finishes behind the hip. If your hand stays near your body, the pole does not drive you forward and you are really just carrying a piece of metal. Let the arm swing back, loosely, without tension.
The poles point straight down
Holding them diagonally backwards allows the push forward. A vertical pole is more of a support, like walking with a stick along a snowy path. That is not wrong, but it has little to do with Nordic Walking.
You look at your feet
Your gaze belongs forward and your shoulders stay relaxed. It eases the neck and back, and you also see where you are going. If you catch yourself looking at the ground, pick a point a little way ahead and look at that.
You do not have to fix everything at once. Choose one thing and work on it during your next walk. In a few weeks it will come by itself.
How to tell you are doing it right
The simplest way is to have yourself filmed. Ask a friend for a short video from the side and look at where the poles point, how far behind the body your hand gets, and where you are looking. You will see more on video than in your head. And if you want certainty, book a lesson with an instructor who sees you with their own eyes.
One more thing: mistakes are part of starting. If you correct yourself by a small bit each time, in a month you walk quite differently and do not even know when it happened. You do not have to be perfect, it is enough to be a little better than last time. And do remember to smile while you are at it, because a frowning walk with poles is twice as tiring.
Sources
Text: Kompas.
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