While Nordic walking is all the rage in some European countries, the Finnish walking sport has yet to gain the same widespread popularity in the U.S.
An Evanston fitness instructor is hoping to change that, however, by offering Nordic walking classes to North Shore area residents who want to engage in a little physical activity that offers a better cardio workout than walking, but without the heavy impact running has on the knee joints.
The Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Department will debut Nordic walking for the first time in July when Harmening hosts a four-class program at Centennial Park, 6801 McCormick Boulevard, from July 7-28.
The class meets for weekly hour-long sessions on Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Harmening will lead walkers through the park on hour-long walks designed to strengthen muscles in the legs, chest, arms, and abs. The movements also help to regulate breathing and improve circulation throughout the body, class instructor Wendy Harmening said.
“Some students are more interested in the endurance aspect of Nordic walking, while others want to increase their physical fitness capabilities,” she said. “It’s easily adaptable and everyone can go at their own pace, so it’s the kind of activity where you can go out and have conversations and meet other people.”
Using specially-designed poles, Nordic walkers move through grass, sand, concrete or virtually any outdoor terrain in a simple walking motion, but the movement of the poles adds an additional workout for the upper body, providing a full-body cardio and strength-training workout.
More Top Picks Wire Landscape
Harmening, a 48-year-old Minnesota transplant, brought her passion for Nordic walking with her when she moved to the Chicago area three years ago.
After being unable to find any Nordic walking programs in the area, she earned her certification as a Nordic Walking Instructor through the American Nordic Walking Association in 2014 and opened her own business, North Shore Nordic Walking.
An added bonus of Nordic walking, Harmening said, is that the activity doesn’t require much equipment other than a pair of Nordic walking poles. The poles differ from regular trekking poles because they attach to the hand with a glove-like strap that provides the traction to propel the body forward.
Harmening supplies the pole for her students, who should show up for the classes dressed in gym shoes and comfortable clothing.
For those who aren’t sure what to expect, Harmening said her classes are targeted to women over 40—both non-athletes who want to engage in a new health-promoting physical activity, and athletes or former athletes who want a low-impact way to build endurance.
“The motion is very similar to cross-country skiing where you’re swinging your arms and using the sticks to move yourself forward to get an upper-body workout,” Harmening said. “What I like most is that you can dial up the upper-body effort to get a great workout without having to increase your walking speed.”
Although the sport tends to attract more women than men—which Harmening explains due to women’s tendency to choose walking as a cardio activity more often than men—her classes are open to anyone, male or female, as long as participants are 16 or older.
Classes for Lincolnwood residents cost $40, and non-residents pay $50. Registration is available on the village of Lincolnwood’s website.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.