You are going for a nice jog in the woods. Sun is shining, birds are singing, and then you hear a very distinctive noise: klop, scrape, klop, scrape, klop, klop.
Is it a rabbit with his foot stuck in a bucket?
A peg-legged pirate who's lost his way?
No, it's just people walking with sticks. Nordic walking is popular here in Germany and it's very common to see people walking for exercise with something that looks like a ski pole in each hand.
The idea behind Nordic walking is that it gives you an upper body workout as you walk, keeping your posture straight and burning a few extra arm calories. I support this idea. I think it's great to work on those calories jiggling about in your arms. I just think that walking with sticks looks silly. Nordic walkers look like they took a wrong turn on the way to the ski resort. Of course, I wear brightly colored spandex shorts, shiny sunglasses and a helmet while riding my bike through farmland. That must look silly too (or maybe it's just awesome).
There is a Nordic walking school in Hannover, where, I presume, you learn how to walk properly with sticks. According to the school's website, Nordic walking helps build core strength and improve the mobility in the joints. It might also be helpful if you want to whack a passing jogger.
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| Watch out, joggers |
Where I come from, there's no reason to carry a pole unless you are skiing. You could carry a wooden walking stick if you are unsteady on your feet, or if you're hiking up a mountain in order to yodel from the top (who are we kidding? There are no mountains where I'm from).
So if you hear that tell-tale sound of klop, scrape, klop, remember that you will probably not find any wayward pirates in the area. If you do, you can be sure they are doing wonders for their joints.
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