150 hikers participated in the Nordic Walking Association Night Walk
Credit:lalfas.es
Nordic Walking, while relatively new to Spain, actually has its origins back in the 1930s.
Like so many good inventions, the concept of walking with poles came from something totally different entirely. In this case, the ‘eureka’ moment was when cross-country skiers used their poles as part of their training once the snow season had finished.
The first official documented scenario of poles for walking outside a sports environment did not come until 30 years later when a teacher introduced them to his school. Apparently, he was heard uttering the now-famous phrase, “This will be the sport of the future.”
Nordic Walking did not get its name until 1990
In the 1980s, public walks with poles first became popular in Finland. A decade later, the Finnish Institute of Sport and the commercial brand EXEL officially named the sport Nordic Walking. This led to the production of poles specifically designed for Nordic Walking, which are still in use today.
The founding of a dedicated federation, the ‘International Nordic Walking Federation’, also often referred to as INWA, in 2000 completed its status. Since then, it has attracted the attention of a group of sports enthusiasts in Spain, and as a result, in 2005, the Association Esportiva Nordic Walking Generalitat de Catalunya was set up.
Alfas del Pi organise Nordic Walking Events
Looking closer to home, there is now a Nordic Walking Association in Alfas del Pi and together with the Alfas del Pi Department of Sports, they arrange several Nordic Walking events throughout the year. For example, in the summer, they organise an annual Night Walk with the collaboration of Altea town council. This year there were more than 150 walkers from ten different nationalities, with Norwegian, alongside Spanish, Belgian and Dutch being the most represented. The walk began with a bus ride to the Altea Sports Centre to the starting point of Guadalest and then finished on the beautiful beaches of Altea.
For those who have not yet discovered Nordic Walking, the benefits are numerous, including the most obvious one of keeping fit. Besides this, experts claim that Nordic Walking has many physical health benefits, including strengthening joints and bones, protecting hip and knee joints, and strengthening the heart and lungs, which can aid asthma sufferers. What’s more, it can also boost circulation and, even more importantly, improve lymph drainage.
That’s not bad considering that in its most basic form, Nordic walking is doing something that we have all been doing since we learned to take those very first steps. Of course, there is more to it than this, and learning how to get the most out of Nordic Walking, adopting appropriate posture, technique, and breathing, is half the fun of trying something new.
If you are interested in learning more, visit this website
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