Learn Nordic walking – The rustling of the leaves on the trees, the bright spots of sunlight on the road and the rhythmic sound of footsteps – you can experience all of this while Nordic walking.
This sport is also very popular among campers.
Here you can find more tips on how to go Nordic walking, what it does for you and what you should look out for.
In addition, top 5 beautiful destinations in Germany where you can go directly with your roof tent.
Camping Ratgeber:
Camping: pack your Nordic walking equipment!
Nordic walking can be easily combined with camping.
While you enjoy nature to the full and explore the surroundings, you can keep your body fit at the same time.
Many campers are also in Nordic walking fever because it is easy on the joints and you are still active.
You can adapt it to suit your taste – whether it’s for a leisurely stroll or if you really want to work up a sweat.
And the best thing is: all you need is a pair of poles and off you go!
Fit while camping: the benefits of Nordic walking
Because of these possibilities, you shouldn’t forget your Nordic walking poles on your next camping trip:
- Enjoy nature
- Stay active
- Gentle on the joints
- Adaptable
- Little equipment
- Exploring new paths
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Tips for beginners: walking with poles
You’ve probably heard of Nordic walking.
After all, according to a survey by the Society for Consumer Research, around two million Germans practise the sport.
But what exactly is it all about?
Nordic walking is an endurance sport in which you swing two poles while walking at a brisk pace.
Whether you’re camping or not, Nordic walking is suitable almost anywhere you have a path to walk on.
You can get a few impressions and initial explanations in this video.
Learning with video: Step by step
Here you will find initial explanations on equipment and technique.
Particular attention is paid to the posture of the upper body.
You will also be given lots of tips on how to run correctly so that you can complete your first few kilometers without any consequential damage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv3sgNatNi8 Here you will find a summary of the most important points.
Technique: posture, movement sequence & training
Nordic walking is quite easy to understand, but there are still a few things you should bear in mind with your technique.
Basic posture: Straight back to elbow
Ultimately, you just have to walk normally for Nordic walking, but take larger and faster steps.
Keep your upper body upright without tensing your shoulders.
Bend slightly forward at the hips.
Important: Keep your back straight and don’t hunch over!
Your head should also be slightly raised and looking towards where you want to go.
If you look at your feet for too long, this can lead to neck pain.
Keep your knees and elbows slightly bent and never fully extended.
Here are some more tips on basic posture at a glance:
- Walk normally, but faster & bigger steps
- Hold upright, but keep your shoulders loose
- Bend your upper body slightly forward
- Keep your back straight & look straight ahead
- Keep knees & elbows slightly bent
You should always follow these posture tips, otherwise you may end up with poor posture in your spine and joints.
This can then lead to long-term, painful problems.
Movement: Coordination with the poles
To get started with Nordic walking, start as normal.
Make sure that you lengthen your stride.
Then let your arms swing out from your shoulders.
Alternate putting your pole down in front of you, offset to your leg.
So: if your right foot is in front, your left arm should be in front and vice versa.
The tip of the pole should be placed directly behind the heel of your foot.
Once you have rolled off with your foot, bring the pole back close to your body.
Another special feature of Nordic walking is the movement of the hand.
You open it when you bring the pole back and close it when you put the poles down.
This technique often requires a lot of practice, but after a while your coordination should be trained to the point where it works.
The most important thing is that you achieve a regular rhythm so that you are better able to cover longer distances.
And once again, an overview of the technique:
- Swing your arms alternately offset to the foot
- Right leg with left arm & vice versa
- Arm movement out of the shoulder
- Place the stick where the heel of the foot is
- Guide the stick back past your body
- Open by hand & close when putting on again
Training times: Beginners to advanced
As with any sport, you should pay attention to regular training and your basic requirements.
Physically active and sporty people can train three to four times a week for around 45 to 60 minutes.
If you walk more slowly, you can also do longer.
For those who have not been so sporty in the past, it is advisable to start with training sessions of around 20 minutes.
These can then be increased after a while.
For competitive athletes and couch potatoes alike, however, sport should be enjoyed with caution.
A healthy assessment of your own physical abilities is absolutely essential here.
That’s why you should stop immediately if you feel pain and take a break or stop training.
This applies in particular to back and joint pain.
Your training tip at a glance:
- 45 to 60 minutes for physically active people
- Otherwise train slowly = about 20 minutes
- Stop immediately in case of pain (especially exertion pain)
Tips for learning: Preliminary exercises & explanation
To make the techniques described above easier for you, here are some tips on how to practise coordination with the poles.
You can start by practicing your arms and steps.
You can let the poles dangle from the loops on your wrist.
You should start with smaller and more natural movements and then increase them.
When you pick up the poles for the first few steps, make sure that you swing back far enough so that the poles do not touch down in front of your back foot.
When picking up the poles, it can help if you pick them up at hip height.
You can find a summary of the tips here:
- Practice step sequence
- Increase oscillation
Advantages: healthy training for almost all muscles
For these reasons, you should consider Nordic walking for your camping adventure.
Nordic walking exercises around 90% of your muscles compared to jogging.
In addition to the legs, the arms are also trained.
This can even relieve tension in the neck.
So it’s a good balance for people who otherwise spend a lot of time behind a screen.
However, many athletes also use Nordic walking as an additional activity to train their neck and shoulders, as these are hardly trained when running, for example.
Cardiovascular, safety & weight loss: even more benefits
It also trains the cardiovascular system.
The steady movement promotes blood circulation and regulates the resting heart rate.
This helps to prevent varicose veins, oedema, thrombosis and blood clots.
Exercise also prevents diseases such as osteoporosis and adult-onset diabetes.
Nordic walking also promotes coordination and the poles keep the athlete safer even on muddy ground.
Spending time in nature and getting enough exercise also strengthens the immune system and activates the hormones.
This sport often also regulates psychological stress.
If the long-term goal is to lose weight, then Nordic walking is a good option.
It puts less strain on the joints than jogging, but still burns calories.
However, you should be careful with this motivation, as everyone reacts differently to physical exertion.
These are the advantages of Nordic walking:
- Exercises around 90 % of the muscles
- Can relieve tension in the neck
- Cardiovascular training & promotes blood circulation
- Regulates pulse, stress & weight
- Less strain on joints than jogging
- Promotes coordination & more safety with poles
Equipment: shoes, clothing & walking poles
The equipment is also less expensive than other sports.
All you need is sportswear, a pair of cushioned shoes with good grip and poles.
You can buy these for between 50 and 150 euros.
The optimum length is particularly important, as explained later in this guide.
Nevertheless, you should make sure that the grips are non-slip and that the tips can be fitted with metal or rubber tips.
You need metal for soft surfaces, e.g. a meadow, and rubber for hard surfaces, such as asphalt.
It is best to seek advice on your personal requirements in a store.
This will help you find poles with the right materials, grips and straps.
- Sportswear
- Shoes (good cushioning & support)
- Poles with loop and metal or rubber tip
- Handles should be non-slip
- Get advice in the store
Poles Guide: This is how long they should be!
However, the most important criterion for choosing your future walking poles is the right length.
To calculate this in advance, multiply your height in centimetres by 0.7.
So if you are 170 cm tall, your poles should be 119 cm long.
However, you can allow for a margin of up to 5 cm more or less.
The length of most poles is adjusted in 5 cm increments.
In this case, that would be a length of 115 cm or 120 cm for the poles.
To check the length in a specialist store, you should make sure that your elbows are bent at a 90° angle on level ground.
If you are holding the poles firmly, of course.
This is how you calculate the right length for the poles:
- Height in cm x 0.7 = length of poles
- Example: 170 cm x 0.7 = 119 cm
- Check: elbow at a 90° angle
Top travel destinations: From the mountains to the Baltic Sea island
You can actually go Nordic walking anywhere where you have a reasonably straight and accessible route.
It is particularly popular in these five places in Germany:
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Tip!
You are particularly mobile with a roof tent.
You can drive directly to any route you want to walk and set up your sleeping place on the campsite in five minutes in the evening.
You can take a look at various roof tents here:
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More from your vacation: Hiking & activities
If you are already familiar with Nordic walking, you could perhaps try a hike through the mountains or across the mudflats.
Or try your hand at climbing.
If you’d rather get a taste of water sports and winter sports, you’ll also find lots of tips for a wide range of vacation activities here.
Hiking & mountains: more than just walking
Shimmering peaks, green forests and muddy mudflats, you can experience hiking or Nordic walking, whether mountain or not, everywhere.
Here you will find tips for beginners who want to try out climbing, hiking and more.
Vacation activities: Water or winter sports?
Here you’ll find lots of great ideas for experiences from water sports to winter sports that will enrich your vacation.
With lots of tips for beginners and tutorials, you can also start from scratch.
