Might sound like a silly question, given the name but we have been asked it a lot!

In the UK Nordic walking is an exercise regime performed in all kinds of locations from street and parks to the countryside and the hills. It is only called ‘Nordic walking’ because it originally came from the summer regime training for Nordic (Cross country) Skiers.

So, back to the question ……….. the answer is that you can go Nordic walking or use walking poles for fitness/ balance in ANY weather! They are definitely not only for snow or not suitable for snow!

However, we would advise that they are used in soft fluffy snow that is easy to cut through with the poles rather than heavy slush that is unpleasant.

We would also advise sticking to grassy areas rather than harder paths if you can’t see what is under the snow. This Is because ice can form underneath and be pretty treacherous. Black ice and frozen puddles can be tricky too and not just for your feet. We know of cases where walkers carefully navigated the icy patches on a path with their feet but planted the pole on it instead! That can quickly cause you to lose balance so BEWARE!

A great way to spot black ice and frozen puddles in poor visibility is to use a headtorch to pick up the glimmer of the ice crystals. If ice is patchy then its safe to try and navigate around it but if its widespread which happens on busy unsalted paths where slush freezes, and there is no way around it – we would recommend you do not try to stride out and use the poles for stability. In fact, we would advise that you give you session an miss and only venture out if you have to because a broken bone is going impact for more on your fitness than a missed session or two

Besides, you can join the WALX team on line for a workout from your home or office – a great way to keep you warm indoors! We are on line most days and at times that work for YOU from early mornings to after work and everything in between.

Another good tip for Nordic walking in the snow or ice is to make sure you have suitable footwear. Apart from the need to keep feet warm and dry we would always advise that you have the right grip for the conditions. If your soles are not doing the trick, you can buy attachable ice grips/cleats to go over your boots in most outdoor stores and even garage forecourts at this time of year.

Can you Nordic Walk in wellies?

To be honest, whilst your wellies may keep your feet dry, they will not enhance your stability or enable you to get a good rolling foot plant ( which is essential for getting full benefits from the poles) unless you go high end like the GRUBS range which are neoprene, flexible and super grippy too

So, it is possible to go Nordic Walking in ice and snow as long as it’s safe to do so just as it’s possible to go Nordic walking in a heat wave (however weird that may sound)