A fun winter workout!

We often get asked if our groups all pack up and stop walking throughout the colder months and the answer is…….. “NO they generally get bigger” During the summer there are so many other lovely outdoor things to do but as the evenings close in, the fire and TV start to beckon and that’s when it helps to have others to go out and walk with.

Nordic Walking in the cold or dark is great fun as long as you have prepared properly and are confident that you can :-

BE SEEN

and

KEEP WARM

Both are really simple to achieve – here are our top tips for Winter walking:-

1. LAYER UP – Its better to be too hot than cold so wear plenty of layers and be prepared to peel them off as you warm up! Long sleeved under layers and gilets are a great idea and if you choose less bulky layers, you can pop them easily into a back pack if you don’t need them. Oh, and if you do wear a backpack, why not pop a high viz backpack cover on to make sure you can be seen

2. WEAR A HAT & GLOVES – Again these can always be removed but we lose heaps of heat from our heads so always have a hat, headband or ear muffs ready to pop on, especially on windy days when the chill factor increases. Nordic walking with bulky gloves is impossible so make sure you invest in some special ones that fit neatly into pole straps – our Favourites are the Gabel Expert gloves which come in both green and grey.

3. SEE THE LIGHT! If you are walking at night – use a headtorch to make sure you see any hazards and cars, bikes etc can see YOU! There are loads of varieties and they are really light and comfy to wear. There are lots of headtorches to choose from including the Silva Siju Cube,the NEW Jogger and Otus

4. STAY UPRIGHT!  We’ve already seen a few really hard frosts in many areas and nordic walking at night or in the mornings can be tricky if Jack Frost has been busy.

To avoid slipping on mild frost and icy puddles it’s always an idea to have a pair of ice cleats or overshoes handy. The Ezy shoe is easy to slip on and light to carry so great for those days when you did not expect it to be slippy but if you want to nordic walk safely right throughout the winter you can not beat the Artimate snow grabbers which fit snugly onto the shoe and are sturdy enough even for running.

So, don’t use the weather or darkness as an excuse to not get out there….think how good you will feel next Summer if you do not let it slip during the colder months and are fit enough to really make the most of the lovely days!