Nordic walking for weight loss: does walking with poles help, and how do you start?

Is Nordic walking good for weight loss? An honest answer

Nordic walking is good for weight loss in the sense that it adds a useful amount of exercise that many people enjoy and can keep up. On its own, though, it moves the scale only a little; the bigger results in studies came when people also changed what they ate.

Nordic walking simply means walking with two specially designed poles, using your arms to push yourself along. It grew out of cross-country skiing and is now a popular group activity in many countries.

What the reviews found in people with overweight or obesity

A systematic review from the University of Padova looked at ten programmes for adults living with overweight or obesity. Weight, waist size, body fat, blood pressure, fitness and blood sugar values improved in many of them.

The largest weight changes, about 5.5 to 6.5 % of body weight, came from programmes that paired Nordic walking with a diet plan. Those groups walked about an hour on five or six days a week, which adds up to 300 to 360 minutes.

In three other programmes of 12 to 16 weeks, body fat went down by about 2 to 7 % while body weight fell by only around 2 %. So the body changed shape more than the scale showed.

A second review, with a meta-analysis of twelve studies, was more cautious. People who did Nordic walking improved their blood sugar, belly fat and body fat compared with where they started, but the difference with control groups was not significant.

What that means for you

Both reviews point the same way. Poles help you move more, get fitter and lose some fat, but most of the weight change still depends on what is on your plate.

That matches the wider evidence: an overview of exercise trials in adults with overweight or obesity found that training alone typically takes off only about 1.5 to 3.5 kg. Movement still matters a great deal for health and for keeping weight off, as the guide to cardio for weight loss sets out.

The Padova authors also noticed that supervised programmes and more sessions per week gave better results than walking alone now and then. A group, a plan and regular days help.

Nordic walking vs normal walking: more calories, same effort?

Nordic walking uses more energy than normal walking at the same speed, and for many people it does not feel much harder. That is its main advantage when your goal is to lose weight.

The reason is simple. In ordinary walking your legs do almost all of the work, while with poles your arms, shoulders, chest and upper back join in on every step.

What a field test measured

In an American field study, 22 adults walked 1,600 metres on a flat track, once with poles and once without. With poles, the women used about 17 % more energy per minute and the men about 21 % more, and their heart rate was a few beats higher.

Yet the effort they reported was not significantly higher. They worked harder without feeling that they did.

Those volunteers were fairly young adults. A smaller Italian study in middle-aged women living with obesity also found higher energy use with poles at a speed of 4 km an hour. Walking uphill with poles even felt easier for them than walking uphill without.

After four weeks of practice, the gap in energy use between pole walking and normal walking grew, and the effort felt lower. Good technique pays off.

Fitness gains

A broad review of Nordic walking trials concluded that it improved resting heart rate, blood pressure, exercise capacity and quality of life. On several of these measures it did better than brisk walking without poles.

Normal walking stays the backbone of an active week for most people. If you have not built that habit yet, start with our walking for weight loss guide, which covers pace, step goals and a full plan from zero. Poles are a way to get more out of the walking you already do.

Why poles suit a heavier body

Poles suit a heavier body mostly because they give you two extra points of contact with the ground. Many people feel steadier and more confident with them, especially on slopes, grass, gravel and forest paths.

• Balance: with two poles and two feet, a small stumble is easier to catch. That helps if uneven ground has kept you on pavement so far.
• Confidence outdoors: poles make it easier to try a park trail, a dyke or a gentle hill instead of the same street every day.
• Upper body work: your arms share the effort, so you can raise the intensity without walking faster.
• Uphill help: pushing with the arms on a climb makes slopes feel more manageable, as the study in women with obesity showed.
• A clear rhythm: the pole movement sets a steady beat, which many people find helps them keep going.

What about your knees and hips?

Poles are often sold as a way to protect the knees, but the evidence is mixed. A Danish lab study of experienced instructors measured the forces inside the knee and found no difference between walking with and without poles.

The Padova review notes that leg muscles work a bit less when poles are used, which may make exercise easier for people who tire quickly. Still, it is fair to say that poles help most with steadiness, not with taking weight off a painful joint.

If your knees already hurt, read about exercise with bad knees: it covers a sensible pain limit and the gentlest forms of cardio. Poles can be part of that, alongside cycling or water exercise.

Before you start: talk to your doctor first

Talk to your doctor first before you start Nordic walking, even if you already walk every day. The poles add arm work, push your pulse up by a few beats and ask something of your shoulders, wrists and hands.

A short check is especially wise in these situations:

• you live with heart disease, an irregular heartbeat, chest discomfort when you exert yourself, or blood pressure that stays high;
• you have asthma, COPD or another lung disease, or small efforts leave you badly out of breath (read about shortness of breath and obesity);
• you have shoulder pain, a frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, wrist problems or arthritis in your hands or thumbs;
• you often feel dizzy or unsteady, have fallen recently or see poorly;
• you use insulin, or diabetes pills that may make your sugar drop too low;
• you recently had an operation on your hip, knee, back or shoulder.

Prepare with our doctor visit checklist, and say clearly that you plan to walk with poles, so your arms and shoulders get a look as well.

If you smoke, walks will feel easier on your lungs once you stop. Our page on smoking and weight loss covers how to quit while you are also working on your weight.

Falls and the Nordic walking thumb

Nordic walking is a safe activity for most people. In a German survey of 137 regular Nordic walkers, there was less than one injury per 1,000 hours of walking.

The most common injury was a sprained thumb after a fall, because the hand stayed caught in the strap or around the grip. If you feel yourself falling, let go of the poles. Practise slipping your hands out of the straps at home, so it becomes automatic.

When to stop and get help

Stop at once and get urgent medical help for chest pain or tightness, a pounding or uneven pulse, breathlessness that stays after resting, or feeling faint. Sharp pain in a joint is also a reason to stop and get it checked.

Nordic walking technique for beginners, step by step

Nordic walking technique comes down to one idea: your arms swing as they do in normal walking, and the poles follow your hands. Learn it on a flat, quiet path in five steps.

1. Put on the straps. Slide each hand through its strap so it sits around your wrist and the base of your thumb. The strap, not your grip, holds the pole.
2. Walk and let the poles drag. Hold the poles loosely and just walk for a few minutes, letting the tips trail behind you on the ground. Your arms will start to swing in the natural opposite rhythm: right arm with left leg, left arm with right leg.
3. Let the tip land behind you. Keep the poles angled backwards. Each tip touches the ground roughly level with your back foot or between your feet, never out in front like a walking stick.
4. Push, then open your hand. Press gently down and back through the strap as your arm passes your hip, then relax your hand as it swings behind you. Close the hand again as it comes forward.
5. Stand tall and look ahead. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your chin level, and look several metres ahead rather than at the poles. Take your normal step length; the poles will lengthen your stride a little by themselves.

Expect it to feel awkward for the first few walks. Most people find the rhythm comes back by itself if they go back to step 2 and let the poles drag for a minute.

Before each walk, a few minutes of easy walking without pushing, plus some shoulder circles, prepares your body; the warm-up and stretching guide has simple moves for before and after.

Choosing poles and shoes without spending much

You do not need expensive poles for Nordic walking. A sturdy pair of the right length, with a secure lock, a comfortable strap and rubber tips, is enough for a beginner.

The right length

A common rule of thumb is a pole of about two-thirds of your height, often calculated as your height in centimetres times 0.68. For someone of 170 cm that is about 115 cm.

A quick check: stand straight, hold the grip with the tip on the ground next to your foot, and look at your elbow. It should be bent at roughly a right angle.

Exact length matters less than people think. An Italian study that compared poles at 55, 65 and 75 % of body height found no difference in perceived effort at normal walking speeds, so comfort can guide you.

What to look for

• Adjustable or fixed: adjustable poles let you try different lengths and can be shared or packed away. Fixed poles are lighter and cannot slip, but you need the right size.
• A secure lock: on adjustable poles, many people find a lever lock easier to check and to use with cold hands than a twist lock.
• A proper strap: a glove-like strap that you can slip out of quickly. A simple loop is fine for balance, but makes the push-and-release technique harder.
• Rubber tips: angled rubber tips grip on pavement and asphalt. Take them off on grass, gravel or forest paths, where the metal tip holds better.
• Strength: some makers state a maximum user weight. If you are heavier, check that information or ask the shop, and choose a sturdy pole rather than the lightest one.
• Second-hand or borrowed: some beginners’ groups lend poles for the first sessions, so you can try before you buy.

Shoes and clothing

The walking shoes you already use are usually fine. Choose shoes with a firm heel and enough grip for the paths you walk on, because poles tempt you onto grass and trails.

For the rest, dress in layers you can open, because your arms make you warm quickly. Thin gloves help on cold days and also stop the strap rubbing your skin. Our walking guide covers shoes, socks and chafing in more detail.

How long and how often to Nordic walk to lose weight

Over the months, work towards two and a half to five hours of moderate activity per week in total, with Nordic walking as one part of it. You start well below that and grow slowly.

The WHO physical activity guidelines give that weekly range for adults, and they add that some movement is always better than none. The Padova review suggested that the best weight results came with four to five sessions a week of at least an hour each, plus food changes; treat that as a long-term goal, not a starting point.

Moderate effort means you breathe harder and feel warm, yet you can still say a full sentence. If you can only manage a few words, slow down; if you could sing, push a little more with the arms. The heart rate zones calculator shows how this simple speaking check matches your pulse.

Calories: Nordic walking compared with ordinary walking

The table gives rough figures for half an hour with and without poles, for people of 80, 100 and 125 kg. They are based on the newest version of the Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard list of energy costs, which gives Nordic walking its own entries.

These are averages from studies in mostly lighter people, and they include the energy your body uses at rest anyway. Your own figure may be higher or lower, and breaks bring it down.

For your own weight and minutes, use the calories burned calculator. Try not to see the result as something you have earned to eat back; a single snack can easily undo a whole walk.

Rest and variety

Your shoulders and arms are new to this kind of work, so leave a day between Nordic walks in the first weeks. Ordinary walks on the other days keep your total minutes up.

Many people like to mix their week: a couple of Nordic walks, ordinary walks on other days, and a couple of brief strength training sessions to keep muscle while the weight comes off. If you want to compare other ways of making walks harder, the table below links to each.

Walking groups and classes: starting with others

A beginners’ Nordic walking group is one of the easiest ways to learn the technique and keep going. Someone can watch your arms and poles, the pace is set for newcomers, and the fixed day helps you turn up.

Groups are often run by sports clubs, community centres, physiotherapy practices and local health services. Look for words such as beginners, taster session, health walk or gentle pace.

Before you join, it helps to ask:

• Is the group meant for beginners, and how fast and how far do they walk?
• Does the leader teach the technique, or is it mainly a social walk?
• Can I borrow poles for the first sessions?
• Is the route flat, and are there places to stop and rest?
• Will someone stay at the back, so nobody walks alone?

Tell the leader if you have a health condition or joint pain. A good leader will show you an easier way, for example a shorter loop or using the poles only for balance.

Walking with others also gives you support on the days motivation is low. Read about weight loss support groups to see how a common aim keeps people on track.

An 8-week plan: from your walking base to Nordic walking

Talk to your doctor first. After that, treat the plan below as a guide, not a fixed schedule. It is meant for people who can already walk about 20 minutes at an easy pace; if that is not yet the case, start with the plan on our walking page and come back later.

Each week adds about a tenth more time and gives each week one thing to focus on. Your ordinary walks stay in the week, so the poles add to your activity instead of replacing it.

Making the plan work

• Walk slowly at first. Technique comes before speed; a relaxed pace with a good rhythm beats a hurried one.
• Repeat a week if a new week asks too much, or your arms, shoulders or hands are sore the next day.
• Raise just one thing per week: the minutes, a slope or a quicker section, not several together.
• Keep a short log. Note the minutes, the route and how your body felt, so you can see your progress over the weeks.
• After week 8, slowly grow towards your weekly total, and try the next level of the workout videos next to your walks.

If you are very short of breath or your joints are sore, a gentler option is to start with low impact cardio at home and add the poles later.

Food does most of the work

Poles help you get fitter and use more energy, but your meals decide most of the weight change. Meals built around protein, vegetables and fibre keep you full; smaller portions of energy-dense foods and fewer sugary drinks support every walk.

A slow, steady loss is easier to keep; see safe weight loss for what to expect. If you would like personal help with food, our page on finding a nutritionist for weight loss explains what to look for.

Free help to lose weight with walking

At Obesity Foundation we support people to lose weight and get healthier through good food, suitable exercise and walking. Walks with poles are a natural part of that, and everything we offer costs nothing.

• Your own eating plan, with simple meals that keep you full on walking days and on rest days. Ask for your free eating plan.
• Exercise videos at the Start, Build and Strong levels, to make your arms, legs and core stronger for longer walks. Get the free workout videos.
• A free video meeting (in English) with our team, to plan walking with or without poles around your week. Book a free video meeting.
• A Club account where you log walks, minutes and progress at no cost. Join the Obesity Foundation Club.

Once your doctor agrees, your first Nordic walk can be fifteen minutes with the poles simply trailing behind you. That is enough to begin.