Nordic walking gains ground in Ottawa

Nordic walking, a Scandinavian sport similar to hiking with specially designed carbon poles, is making strides in the Ottawa region.

More than 300 locals, including marathon runners and triathletes, have joined walking groups or pole-walking classes taught by Anna Ekstrandh, a Swedish engineer considered to be one of the pioneers who brought the activity to Ottawa.

The Nordic walking coach, who is certified with the International Nordic Walking Association, began instructing full-time after the Nortel layoffs. In the early days, Ekstrandh said, seeing a pack of speed-walkers trekking down the canal clasping what looked like long metal ski poles was pretty unusual.

"We have people always asking us where our skis are," one participant said.

But Ekstrandh said the sport, which builds upper body muscles and burns more calories than traditional walking, has come a long way.

Ottawa Race Weekend

"Sometimes people would roll down their car windows and yell," she said. "They thought it was the silliest thing they'd ever seen."

Now, it's more common for cars to slow down and for inquisitive motorists to ask how they can sign up for lessons and where to buy the Nordic walking poles.

"They're asking for my card," she said.

Ekstrandh is hoping the rest of the capital region will catch up with Nordic walking as a great low-impact exercise, in which physical support is provided by the poles while also giving the walker a more full-body workout.

To spread the word and get more recognition for the sport, Ekstrandh is approaching organizers for next year's Ottawa Race Weekend to create a special Nordic walking corral.

"We're starting to really get the recognition as athletes," she said. "It's not just a granny kind of thing anymore."