The short answer: walking with poles raises the energy cost of walking by roughly 15 to 22% at the same speed, with a higher heart rate, and it doesn't feel much harder. A systematic review links Nordic walking to benefits in resting heart rate, blood pressure and fitness. Several of the bigger claims made for it, including 90% of muscles and 25% less knee load, we couldn't find sources for.
The energy cost
The classic field study is from 2002 (Church and colleagues, in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport). Twenty-two healthy adults walked 1,600 metres with and without poles. With poles, women's energy expenditure rose from 4.6 to 5.4 kcal a minute and men's from 5.7 to 6.9, and heart rate was 5 to 8 beats a minute higher. The authors reported that this came without a significant increase in perceived exertion. That is the origin of the idea that Nordic walking burns more without feeling harder. Other studies have reported increases in oxygen use of roughly 11 to 23% and in calorie expenditure of 18 to 22%, and a 2021 crossover trial found oxygen uptake 15.8% higher and heart rate 8.4% higher with poles. Differences in technique and speed explain the spread. The same crossover study found that systolic blood pressure was 7.7% higher during Nordic walking, and earlier studies it cites found that the extra energy cost was smaller walking uphill than on the flat.
| Claim on the earlier page | What we found |
|---|---|
| 18 to 46% more calories than walking | About 15 to 22% more energy at the same speed in studies we could verify |
| Uses up to 90% of your muscles, versus 50% for walking | No source found; the studies show more upper-body muscle use |
| 10 to 15% higher heart rate at the same pace | Supported: roughly 4 to 20% higher heart rate depending on the study |
| 25% less knee joint load | No source found for that figure |
Health effects
A 2013 systematic review in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Tschentscher and colleagues) concluded that Nordic walking is associated with benefits for resting heart rate, blood pressure, exercise capacity, maximal oxygen consumption and quality of life, in healthy people and in people with various conditions. The review also reported higher heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure in the short term compared with walking without poles. What we haven't found is strong long-term, head-to-head evidence that Nordic walking beats ordinary brisk walking for outcomes such as weight or disease risk, so the extra effort is a plausible advantage rather than a proven one.
Joints
The earlier page said the poles cut load on the knees, hips and ankles "by up to 25 percent." One review of the literature says Nordic walking may reduce the load on the spine and lower limbs, and that is a reasonable thing to expect when poles take some weight. But we couldn't find a trial that supports a 25% figure, and we haven't seen evidence that it changes pain or arthritis outcomes. If you have knee or hip problems, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist, and see walking and knee arthritis and walking and joint health.
What Nordic walking is
Nordic walking is walking with poles that you push against the ground to drive yourself forward, which makes it different from using trekking poles for balance. It was developed in Finland as summer training for cross-country skiers. Compared with plain walking it involves more upper-body muscle activity, which is probably what the "full-body" description is getting at. The "90% versus 50% of muscles" figure circulates widely, but we couldn't trace it to a study.
Technique and poles
This section is common instructor and manufacturer guidance, not trial evidence. Use the normal opposite-arm-and-leg swing, plant each pole at an angle behind the front foot, and push back past the hip, letting the hand relax open at the end of the push on poles with a proper strap. Nordic poles have gloves-style straps and angled tips, which is different from trekking poles. A common rule for pole length is about 0.68 times your height, so roughly 115 cm at 170 cm tall, though adjustable poles let you find what suits you. Walk with the poles trailing at first, then add the push gradually. A single lesson from an instructor tends to help; many places run introductory sessions.
Who it might suit
This is our view. Poles are a way to raise the intensity of a walk without walking faster, which can suit people who find faster walking uncomfortable, and they add stability on uneven ground. Because blood pressure rises more during Nordic walking, people with heart or blood pressure conditions should check with their doctor first. For comparison with faster walking, see power walking, and for what poles don't change, walking vs gym covers the strength-training gap in walking.
Sources
- Church TS, Earnest CP, Morss GM. Field testing of physiological responses associated with Nordic walking. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2002;73(3):296-300. PubMed
- Tschentscher M, Niederseer D, Niebauer J. Health benefits of Nordic walking: a systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2013;44(1):76-84. ajpmonline.org
- Estimation of energy expenditure of Nordic walking: a crossover trial. 2021. PMC
- Nordic walking: a systematic review. European Journal of Human Movement. eurjhm.com
Correction note: an earlier version of this page said Nordic walking burns 18 to 46% more calories, uses up to 90% of your muscles versus 50% for walking, and cuts knee, hip and ankle load by up to 25%. We could not support the 46% figure, the muscle percentages or the 25% load figure, so they were removed or corrected, and the reported increases in calorie burn, oxygen use and heart rate are now those found in the studies above. We checked the figures against published abstracts and summaries on October 2, 2026, and did not read the 2021 crossover trial or the Tschentscher review in full. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice. This is general information, not medical advice.