Nordic Walk!

I was signed up for a Nordic Walk once again, if you have read my first ever blog entry you will know that I had intended to join a Nordic Walk before but unfortunately the weather decided against that! However, today it was to go ahead and I was a little anxious- I don't remember the last time I walked 6 miles in one go!

Caroline Moncrieff runs Ffit Cymru, a company which holds walking groups and fitness classes and she had invited me to join one of her weekly Nordic walks. Again, forgive me if you have already read my blog on Nordic walking but here is a quick 'copy and paste' reminder of how impressive it is-

This new pastime was created in Finland, where the people were possibly slightly dissatisfied with the traditional method of walking! However, (again) my ignorance shines through as Nordic Walking seems to have many health benefits as it uses 80% of our muscles, strengthens our breathing capacity and heart function, helps us lose weight, is good for our joints etc etc... basically it seems pretty beneficial and  an activity  not to be missed!



Kitted up with my poles!

So there we go, Nordic walking talks the talk or even walks the walk and I was about to put it to the test. The walk I was joining was from Porthmadog to Portmeirion and back again, the route can vary depending on the weather, and it was muddy fields that determined our route that day. I met the group at a car park in Porthmadog where I was kitted up with my poles. I was given a quick lesson on how to walk with them, this was more difficult than I expected. When walking you must keep the poles behind you and believe me it is quite a skill. It took some concentration but I was soon in my stride.




The group of walkers were all ladies although I was told of a few men who do sometimes come along. They really were lovely and during the six mile walk I managed to enjoy a conversation with quite a few them. The walk was beautiful (how could it not be- it’s in north Wales!) and the weather improved as the day went on.





We walked along the ‘Cob’ bridge in Porthmadog to the Italianesque village of Portmeirion (somewhere I hope to blog about in the future). If you aren’t familiar with the attraction, it really is a sight worth seeing. I have been many times before and really appreciated a new way to explore somewhere I’m so used to. We stopped for a well-earned cup of tea and more chat before we set off back.



The group walking through Portmeirion

The group walking through Pormeirion

It was a lovely return journey but I began to feel the strain of walking with poles on my arms- something was working. I really enjoyed walking with these ladies and I realised what a fantastic social activity Nordic walking is, and that is the most important lesson I took from the day. Somehow I managed to walk 6 miles, do 15,000 steps and not even realise how hard I worked, laughing and talking to other group members was a fantastic distraction. If you are new to the area, fancy a new hobby or want to make some new friends then I strongly advise  joining a Nordic walk- I know that I will be going again!

Me with some of the group members

It is now the next morning and my arms are a little tender shall we say. This is one of my favourite activities I have participated on during my ‘exploring North Wales blog history’, quite simple yet very satisfying!





To find out more from Caroline on Facebook then search for 'Ffit Cymru'.

www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk