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Viking Hiking Invades the North East
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Staff members at Sunderland’s Business and Innovation Centre have been driven up the poles by a switched-on new business which aims to bring a craze that has swept Europe to the North East. |
Married couple Rena and Charl Erasmus started Nordic Walkrite to offer classes in Nordic walking, a form of exercising which involves using specially-designed poles to work the muscles of the upper body. Conceived in Finland as a means of ski-training out of season, the technique has become widespread in Scandinavia and Northern Europe – where experts claim it has completely transformed health in the regions.
Charl Erasmus said: “We became interested in Nordic Walking when Rena came across the technique while researching for her physiotherapy degree. She decided to try it out and became an instructor when she realised how enjoyable it was.
“Subsequently I became more interested when I realised how much of a full-body workout it provides. You use more muscles than you possibly can by running or swimming. It’s literally the only exercise (apart from Nordic Skiing) where you can work 90% of your skeletal muscles and so offers a perfect cross training for any sport.”
As the benefits have become apparent Nordic Walking has grown more popular in countries outside of Europe, with the sight of New Yorkers and Londoners practicing the technique in some of the world’s most famous parks now commonplace.
Chris Griffin is international director at Exel, the leading provider of Nordic Walking equipment and international advocate of the sport. She said: “I don’t think anyone thought that this sport would become so popular, but now that we’ve gotten going, I’d like to see Nordic walking spread around the world. The way in which the activity can extend throughout the UK is by creating a network of instructors who can cater for and specialize in their local areas. Nordic Walkrite’s activity in the North East is a perfect example of this process at work.”
Charl, an outdoor enthusiast, and Rena, who is a physiotherapist, started the business in 2006 and are already recognised by the International Nordic Walking Association (INWA) as representatives for the North East region. They received marketing assistance in starting the company from the Business and Innovation Centre in Sunderland.
Paul Finch, Marketing Manager at Pulse Creative Marketing, said: “Everyone knows that walking is great exercise and the oldest method of getting from A to B, but Charl and Rena’s classes allow you to transform it into a full body workout which rivals visiting any gym. Of course, not everybody is looking for a heavy workout, and the great thing with Nordic walking is that it can also be relaxing and fun.”
The company offers a range of tailored courses for beginners upwards and recently held a taster session with staff from the Business and Innovation Centre, in which they delivered a crash course in basic Nordic walking techniques, providing professional equipment for participants.
Participator Linzi Atkinson, Graphic designer, said: “Even after a short session, you really feel the effect that walking with the poles has on your body and muscles. I would definitely consider Nordic walking as an alternative to running or other regular exercises.”
For more information on Nordic Walkrite, call 0191 4832325.
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