Nordic Walking Class Gives Employees' Fitness a Boost

Ioana Patringenaru | April 21, 2008

Nordic walkers meet across the street from Tioga Hall.

Click here for more information on Nordic walking at UCSD.

It was a sunny spring day, but about a half a dozen UC San Diego staff members were wielding what looked like ski poles as they made their way through the streets of La Jolla. No, they didn’t get their seasons mixed up. Rather, they were taking part in one of the campus’ new Nordic walking classes.

Ronald Brogdon and Newell Whitfield, two employees in Administrative Computing and Telecommunications, lead the group. Nordic walking comes from Northern Europe, where it started out as an off-season exercise for cross-country skiers.

Brogdon discovered the discipline during a marathon in Portland, Ore., in 2005. Simple walking had never appealed to him, but walking with poles reconciled him with it. “It lends dignity to walking,” he explained.

Walking burns about 100 calories an hour, he said. By contrast, Nordic walking can burn about four times as much. Using walking poles, which are actually different from skiing poles, allows walkers to engage their upper body, increasing the amount of energy they burn by 40 percent and raising their heart rate by 10 to 15 beats per minute, Brogdon said. Brogdon said he encourages all his students to wear heart monitors to make the most out of their workout.

Using poles also reduces walking’s impact on joints by 30 percent, Brogdon said. That’s very important for Whitfield, whose foot had to be reattached to his leg after a car crash some years ago. He has made an almost complete recovery since then, he said, though his ankle still feels stiff, and will probably stay that way for the rest of his life, he said. He has lost almost 60 lbs. since he started Nordic walking. He also goes to the gym to lift weights, he said.

Keeping in shape and losing weight were the top priorities for several staff members in the Nordic walking group. Var Mikkonen, who also works in ACT, said she already dropped a few pounds and inches off her waist since she started exercising. A native of Finland, she practiced cross-country skiing. She also said she enjoying walking amid the mansions of La Jolla.

“It’s nice to get outside and get fresh air,” she said.

Nordic walkers stride uphill near Black's Beach

On a recent Wednesday around noon, several Nordic walkers commented on the construction projects taking place along La Jolla Farms Road while completing their 1.5-mile loop. They also literary stopped to smell the roses in some front yards. Finally, they got to the hard part of the day: going half-way down—and then back up—the paved road that leads to Black’s Beach. “Poles are useful to go uphill because you can pull yourself up,” Brogdon pointed out.

He said he hopes all group members will be able to go all the way down to the beach and back up by the end of the quarter. He also hopes they will be able to walk a mile in 15 minutes and walk a total of 100,000 steps. Those who reach the goal will receive a T-shirt with a Nordic walking logo. Janet Keith, the fastest walker that Wednesday, complained that the rubber tip of her poles already needed to be replaced. “I’m walking too much,” she jokingly complained to Brogdon.

The group meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The program comes with a $45 fee, which covers equipment costs. Those who stay in the program for four quarters get to keep their equipment at no extra cost. If they decide to opt out before then, they can purchase their walking poles for $90 a pair. Brogdon said he and Whitfield will lead a Nordic walking group again this summer.