Nordic Walking uses specifically designed poles to engage the upper body during fitness walking. First used as a summer training method by cross-country skiers, it was then developed into a fitness exercise with specific training equipment in cooperation with a Finnish sports equipment manufacturer, sports medicine and fitness professionals. Nordic Walking was first launched in Finland and has grown rapidly in popularity. About 3.5 million people practice Nordic Walking around the world.

JOHN GIBBINS / Union-Tribune Instructor Jenni Marini (left) leads a group of walkers around Wells Park during an introduction to Nordic Walking event Saturday in El Cajon.

– KAREN PEARLMAN

HOW TO DO IT: The basis of Nordic Walking starts with a good walking technique, which starts with the heel strike and ends when the toe and the ball of the foot push off the ground. Nordic Walking enhances good walking technique with a sequence of pole movements that propel the body forward and increase the walking stride. The basic Nordic Walking technique can be learned in a short period of time.

WHAT IT DOES: According to Jenni Marini, a La Mesa-based fitness trainer at BodySmart Fitness who started doing Nordic Walking when she lived in Finland more than 15 years ago, the activity builds upper-body strength and muscular endurance and works particularly on the triceps, shoulders and biceps. It stretches out the back, and the stride pushes the upper body and gets the rear end lifted up and out.

"Importantly for many people, it cushions joints (knees and hips) from the impact," Marini said. "You can push the poles forward rather than have your hips take all the impact. It's a good pressure-reliever for the shoulder and neck, and it's a dynamic workout for upper body. You're not just holding dumbbells or weights; it's different to hold poles, which are very light and the means of getting the upper-body working. It's an entirely different kind of workout to push with your arms, with the whole upper body."

WHAT IT'S GOOD FOR: Marini said one of her clients who used to be a runner was having hip problems and could no longer run. Walking wasn't getting her heart rate up to her satisfaction, so the client was looking for something else to do. "She got hooked right away," Marini said. "She is an avid Nordic Walker. She tells me 'I can't believe my heart rate, and how fast I can get to my zone.'"

CALORIE EATER: Nordic Walking burns up to 50 percent more calories than walking alone. "You automatically take a faster pace because of the stride," Marini said. "You can totally control yourself and your pace."

FITNESS BENEFITS: Heart rate averages five to 17 beats per minute higher in Nordic Walking (example: normal walking heart rate is 130 beats/minute, in Nordic Walking 147 beats per minute). Energy consumption increases when using poles by an average of 20 percent compared with ordinary walking without poles. It allows the same intensity of running without the impact.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: A good pair of walking or running shoes and Nordic poles, which are like cross-country skiing poles but with different tips on the bottom. The poles are available on various Web sites or from Marini at $65 a pair, shipped directly from Finland.

WHERE TO START: With Marini at (619) 840-2628 or bodysmart@cox.net. Other local instructors include Kiki Villik-Robinson, (619) 224-1978 or kikifit@znet.com, and Tuula Niskanen in Carlsbad, (760) 481-4943 or tuulan@gmail.com.

RESOURCES: www.nordicwalking.com and www.nordicwalker.com.

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Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

HEIDI BARAJAS: Now a trainer, Barajas, left, coaches Marcie Evans and Laura Estrella through a workout.