Ever since she gave up running to save wear and tear on her joints, Michelle Pekich of Portersville has made great strides in keeping up with her fitness routine.

And a pair of poles is helping her do that.

Pekich, director of marketing for ComForCare Home Care of Wexford, a home-care agency, for the last year has been an active participant in Nordic walking, a European exercise that uses two specially designed poles to work the upper body while walking.

Pekich said, “So, my German cousins were visiting in 2019. They talked about because they were very involved in it. That’s when I became interested through discussions with my cousins. It’s very popular in Europe, where it was developed.”

It took her a while to pick up the sport, however.

“I stopped running a year ago. I was a distance runner for over 20 years,” said Pekich. “I thought it (Nordic walking) was a way to have less impact on the joints.”

“So I acquired two sets of poles in the fall of 2022. I started learning about it and introduced the sport to my friends and family,” she said.

The poles, which she ordered on the internet, are made of aluminum or graphite, are lightweight, can be adjusted for the user’s height and come with built-in gloves.

“They are different from hiking poles. They are built to propel you rather than balance you,” she said.

After watching a YouTube video of Nordic walking, Pekich was ready to give it a go.

“The motion simulates cross-country skiing, that’s how it started. Skiers needed a way to stay in shape when there was no snow,” Pekich said.

In Nordic walking, the walker steps forward with the right foot. The left arm places the pole about half the distance of the right stride, and the walker pushes off the pole to propel himself forward with a brisk pumping motion in each step. Then, the walker alternates with the left leg and right pole.

Pekich said Nordic walking uses 80 to 90% of the muscles in your body, not just those in the lower body that normal walking uses.

It works the arms, shoulders and upper chest and back muscles through a full range of motion. Pekich said it gives a better cardiovascular workout and use of the poles helps improve posture.

Pekich said by adding the upper-body workout provided by using the poles the walker can increase the amount of calories burned.

“It’s very good for calorie burning and weight management,” she said.

Nordic walkers can get a total body workout without feeling they are working any hard than just walking.

“People can do this into their very old ages,” she said.

She’s added Nordic walking to her other activities of swimming, cycling and cross-country and downhill skiing.

Pekich said she tries to get out once a week on the flat streets of Harmony and Zelienople. She goes for time, not distance, trying to make each session of Nordic walking last an hour.

“It’s not hard. I’m always trying to refine the form, to get faster. It’s not hard to learn. It’s a great way to socialize with friends,” she said. Perkich started out walking in tandem with her husband, Mark. She’s lent her second set of poles to friends for walking and talking sessions.

There are no special Nordic waking trails, but that’s not a hindrance.

“Once you have the poles, you can go literally anywhere. That’s the reality of it,” she said. You don’t need any special skills or equipment to take up the sport. Other than the poles, all you need are a good pair of running or walking shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather.

“Anyone can do it. If you can walk, you can do this, no matter what your fitness level. If you are already walking, this will help you up your activity, burn more calories, use more muscles,” Perkich said.

Sandy Ihlenfeld, executive director of Butler YMCA, said “I’ve done Nordic walking for years. I’m a hiker for preference. The poles increase your speed and your ability to climb.”

She said the poles also are a benefit on flat surfaces, providing stability and involving the whole body in the activity.

“It’s a total body workout. You are moving your arms up and down,” Ihlenfeld said. “You are propelling your body.”

Kathy Hensler, membership and healthy living director at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry Township, said her YMCA does not offer a class in Nordic walking.

“It’s an outdoor activity. We’d have to have an instructor be certified for a class,” Hensler said. She added from what she understood, Nordic walking is more popular in the Philadelphia and the Portland, Ohio, areas.

Perkich said there are no Nordic walking clubs in Butler County that she is aware of, but the sport is “definitely on the radar.”

“When we are walking, people are definitely asking about it,” she said. She added if people are interested in Nordic walking they could contact her through her LinkedIn page.

“I hope this sport catches on. It’s a wonderful low-impact activity. It would be great to see more people out there doing it,” Perkich said.