This was the first “Learn to Nordic Walk at Wallington”. So, it was not only a learning experience for the walkers but for us too. We met everyone in the Visitors Centre and introduced ourselves to them. It turned out that one of the ladies was Polish, giving another meaning to Strolls With Poles. We gathered their details before giving them a little instruction on how to attach themselves to the poles and explaining the origin of Nordic walking.
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Training
The training was to take place on the green near the coffee shop. On reaching there, Julie taught the first 6 steps of the technique, with Anne helping to demonstrate, including some partner exercises before letting them try out the technique.
The river walk
Once they had mastered the basics, it was time to try it out for real. Martin lead the group out of the grounds and into the gardens. Some of the walkers, that hadn’t been to Wallington before, were already remarking how beautiful the gardens are and it’s still winter. We headed down towards the river but quickly found that we needed to make a diversion. The river was high and the stepping stones were under water. Luckily, there is a road that runs down to the bridge, where it’s possible to cross the river and rejoin the river path.
We followed the river path from the bridge. Already, some of the group were commenting about how the poles made a difference, especially with hills. Along the way, Julie and Dave spotted 3 deer. This group of deer are known to roam the area by the river.
Towards the end of the walk, there are a couple of hills, to test the technique. They all managed them with ease.
Martin lead the group in front of the house and towards the dragon heads, that can be seen as you approach Wallington. The last group photograph of the day was taken and we went off to cool down.
The coffee shop
Everyone took advantage of the coffee shop to warm up and enjoy refreshments, before saying their goodbyes and going off to investigate Wallington further.
We hope you enjoyed the session and look forward to seeing you all again on another walk.
Julie & Martin x
Gallery
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Strolls with poles – Nordic Walking for Fun and Fitness