A NEW Nordic walking group has been set up in Abergavenny.

Run by Ed Woolley, it will meet at various locations on Friday at 11am.

Ed has run Nordic walking sessions close to his home town of Blackwood for over twelve years - as a member of British Nordic Walking.

He has recently started a stewarding placement at Frogmore Street Art Gallery where he exhibits his landscape paintings. An idea came along to involve some of the members there in a ‘netwalking’ class in order to further the friendships and bonding opportunities within the collective.

Nordic walking arrived in Great Britain in 2005 and quickly took off to become a sustainable and social way to achieve a good level of all round fitness. Just about every county of the UK has a class taking place. Nordic walking originated in the Scandinavian countries as a training exercise for cross-country skiers.

Ed has chosen some suitable locations, walking routes that are safe and not too demanding. Routes going from places such as Llanfoist and Gilwern. The duration of the walks are approximately one and a half hours, with a warm up and cool down session.

There are many health benefits to Nordic walking, including it’s a great cardio work out, and burns up to 40% more calories than ordinary walking. It eliminates back, shoulder and neck pain. It’s easy on the joints and is good for posture and balance.

Ed says, ‘We spend some time learning the technique before the first walk. The walks are a medium pace that are suitable to most abilities. Outdoor footwear and clothing is advised.’

Contact Ed on 07906365280, or email [email protected]