Nordic Walking is coming to Nowton Park and Ickworth House in Bury St Edmunds

You can put a spring in your step by making March the month you take up Nordic Walking in the Bury St Edmunds area.

New weekly sessions at Nowton Park and Ickworth House are starting up under the guidance of personal trainer Kevin Marshall.

Nordic Walking was originally used by elite cross country skiers to stay in shape during the summer months, but the sport is growing in the UK with more than 700 instructors and thousands of people regularly taking walks, which are enhanced with the aid of two poles.

The sport is great for anyone who wants to get active and fit as it burns 46 per cent more calories than ordinary walking and is great for neck, shoulders and back problems.

It's also low impact so it's great for knees and joints  - so grab your poles and give it a go!

I did just that with a taster session in Nowton Park. After a warm up which involved circling the feet at the ankle and rocking back on the balls of my feet, it was time to grab the poles and role my shoulders around in a kayak-style motion.

Teacher Kevin explained the simple way of walking with poles, keeping them at a 45 degree angle and bringing them up as if you're shaking someone's hand. It's not hard to grasp the technique and within 10 minutes I was fairly comfortably keeping up with Kevin as we strode up the main avenue of Nowton Park.

But then he explained that we were only going at a level one pace for beginners, and that he can actually teach people to go three or four times faster. At the top end of the sport, Nordic Walkers can pick up a pace of 5-6 miles per hour.

Nowton Park is the perfect place to start learning and within half an hour we'd done a lap of the park. It's really enjoyable and not physically demanding for the novice, though Kevin assured me that I would probably feel it in the backs of my arms and my thighs in a day or so.

Kevin explained that he is offering £5 taster sessions at Ickworth House on Tuesday, February 28 at 10am and at Nowton Park on Saturday, March 3 at 10am to give people the chance to have a go.

To become a competent Nordic Walker you'll need to go on a 4-lesson course which gives you official status as a Nordic Walker and means you can, in theory, join other lessons in other parts of the country.

The cost of that course is £40 and you'll even get the £5 taster fee back.

Poles are supplied for the taster courses but you'll need to book first.

Call Kevin Marshall on 07955 495016 or email kevin by clicking here.