Deputy BLOG - ''Fellow Nordicers!''

Volunteers tackle Nordic Walking

IF someone would have told me that I would be doing laps of Oldham town centre on a Monday night complete with ski poles I would have seriously questioned what they had been drinking?

But there I was, along with the Get Moving to Health volunteers and a handful of gym mentors, merrily pushing away with my poles like there was no tomorrow.

It was Nordic Walking, a fairly recent phenomenon on these shores but something those countries who normally have snow in the winter have been doing to stay fit in the few months without the white stuff.

CORRECT - there is no 'F' in S-N-O-W as one of the less articulate of the locals pointed out to us as we snaked our way past Primark for the second time, but what did we care?

Daft as we looked - and felt - it was slowly but surely becoming quite addictive and the pace was hotting up. I could just see myself in a group of determined Nordic-ers (made that one up) going for it full throttle on a yomp that would burn more calories than even Chaddy the Owl could fit into a two cheeseburger lunch!

The technique is to start with the poles hanging from your wrists and just walk normally.

The strange temptation some are drawn into is swinging the same arm and leg forward.

Our guru Alan Keane told us this was known in the trade as ''Spotty Doggin'!'' presumably named after the cartoon character but other thoughts certainly made me look at OCL programme leader Jackie Hanley in a different light!

Once the walk was going smoothly you could then grip the poles slightly and start to push off as the rubber bung on the end hit the ground behind you.

This gives you real momentum and if you combine that with some serious rocking up onto the toes you are giving yourself a real work-out.

It was great to see all the volunteers giving it a go - though John Carhart looked as though he was heading straight for the Alpine slopes as a downhill skier and Big Al came perilously close to losing precious body items.

Landlady Joan Hague is showing her early colours as a competitive sidekick to her Heavy Mob captain Maggie Hurley and was making sure she got a thorough workout.

Both are ladies on the larger side of the Size 8 but when Maggie weighed in just a week ago she said she was going to her final weigh-in picture done in a thong (or was it my bad hearing and she said something about doing it with a song). We shall see.

We've had our first casualty of the campaign, when Wide Load team member Bridgette Fox stepped off a running machine in the week and banged her knee.

But trooper that she is Bridgette is back in action.

It's great to see how quickly two teams have bonded and they were busy comparing diaries to see when they can fit in a team-bonding gym session together later in the week.

For the record, I did manage the 2lbs loss this week to take me down from the original 14st 12lbs but it looks like the odd sneaky biscuit might have to go now as the game gets serious.

Next week we have our first real encounter of the programme with sweet-looking nutritionist Louise Brown who will no doubt be everything but sweet when she spells out the cans and canÕts to help us on our way.

NOTE TO DIARY: Walking around Hollingworth Lake was not as productive as hoped. Too many people - and dogs - to get up a head of steam.

PS: Managed to use the back stairs on Friday to avoid the smell of Canteen KathÕs bacon butties. Now we need to remember not to walk past the chippy on the way to the bank.... mmmmmm the smell!

See you next week - come on - join in and Get Moving to Health.

Are you trying to be more health conscious? Tell us your successes (and some of the things that didnÕt work for you) in the comment box below.