When I told a friend I was going Nordic walking, she replied: "What? Are you going walking in Norway?"

"No," came my reply, "Higgenson Park in Marlow."

Nordic walking is sweeping across the country as the next big craze in exercise. It is already one of the top exercise regimes in virtually every European country except England.

Nordic walking involves walking briskly with two poles that look similar to ski poles. It first originated in Finland to train the Olympic cross-country skiers out of season in the 1930s, it then became a sport for recreation in the early 1980s in Finland.

So what has Nordic walking got that a gentle stroll or jogging hasn't?

Nordic walking is a great calorie burner. It burns 20 per cent more calories than normal walking when going at the same speed.

Unlike jogging which can ruin your knees and hips, the movement you make in Nordic walking means those areas of your body are not put under stress. So it is perfect for joggers who now have dodgy knee and hip joints.

In fact, it reduces the strain to knees and other joints.

I met fitness trainer Philippa Brownjohn in Higgenson Park for my Nordic walking session.

"The movement is all in the swagger," she tells me. "It's like a New York Bronx's swagger."

I stride off with poles in hand trying to master the swagger. There's a rhythm to Nordic walking a movement in your shoulders and then you have to push your arms back behind you so that the poles dig into the ground.

Because of the swagger' it strengthens the spine and reduces back pain by increasing the rotation of the spine with every stride. Phillipa told me that her shoulders were a lot less stiff from taking up Nordic walking.

And because I was using the poles, I was working the backs of my arms, the rear part of my shoulders, the large pectoral muscles and the broad back muscles.

It seemed to me to be a great exercise to compensate for working at a computer every day, by helping to release my shoulders and give me a good cardiovascular work out at the same time.

Also it is said to reduce the symptoms of repetitive strain injury (RSI).

After walking briskly for just half an hour I began to feel it in my arms, and I was getting a terrific glow or should I rather say working up a sweat, but we still had another half an hour to go.

"Nordic walking is an all over body work out," said Philippa.

Scientific studies have shown that although you do not feel you are working out as much as you would when jogging, with high intensity Nordic walking you can get your heart rate levels to 75 per cent of maximal values and still feel comfortable.

However, Nordic walking isn't just for the very fit. It can benefit people at any fitness level.

There are three levels. Level one is for people who are not used to exercise. This is walking at an easy pace. Working at this level is useful technical preparation for cross-country skiing.

Then there is level two. This is called the fitness level. The walking action becomes more emphasised and the walking speed increases. Also the 'poling' (the use of the poles) becomes a lot firmer.

Stuart Montgomery, who has a Nordic walking group in Dorney, explains that if you walk at a fitness level rate for an hour you will burn 400 to 500 calories while exercising 90 per cent of your main muscles.

Level three is the sports level. This is when Nordic walking becomes a high intensity exercise and involves running, leaping and jumping (or bounding in Nordic-speak).

I found Nordic walking was great fun to do. And I did feel I had a great workout at the end of the session. Unlike other exercise regimes, because you can talk while working out, it is a very sociable sport which can either be enjoyed by the whole family or in a group.

Philippa Brownjohn runs one to ones and has walking groups: 01628 472676

Stuart Montgomery runs Nordic walking groups on Sunday and Tuesday mornings: 01753 574682.

Or go to: www.nordicwalking.co.uk