For years, wellness enthusiasts around the globe have looked to the Nordic countries for inspiration on how to live better, slower, and more balanced lives. Long before the Swedish concept of lagom—the pursuit of optimal balance—captured the international imagination and inspired best-selling books across dozens of foreign editions, storytellers and cultural analysts were already unpacking the unique mindset behind Nordic lifestyles. From Swedish massages and traditional Finnish saunas to Denmark’s focus on intentional presence known as hygge, Norway’s open-air living philosophy of friluftsliv, Finland’s enduring grit called sisu, and Iceland’s pioneering "Viking wellness" traditions of hot thermal baths and bracing cold-water dips, the Nordic region has long been synonymous with holistic well-being.
While these regional philosophies often go by different names, they share a common cultural foundation. What makes lifestyle trends from this corner of the world so universally appealing is not merely their aesthetic charm, but the deep, egalitarian principles upon which they are built. These traditions stem from sustainability-focused mindsets, a deliberate return to simplicity designed to curb undue stress, and government-sanctioned public access to nature—such as Sweden’s famous Allemansrätten, or the right to roam. This legal framework fosters a symbiotic, respectful relationship with the great outdoors. Because these nations are rooted in egalitarian values, their wellness practices are designed to be accessible to everyone, aiming for a long-term, holistic approach to health that can be sustained by individuals at any stage of life, from elite professional athletes in their physical prime to elders enjoying their later years.
Yet, the latest Nordic wellness phenomenon to catch fire globally has surprisingly practical, athletic origins rather than ancient mystical roots. The practice begs a simple question: How do cross-country skiers maintain their peak physical conditioning when the winter snow melts and there is no snow on the ground? The answer is Nordic walking—a fitness discipline that is frequently misunderstood, but must not be confused with casual hiking using standard trekking poles.
According to its international governing body, the International Nordic Walking Federation (INWA), which was officially founded in 2000, Nordic walking is now actively practiced in more than 40 countries worldwide. It serves a multitude of purposes, ranging from personal health, fitness, and recreation to social connection and high-level competitive sport. The roots of the activity stretch back as far as the 1930s, when competitive cross-country skiers began incorporating specialized ski poles into their running routines for summer endurance training. However, it was not until 1966 that physical education teacher Leena Jääskeläinen introduced the concept to the general public, marking the first documented use of ski poles outside of strict athletic training environments.
Aki Karihtala, president of the INWA, recalls taking up the discipline decades ago. "I started Nordic walking in 1998 because it is a fun, social, and efficient form of physical activity," he shares, noting that it has a unique power that "takes people back to nature." At the time he discovered the practice, Karihtala was heading the sports division at Exel, a prominent Finnish sporting goods company and the world’s largest manufacturer of cross-country ski poles.
It was Karihtala himself, working alongside his development team at Exel, who officially coined the term "Nordic walking." Since its branding and commercial introduction, the activity has been widely adopted across diverse populations. "Regardless of age, religion, and culture, because there are no boundaries," Karihtala notes, emphasizing the universal accessibility of the sport. In 1997, Exel engineered the first dedicated Nordic Walker poles specifically tailored for the activity rather than winter snow sports. Just a year later, an astounding 500,000 Finns—out of a total national population of roughly five million at the time—had tried Nordic walking. Experts attribute its massive popularity and effectiveness to the fact that it engages the entire upper and lower body simultaneously while significantly reducing physical pressure on the knees, thanks to ergonomically designed poles. To ensure proper technique, the federation subsequently developed the progressive INWA 10 Step Method, designed to teach individuals how to perform the movement safely and efficiently.
Among the latest high-profile converts to the practice is Finnish trend and branding expert Katja Presnal. Having spent more than two decades analyzing cultural shifts and consumer behaviors, Presnal operated a personal lifestyle digital platform that commanded an audience of over 100,000 monthly readers and millions of annual page views. Looking back, Presnal finds a quiet irony in the fact that Nordic wellness has emerged as the world’s hottest lifestyle trend. Growing up in the picturesque Turku archipelago, surrounded by sheltered bays and lush, whispering forests, the lifestyle was simply her everyday reality.
After spending two decades traveling the globe for her career, Presnal eventually decided to stop analyzing trends from afar and instead embody them. She purchased a century-old former dairy tucked away in the serene Finnish countryside, seeking a slower, more intentional way of life immersed in nature, pristine lakes, and endless walking trails.
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"It was about making everyday life a wellness regimen and creating my own 365-day retreat," Presnal explains, noting that these were precisely the types of slow-living wellness experiences her family would intentionally seek out in places like Tuscany during their travels. "So I have, in essence, returned to my Nordic wellness roots, which in hindsight was the richness of my childhood."
For newcomers like Presnal, the low-threshold accessibility of Nordic walking—both from a physical capability standpoint and a financial perspective, requiring little more than a pair of poles and comfortable shoes—makes it the ideal fitness movement for the modern era. Beyond the physical conditioning, Presnal highlights the powerful human connection the activity fosters.
"People are now discovering Nordic lifestyles," Presnal explains, reflecting on how native practices are viewed by outsiders versus those who grew up immersed in them. "You don’t recognize your Nordic way of living as something special that could become a global trend or could be taught and shared with somebody because it’s just a part of who you are."
While enthusiasts celebrate the discipline year-round, awareness events such as the annual World Nordic Walking Day, held every May, continue to introduce new populations to the ritual. Whether practiced along urban park paths or deep within the evergreen forests of Scandinavia, the movement demonstrates how traditional regional practices can evolve into enduring global pillars of health and connection.
