Pole Walking
What is Pole Walking? Low Impact Activity.
Pole Walking is a low-impact exercise that involves the use of specially designed poles, and provides the highest benefits for health, wellness and fitness for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Anyone can become a Pole Walker and instantly experience the benefits of poling. Pole Walking has been proven and validated through many scientific and clinical research studies to be a catalyst in promotion of improving your health, physical activity and rehabilitation.
Normal walking utilizes muscles in the lower half of the body while pole walking adds the use of your upper body muscles, your arms, back, shoulders and neck. Pole Walking turns your walk into a whole-body activity.
Benefits of Pole Walking
- Full body exercise. Incorporates 90% use of body muscles (only 40% while walking without poles)
- Mobility. Use of poles improves upper and lower body mobility. Also improves functional gait pattern.
- Weight management. Burns 25-46% more calories than regular walking.
- Offloading. Reduces stress on painful hip and knee joints.
- Balance and stability. Improves balance and confidence with four points of contact. Aids in falls prevention.
- Posture. Promotes an upright posture.
- Core strengthening. 1,000 core contractions every 1,000 steps!
- Pain reduction. Upper body activity using the poles reduces upper back, neck and shoulder pains.
- Cardio fitness. 25% more cardio than normal walking.
- Active rehab. Beneficial for orthopaedic, neurological, cancer, arthritis, fall prevention, diabetes and cardio respiratory conditions.
- Walking success. Use of poles promotes walking farther, faster and more often.
Fun for everyone. Suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels!
Numerous clinical studies show the vast benefits of pole walking, especially among seniors.
Are you Suitable for Pole Walking?
If you can walk, you can pole! However, those that may experience the most benefit are the following:
- Anyone who suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure or cardio respiratory conditions
- Active walkers who want to experience greater improvement in health
- Those recovering from hip and knee surgery
- Those suffering from arthritis and seeking low-impact exercise
- Those looking to reduce their fall risk and improve their overall mobility
- Post breast cancer rehab patients looking to improve upper body and overall endurance
- Those with, or at risk for osteoporosis to promote upright posture and weight bearing in upper extremities
To gain full benefit of participating in Pole Walking, it must be done correctly. I have taken the Pole Walking Instructor Course by Nordixx and the Activator Course for Rehab Professionals through Urban Poling. I can teach the safe and effective way to pole walk! See the class options for details.
Assistance with selecting a set of poles suitable for your needs and ordering of poles is provided.
