REAL Nordic Walking Straps - patented by the Salomon Ski Company

REAL Nordic Ski Walking Straps

Proven Superior At The Olympics And While Walking

I read about poles with Nordic Walking Straps, about poles with old fashion loop straps and poles with no straps. The important thing is that more people get out there and walk! Poles are helping many individuals that have walking issues (balance, joint, weight and other issues) get out and walk comfortably and more effectively!

My background as a Ski Coach helps me to appreciate REAL Nordic Walking Straps. These fingerless glove type straps have helped to revolutionize cross country skiing! At the Olympics every medal winner skied with a version of the Salomon Patented Straps. These same highly effective ski straps are ideal on Nordic Walking Poles. I Nordic Walk and/or cross country ski with these fantastic straps every day.

I host Nordic Walking Clinics pretty much everyday – 7 days a week. Often I hear from individuals that they have a garage full or attic full of old ski poles and they don’t really want to buy Nordic Walking Poles, but they do want to learn proper technique and a little about optimum pole length. 100% of the time they are shocked at how comfortable and effective REAL Nordic Walking Straps are. Seniors and individuals with balance issues also appreciate the secure feeling they get when strapped into their comfortable and patented straps.

Real Nordic Walking Straps eliminate the need to tightly grip the poles. The pressure is all in the heel of the hand and effectively transmitted through the strap – no white knuckling and NO squeezing of the poles. No sweaty hands, no slimy grips and no numb hands!

It is important to note that strapless poles are credited for thousands of cases of "skiers thumb". Strapless ski poles are no longer available at ski shops. And old fashion loop straps are not nearly as comfortable or effective as REAL Nordic Ski Walking Straps.

Not only are REAL Nordic Walking Straps essential, perfect length poles are important too.

Perfect length poles help us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles radically reduces the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking.

Many poles from China are copying the Salomon patent, but their quality and stitching is totally poor. My favorite Nordic Walking Straps are the SWIX SR2001 and the EXEL Evolution - both available exclusively in the USA and Canada through The American Nordic Walking System and SKIWALKING.COM

Our poles are helping individuals walk farther, faster and more comfortably even when they have arthritis, carpal tunnel, cardio issues, asthma, MS, Parkinson's, Post Polio, cancer survivors, neuropathy, diabetes, runners knee, shin splints, stroke recovery, scoliosis, knee issues, new knees, hip issues, new hips, back issues, metal rods in their backs, sciatic nerve and many other unfortunate issues.

Please let me know if you have any questions at any time about the fun and many benefits of walking with REAL Nordic Walking Poles.

Have a great day – Nordic Ski Walking is the best,

Pete - owner/founder/coach The American Nordic Walking System and http://www.skiwalking.com/ Nordic Ski Walking Poles

Email: GETFIT@SKIWALKING.COM

Toll Free: 877-SKIWALKING or 877-754-9255

TAKE OFF THE POUNDS SENSIBLY WITH “TOPS” AND NORDIC WALKING POLES!

While hosting clinics the other day for TOPS (TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY - Weight Loss Group) I was reminded again why real Nordic Walking Poles are so effective and FUN!

Right away we heard from numerous participants about the trouble they had with their twist-locking poles that they had purchased elsewhere – the vibration, the rattle, the twist-locks failing and such.

After my introduction about Nordic Walking and the many benefits of walking with poles the entire "TOPS" group was off and walking successfully with one-piece poles sized to each individual’s height. Immediately I was told that there were several spouses that would especially benefit from the poles too – typically knee, hip and/or back issues.

It was a hot day and the individual with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) found the poles a huge aid given the improved balance and confidence they provided despite the heat (heat is not a good thing for many folks with MS). Seniors and individuals with balance issues should avoid twist-locking adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles. One-piece poles custom fit to each individual’s height are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-locking poles.

Before we start walking with the poles I always instruct the group to keep their chins up, poles slightly angled back and fingers relaxed (NO white knuckling of the poles). Real Nordic Walking Poles are equipped with special fingerless glove type straps – these special straps allow for effective push-off by accepting the pressure from the heel of the hand into the cradle of the strap – eliminating the need to ever uncomfortably squeeze the grips. These special straps even allow individual’s with carpal tunnel and/or arthritis in the hands/wrists to effectively use the poles – despite the fact that they can’t use traditional ski straps anymore.

Because of the heat, the individuals that squeezed their poles found they had sweaty hands. Those of us that took advantage of the straps didn’t have sweaty fingers. I always suggest that we guide the poles with either our little fingers or index fingers. A close examination of an elite cross-country ski racer shows the fingers fully extended and efficiently NOT gripping the poles. Also note that downhill skiers often complain about their expensive Gore-Tex/Thinsulate gloves – however, they are usually riding the chairlift squeezing their grips (white knuckling) and cutting off the circulation. Many of our customers complained of hand numbness while walking prior to purchasing our poles – our special straps and correct use (fingers relaxed) eliminated the numbness experience without poles.

Walking is obviously a simple and key component to a weight loss campaign. The use of perfect length poles and correct technique increases the success rate.

The goal of The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM is to help as many people as possible launch successful and safe walking campaigns. We specialize in sizing poles to each individual’s height and back it up with a Perfect Length Guarantee.

Perfect length poles help us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles radically reduces the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking.

Please let me know if you have any questions at any time. Have a great day and have FUN Ski Walking!

Pete - owner/founder/coach The American Nordic Walking System and http://www.skiwalking.com/ Nordic Walking Poles

Email: GETFIT@SKIWALKING.COM

Toll Free: 877-SKIWALKING or 877-754-9255

Nordic Walking In Glen Arbor, Michigan - Home of The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Nordic Walking In Glen Arbor, Michigan - 100% Happy Customers!

We had excellent cross country skiing right up to April 20th in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this year (if you knew where the pockets of snow were). Spring was cooler than normal, but ideal for Nordic Walking! Summer is in full swing and we are hosting private and group Nordic Walking Classes daily - when we aren't out on the road hosting Nordic Walking Classes around the country.

Our Nordic Ski Walking Clinics are a way to much FUN! Couples are always fun to work with too. Typically one individual is super excited and the other is skeptical. Who would have thought that by walking with the correct technique and perfect length poles there could be so many benefits? The "doubting spouse" typically becomes a believer quickly after just a short test drive and a brief introduction to The American Nordic Walking System. The poles really do make walking more effective and FUN. The stress to the shins, knees, hips and back are radically reduced - thanks to the poles, the comfortable Nordic Walking Straps, improved posture thanks to the poles and the shock absorbing rubber pole tips.

In just the past week we have had tremendous success with individuals with the following issues:

1. new knee(s) + knee issues (torn ACL and runners knee)
2. new hip(s) + hip issues
3. arthritis
4. asthma - the improved posture brings the hips forward, shoulders back and opens the airways!
5. Neuropathy
6. post polio
7. diabetes and weight management issues
8. shin splints
9. MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
10. back issues - rods + scoliosis
11. Parkinson's
12. Carpal Tunnel - real Nordic Walking Straps allow folks with carpal tunnel and/or arthritis to use poles again when regular pole straps can't be used successfully.
13. Cardiac Rehab

It is all just good physics!

Every day we receive thank you cards in the mail and thank you emails from all across the USA and around the world. It is extremely rewarding teaching Nordic Walking - helping others get out walking safely and effectively.

Our one-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles. And our comfortable patented straps sell themselves. As a ski coach I know that we don't ski with collapsible poles and know from experience and the feedback from others that the perfect length one-piece poles can't be beat in regard to safety, performance and durability. One-piece poles don't rattle and vibrate excessively when used on pavement and other hard surfaces.

The American Nordic Walking System provides safe and logical instructions for ALL ages and ALL fitness levels. Because most Americans don't really like "true" Nordic Walking we developed the three basic levels of Nordic Walking.

Level 1: Casual hiking with correct length poles (burns up to 20% more calories than regular walking). Fingers need to be relaxed and the chin up. And of course each pole is planted in sync with the opposite foot.

Level 2: Includes a full arm extension (burns up to 30% more calories than regular walking). By simply reaching forward your stride lengthens and your tempo increases - kind of like shifting gears in a car. Chin up and fingers relaxed.

Level 3: True Nordic Walking - includes the full arm extension, a harder pole plant and resistance into the cradle of the strap (through the heel of your hand). The resistance is maintained from pole plant to when the hand passes the hip. Real Nordic Walking Straps allow you to do this effectively without gripping the poles. Chin up and fingers relaxed.

Individuals with balance issues prefer Levels 1 and 2. Individuals with carpal tunnel, arthritis in their hands/wrists/shoulders or shoulder issues (including rotor cuff) also prefer Levels 1 and 2.

For more information about The American Nordic Walking System please go to http://www.skiwalking.com/ or http://www.skiwalking.com/getStarted.asp

The important thing is to get out there and do it.

Have FUN Nordic Walking!