Nordic Walking At The Glen Lake Turkey Trot

Runners, Walkers and Walkers Using Nordic Walking Poles Participate in the Glen Lake Turkey Trot

Despite early forecasts of snow, a near record turnout was recorded at the Glen Lake Turkey Trot on Saturday, Nov. 8th. The beautiful cross country trails behind the Glen Lake campus were part of the 5km course. Participants were rewarded with tons of randomly drawn prizes – including 24 frozen turkeys. The event was a fundraiser for the Glen Lake Varsity Cross Country Teams.

The Turkey Trot attracts runners and walkers of all ages and all fitness levels. Nordic Walkers have always been welcome too.

Finishing 1st in the Nordic Walking Division was Glen Lake Teacher, Amy Johnson – using SWIX Nordic Walking Poles.

As Race Director, I didn’t get a chance to use my poles Saturday morning, but my wife and I did squeeze in a great afternoon ski walk up on Alligator Hill after tearing down the course.

Hopefully ALL running races across the country will include the option to Nordic walk soon.

Walking with poles is the best - especially for ex-runners like myself that have had to give up running due to knee and other issues. Besides helping to burn more calories than walking without poles, the poles help to radically reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. For individuals with balance issues the poles provide 4-Wheel-Drive type stability and added security.

For more information about Nordic Walking Poles please contact The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM

The American Nordic Walking System and SKIWALKING.COM are dedicated to the simple fact that one piece poles that are sized correctly are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-locking adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles.

Three Generations Of Nordic Ski Walking FUN!

Three Generations Of Nordic Ski Walking FUN!

Nordic Walking provides a safe and effective workout for ALL ages and ALL fitness levels. The poles help to burn more calories than regular walking - up to 40% more calories! The poles also help to improve balance and stability.

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.

Don't get scammed by cheap twist-locking adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles. One-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-locking poles. The SWIX VIP Nordic Walking Poles are the #1 selling Nordic Walking Poles in the USA. The EXEL Urban Skier Poles are the newest in the line-up from The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM

Nordic Ski Walking Poles from The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM are custom fit to each individual's height. They also come equipped with real Nordic Walking Straps (patented by the Salomon Ski Company), a free Nordic Walking DVD, metal tips for off-road (trails, snow and ice) and removable rubber tips for pavement and other hard surfaces.

Walking with poles is the best!

Nordic Walking, High School Cross Country and Wild Blackberries

High School Runners Warming Up With Nordic Walking Poles

Scott Tinley, two-time Ironman World Champion, has recommended that runners warm up with a good walk prior to running. My high school track and cross-country teams follow that advice and often we use Nordic Ski Walking Poles during this important warm-up period. The poles help to radically reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Runners with shin and/or knee issues often find that when using the correct length poles and proper technique their shin and/or knee pain is eliminated. We also hike up a super steep hill behind campus. Walking up hills helps to naturally and safely stretch the calf and achilles.

The wooded trails behind the school are ideal for running, walking and Nordic Ski Walking. Some sections of the trail are packed with wild raspberries and blackberries. I love coaching cross country - late summer and early fall is a great time of year. I am usually spotted at practices and races with my Nordic Ski Walking Poles. And occasionally I’m spotted picking wild blackberries – okay, maybe daily during blackberry season.

My athletes that are building up to longer runs, but lack distance base, find that a shorter run and a long hike with Nordic Walking Poles provides a winning combination. Athletes with shin splints or runners knee can substitute Nordic Walking for running and still get a great workout. Nordic Walking burns up to 40% more calories than regular walking and the poles work the upper body unlike regular walking and running. Nordic Walking is similar to cross-country skiing, but no snow and no skis are required.

We only use one-piece Nordic Walking Poles because they are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-locking adjustable/telescoping/collapsible poles. Perfect length poles are achieved when the elbow is at 90 degrees when the individual is strapped in and standing tall.

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.
Nordic Walking Poles are great for athletes, plus they are ideal for ALL ages and ALL fitness levels – including individuals with balance issues.

For more information about Nordic Walking Technique and Nordic Walking Poles contact The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM

The SMART Car Meets Smart Walking (Nordic Ski Walking)

SMART Cars Burn Less Gas And Nordic Walking Poles Burn More Calories!

Four years ago I launched http://www.skiwalking.com/ and The American Nordic Walking System. Fourteen months ago I put a $99 deposit down to reserve a SMART Car. On August 8th, 2008, The SMART Car and Nordic Walking (Smart Walking) met up at the Bloomfield Hills SMART Car Dealership (the only SMART Car dealership in Michigan). The SMART Car staff tried Nordic Ski Walking and I got to test drive my new Smart Car. Both received two thumbs up!

It was definitely worth the 14-month wait for my SMART Car to arrive. I made several stops in my new SMART Car the next morning to introduce Nordic Walking to staff at two of the Beaumont Health Centers in Royal Oak, Michigan. I always have FUN hosting Nordic Walking Clinics, but my SMART Car made getting to my Nordic Walking Clinics twice as FUN. I had to drive with the windows down because at every intersection folks wanted to ask questions and give compliments.

Why Nordic Walking? Because walking with the perfect length poles and correct technique can burn up to 40% more calories than regular walking. The another added bonus from walking with poles is the fact that the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back is radically reduced – making walking comfortable, even for individuals with new knees, new hips, Scoliosis, arthritis, weight issues and even cancer survivors. The poles are also a huge benefit for individuals with balance issues including MS, Parkinson’s, Neuropathy, Post Polio and other challenges. Please note that one-piece poles custom fit to an individual’s height are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-locking adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles. Seniors and those with balance issues should NOT use cheap twist-locking poles. Our one-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable and user friendly than cheap twist-lock poles.

Why the SMART Car? Its great mileage, the fact that it is a totally recyclable car, that it provides a smaller carbon footprint and that it is a way to inform both the US oil industry and US auto industry that smaller is better. The US oil and auto industries have spent millions of dollars lobbying against improved MPG standards and should have been investing that money into improving MPG ratings and developing more efficient, cleaner and green energy sources. Over 900,000 Smart Cars have been sold in 36 countries.

On the 5-hour drive north to the home office in Glen Arbor my SMART Car cruised along at 80 miles per hour on I-75 without hesitation or reservation. Gas mileage was only around 40 mpg, but considering this is the "break in" period that isn’t bad.

My favorite car of all time was the VW Thing, but my new favorite car of all time is my new SMART Car - faster, much safer, cleaner (greener) and way more efficient! With the front seat down I can carry 7 full pole bags (77 pairs of Nordic Walking Poles). My 206cm Salomon cross-country skis also fit – even with my son buckled into the passenger seat! There is room for the two of us plus downhill ski gear too! With ESP (electronic stability program with hill start assist) and ABS (Anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution) standard, there won’t be any issues come winter driving. My VW Eurovan has ESP and ESP should be standard on all cars sold in the USA – it is the next best thing to 4-Wheel Drive!

While parked in front of SKIWALKING.COM headquarters today, my SMART car posed for pictures with dozens of tourists walking and cruising down Lake Street in Glen Arbor. The little car is super comfortable, a total blast to drive and NOT just a little car restricted to short little commutes. I’ll be taking this sporty little rascal to all of my Midwest Nordic Walking Clinics. For longer trips I may snag my wife’s Honda Fit (a fantastic 5 seater with tons of storage space and magic seats that fold into the floor).

While my one-piece Nordic Walking Poles are make walking smarter (effective, efficient and FUN), my SMART car is helping to make driving smarter and a whole lot more affordable and FUN!!!!

Get off the coach and launch your Nordic Walking campaign today! Go to http://www.smartusa.com/ and reserve yourself a FUN and efficient driving machine too!

NORDIC RUNNING – WITH NORDIC WALKING POLES

NORDIC RUNNING - INCREASE THE AEROBIC BENEFITS!

Scandinavian ski coaches were the first to officially embrace Ski Walking and Hill Bounding—a kind of Nordic running with cross-country ski poles. These ski-specific activities have since become a key training component for all serious cross-country skiers around the world when they are deprived of snow during the summer.


The famous running coach Arthur Lydiard incorporated hill bounding (without poles) into his training system (The Lydiard System) after coaching in Finland and observing the Finns success in cross-country skiing. Lydiard knew that running hills was a good thing and bounding up hills became an integral part of the Lydiard System.


Just over 10 years ago the coaches in Finland gave us Nordic Walking –basically, hiking with poles and a less ski-training focused activity. They developed special one-piece poles custom fit to each individual’s height (shorter than cross-country ski poles). The poles were equipped with special fingerless glove-type straps, durable metal tips for off-road use and removable rubber tips for use on pavement and other hard surfaces.


As a running coach and ski coach I, too, know the importance of hill training. For over 25 years my skiers have been Ski Walking and Hill Bounding with poles when deprived of snow. My distance runners are often asked to warm up by walking some extremely steep hills – naturally and safely stretching their Achilles and calf muscles. Runners with shin splints and/or runners knees can successfully Nordic Walk for an hour or more because the poles radically reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Many of the teams’ favorite running routes include challenging mile-long hills.


My wife Lissa and I have found that running up all the hills with our poles— less technical and lower impact than actual hill bounding—is another great way to train with our Nordic Walking Poles. I had to give up marathon running because of my knee and yet I can Nordic Walk and Nordic Run pain free. Nordic Walking poles are a HUGE help on the downhills too – reducing the stress and protecting my knee. I experimented with Nordic Running last year and this year we are running up all the hills with our poles. Lissa says that the poles have eliminated the lower back pain she had always experienced while walking and/or running our favorite hilly trails. "My Nordic Walking Poles not only do they eliminate my back pain, they also support my upper body so much it makes running up the hills almost fun," Lissa says. "My 76-year-old mother is also out there Nordic Walking (though not running) and tearing it up on same hilly trails!" she adds.


While Nordic Walking and/or Nordic Running up hills remember to keep your chin up, back straight (do NOT lean into the hill!!!) and fingers relaxed. If we lean into the hill we add stress to the lower back and deprive ourselves of the benefits of walking/running with the correct length poles. On the down hills feel free to plant the poles out in front a little and do NOT sit back! Sitting back puts a terrible amount of stress on the knees. I prefer to Nordic Walk down hills—the poles totally absorb the stress to the knees.


Many of my customers with runners knee issues have also found success by using Nordic Walking Poles for effective walking and pain free running. 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. The correct length poles also help to improve running posture too—automatically bringing the hips forward and the shoulders back.


As a ski coach it is obvious that one-piece poles are preferred by skiers and ski professionals. As a Nordic Walking instructor it is also obvious that one-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than twist-locking adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles.


A new customer made a four hour drive north today to pick-up some of our quality one-piece poles because the twist-locking poles (made in China) he found locally down in Kalamazoo rattle, vibrate, self –adjust and are a hassle to find replacement parts for. The instructions that came with his twist-locking poles were not helpful and the straps were not real Nordic Walking straps. We took a short test drive of the SWIX VIP Nordic Walking poles down to Lake Michigan and after a quick review of the three basic levels of The American Nordic Walking System he was totally impressed with the quality of real Nordic Walking Poles, the effectiveness of real Nordic Walking Straps and helpfulness of our instructions. He was also impressed that our poles are made in Lillehammer, Norway and NOT China. He loves the concept of walking with poles, but disliked the twist-locking poles he started out with. He is trying to manage his type 2 Diabetes through exercise and diet. Nordic Walking poles are helping to make walking more effective for individuals not just with Diabetes, but Arthritis, MS, Osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, Scoliosis, Post Polio, Cancer Survivors, Neuropathy, new knees, new hips, rods in the back, weight management participants and other challenges to launching a successful walking campaign.


Walking and running with poles is the best!

Sizing Nordic Walking Poles For Success – Perfect Length Poles

When I placed my first large order of Nordic Walking Poles, I remember being told by the Norwegians that they recommended Nordic Walking Poles to be much shorter than cross country length poles. Their size chart was not as simple as taking your height and multiplying by .68 or .7 like several manufactures suggest. The goal should be to ensure that when standing tall and strapped into the comfortable patented Nordic Walking straps the elbow would be at 90 degrees and the forearm parallel to the ground. And they were right! When using the correct length poles even men that walk like apes begin to automatically walk with perfect posture without having to think about it.

As it turns out the multiplying your height by .68 or by .7 is only a rough guesstamater – often putting taller individuals and those in-between sizes in poles that are to short.

After hosting hundreds of Nordic Walking classes/clinics during the past four years I have developed a pretty good feel for sizing everyone into the correct length poles. ALL of my customers receive a perfect length guarantee. ALL sizes are in-stock and ready to ship. Once I know how tall someone is I personally select the perfect length poles for their height. Our customer satisfaction rating is 100%!

Perfect length poles help us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is bio mechanically 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.

The Runners and skiers I coach like their Nordic Walking poles sized the same as the senior citizens and the individuals with balance problems that take my classes. If we go shorter with the poles we find that there is "bending at the waist" and that is NOT a good thing! When testing pole length the REAL question should be "which pair makes your back feel the best". During my classes the customer response 100% of the time is the pair that puts the elbow at 90 degrees when standing still and standing tall. Please note that different pole manufactures measure poles slightly differently – just like the ski companies. I don't know why some companies suggest shorter poles for seniors? I have NEVER had a senior pick poles that were shorter than recommended.

I read today about a retailer suggesting 130cm poles for individuals up to 6’ 5"? Individuals that are 6’ 5" would be best served with 135cm or 140cm poles – depending on the manufacture’s sizing (different manufactures may vary actual pole length by up to 5cm). Regardless, 130cm poles would force someone 6’ 5" to bend forward at the waist and eliminate many of the benefits of walking with the correct length poles.

Last month I custom made some Nordic Walking Poles for an individual that was 6’ 8" because our longest SWIX VIP Nordic Walking Poles and EXEL Urban Skier Nordic Walking Poles are 140cm – way to short for a 6’ 8" Nordic Walker, but ideal for someone 6’ 4" – 6’ 6". I can take a pair of quality cross country ski poles or roller ski poles in longer lengths and add Nordic Walking tips plus straps in order to get a perfect fit for individuals above 6’6" and to tall for our 140cm poles. Twist-locking adjustable length poles are typically extra flimsy above 130cm and can not provide a Perfect Fit for taller Nordic Walkers.

One-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than twist-locking adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles. Individuals with balance issues and seniors should avoid twist-locking adjustable poles. I just received an email from a professor at McGill University confirming that our one-piece poles are hassle free when compared to the twist-locking adjustable length poles she purchased by mistake from another source and found they "self-adjusted and partially collapsed" on most of her walks.

When demonstrating Nordic Walking to a dietitian this week she noted that her clients could ALL benefit from "MORE WALKING" too – most of her clients suffer from high blood pressure and/or diabetes. And of course "MORE WALKING" could be the most valuable prevention activity to help get Americans back on the path to improved health and fitness.

Walking with poles is the best!

Pete - owner/founder/coach The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM Nordic Walking Poles