Nordic Walking The VASA Trail - With Poles Spring/Summer/Fall

The VASA Trail is a beautiful trail network that is open year-round. The trails are ideal spring, summer and fall for hikers, runners and mountain bikers. And come winter, the professionally groomed cross-country ski trails provide thousands of skiers with a world class experience – just minutes from downtown Traverse City, Michigan.

I have skied all of the VASA trials. I ran them all before my knee forced me to give up running. The trails are also perfect for Nordic Walking in the spring, summer and fall. Now I’m Nordic Walking the VASA trials with my poles and loving it. I have had the opportunity to host Nordic Walking Clinics at the main trail head off of Bunker Hill Road and up at Timber Ridge Campground/Nordic Center (the start/finish area for the North American VASA Cross Country Ski Races).

Over 6 million Europeans are walking with poles! The ski countries of Scandinavia helped to launch Nordic Walking about 10 years ago. Ski coaches saw backpackers complaining about back and/or knee pain, but when they started using trekking poles the knee and/or back pain was radically reduced and often eliminated. Real Nordic Walking Poles are equipped with special fingerless glove type straps. The best straps are patented by the Salomon Ski Company. Real Nordic Walking Poles are also equipped with removable rubber tips for use on pavement and other hard surfaces. The poles’ metal tips are for use on trails, snow and ice.

One-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-locking adjustable (also known as telescoping or collapsible poles). Nordic Walking Poles are helping individuals with balance issues too. Seniors and individuals with balance issues should avoid twist-locking poles that could collapse unexpectedly. A woman participating in one of my Nordic Walking Classes at Timber Ridge told our group of about 40 people that she "Super Glued" her $140 Titanium poles the night before because the twist-locks refused to twist-lock and hold. Participants in my Nordic Walking Clinics consistently share their stories about the twist-locking poles they accidentally purchased and the problems they have had with the twist-locks - the vibration, the noise from the twist-locks, the twist-locks locking up (requiring a pipe-wrench to change the settings), the twist-locks not holding, the poles annoyingly getting shorter and/or collapsing unexpectedly. I’ve never seen skiers using twist-locking adjustable length poles while skiing at the VASA Trail or out on the Birkie Trail. One-piece Nordic Walking poles are much more dependable and user friendly than twist-locking poles. Nordic Walking Poles are sized much shorter than cross-country ski poles.

Walking with poles burns up to 40% more calories than regular walking! The perfect length poles and proper technique help to radically reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back.

Nordic Walking isn’t just for athletes - we are all supposed to walk for at least a 1/2 hour each day and Nordic Walking poles may just be the perfect answer. I love hosting Nordic Walking clinics for MS, Parkinson’s, Diabetes and Weight Management support groups. The poles have also proven extremely helpful for individuals with shin, knee, hip and back issues. I also love Nordic Walking with my family. Walking with poles is the best!

More info can be found at the American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM

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!