Unfortunately thousands flocked to discount stores, big box and even sport shops in search of walking poles. Thousands more bought poles online. All assumed they were purchasing suitable, user-friendly and durable walking poles. Most came home with or were shipped cheap/flimsy collapsible two-piece or three-piece telescoping poles. Most made in China and most were actually trekking poles equipped with simple loop straps that have nothing to do with Nordic Walking. And many of the poles that were marketed as Nordic Walking Poles either didn’t have a straps of any sort or the poles were equipped with cheap Velcro slings inferior to a real pair of fingerless glove type Nordic Walking Straps.
Individuals with balance issues should NEVER use cheap/flimsy collapsible poles because they not only tend to rattle, vibrate and gradually collapse, but because they are reported to fail and collapse without warning. The twist-locks and flip-locks on collapsible poles just can’t be trusted. That is why skiers refuse to use them for skiing or Nordic Walking.
Most of the readers of these wonderful Nordic Walking
articles (that appeared in Prevention Magazine and the Mayo Clinic’s
newsletters) actually had balance issues, joint issues, weight issues or other
issues that restrict their walking campaigns. Seniors should never use 2-piece
or 3-piece collapsible poles. Seniors and individuals with balance should only
use sturdy one-piece poles that are sized specifically to their heights. At the
American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM
there are 16 different lengths of quality one-piece poles available to ensure a
perfect fit.
I always ask potential new customers with walking
restrictions if they feel the most comfortable walking while pushing a shopping
cart and 99.99% respond with an enthusiastic “yes, of course.” Quality
one-piece poles that are sized correctly will always prove to be safer,
lighter, more durable and much more user-friendly than falsely marketed
collapsible poles.
At the American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM we supply quality
one-piece poles made by SWIX of Norway and EXEL of Finland. All of our poles
are equipped with the real Nordic Walking Straps – not loop straps and definitely
not Velcro slings. I personally use these straps every single day attached to
quality one-piece poles. I use them while teaching Nordic Walking classes and
when I’m out exercising – hiking with poles on the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, running
hills – Nordic Running, roller skiing with longer poles and when the snow flies
both my classic and skate cross country skis have the same awesome fingerless
glove type straps – patented by the Salomon Ski Company (a real sign of
quality).
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.
For more info about quality EXEL Nordic Walking Poles: www.exelnordicwalking.com
Contact phone # here at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM
and the American Nordic Walking System: 231-334-3080
