Walking with the perfect length poles and the correct technique can radically improve the walking campaigns for those suffering from COPD. When using the correct length one-piece Nordic Walking Poles we automatically stand taller, with the hips forward and the shoulders back. Keep your fingers relaxed (don't grip, squeeze or white knuckle the pole grips) and our chin up. Be sure your poles are one-piece and that they are equipped with the fingerless glove type straps. These are the real Nordic Walking Straps and they are patented by the Salomon Ski Company. They can be found on all SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles - quality one-piece poles. Other poles include no straps, simple loop straps or cheap velcro slings and are equipped with cheap/flimsy twist-locks or flip-locks that attempt to hold the collapsible pole pieces together.
Students in my classes that have inhalers have NEVER needed to stop and use them - even on 2-mile hikes and mile long hills. Quality Nordic Walking Poles can really help make walking doable and more fun for those suffering from COPD and/or asthma.
Individuals with COPD and/or asthma should avoid cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece poles regardless of the marketing hype behind them. Typically collapsible poles are much heavier, they tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse or unexpectedly fail altogether. The twist-locks and flip-locks are not user-friendly and are often reported to have failed. Heavier collapsible poles are not a good idea for seniors, anyone with a balance issue or those with COPD. One-piece poles that are sized correctly will always prove to be lighter, safer, stronger, much more durable and much more user-friendly than poles from China with twist-locks and flip-locks.
At WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System the SWIX and EXEL poles come in 16 different lengths and come with a Perfect Length Guarantee. We also have special instructions for those with balance issues.
A happy customer ordered another pair of our Nordic Walking Poles for herself yesterday. A friend of hers insisted that because of her COPD she couldn't walk the 1/2 mile to view a waterfall. She reluctantly tried her friend's SWIX Nordic Walking Poles and was shocked to discover that she could cover the whole mile so effortlessly. She hijacked the poles and happily refused to return them. We shipped out a replacement pair the same day we heard the story.
Everyday we hear similar success stories. Success stories regarding: balance issues, knee issues or new knees, hip issues or new hips, back issues (including those with rods in their back), weight issues, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's (PD), neuropathy, arthritis, bursitis, scoliosis, lumbar stenosis, fibromyalgia, post polio, osteoporosis, stroke recovery, cancer recovery and other limitations to walking.
Many of our new customers accidentally purchased collapsible poles from other sources or received them as a gift and found that one or both of the twist-locks or flip-locks was defective. They loved the concept of walking with poles but had huge problems with the twist-locks or flip-locks. Problems with twist-locks and flip-locks on 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles is typical. And that is why we insist that quality one-piece poles will always prove to be safer, lighter, stronger and much more user-friendly - always.
