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Exercise is medicine. Movement is medicine. There is a TON of research to support this. At the same time, people can think of many excuses not to exercise.
Well, here are 7 reasons why you should start Nordic pole walking:
- It’s a full-body workout that burns more calories; 20-46% more calories than just walking.
- It improves core strength and upper body muscle tone; more abdominal contractions with every step!
- It improves your mood; getting outdoors helps you soak in those natural terpenes while you are walking.
- It reduces pain, increases flexibility, and reduces the impact on the lower body; significantly reducing ground reaction forces.
- It improves balance and posture, not to mention maintaining natural pelvis swing with gait.
- It increases motivation! The research indicates participants walk more and for longer distances.
- It is effective for helping manage a variety of injuries and chronic conditions including osteoarthritis, osteopenia, diabetes, chronic pain, obesity, breast cancer, and cardiac rehab.
After two foot surgeries, I started pole walking and not only did it assist with my rehabilitation by getting me moving safely back on my feet, but it also helped restore my gait and tripled the distance I was able to walk without poles!
Not all walking poles are the same. Look for ones that have an ergonomic handle to avoid wrist overuse injuries, good shock absorption, an appropriate weight-bearing capacity, and are easily adjustable. I like the “Activator” walking poles from Urban Poling Inc. You can switch out the style of tips for different terrain and they have a built-in ice pick for those slippery winter days... And they are a Canadian company!
My motto at my clinic: “Get Active. Be Active. Stay Active.”
For the most current research on pole walking, one site to visit is www.urbanpoling.com.
