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A vote for Nordic Pole Walking
Submitted by JoeMiller on 08/23/2008 - 23:00
In today's Fit column, I joke that when I first heard of Nordic Pole Walking a year or so ago, I thought immediately of Tony Little and his Gazelle. But after pole walking proponent Jill Mills took me for a walk on the N.C. Museum of Art Greenway, strutting Tony quickly disappeared from my thoughts.
Jill Mills teaches me the basics of Nordic Pole Walking.Â
"Can I hang on to these for a few days?" I asked.
Jill's been using the poles for a couple years, is training with them for the 39-mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer at the end of October, teaches workshops on Nordic Walking in September through Raleigh Parks & Rec, and sells them through the Foot Solutions stores she and her husband Greg own in the Triangle. She described how they were supposed to enhance a workout — by involving not just the legs, but the torso, the arms ... about 90 percent of your body. Based on our short jaunt, there seemed to be something to her claims. But I wanted to make sure.
The first sign that the poles had legs came on a walk around the neighborhood with Marcy. When she had the poles, I was pushing it to keep up. There was also a look in her eyes, a look that said it may be 90 out here and humid as can be, but I like what this is doing.
A couple days later I took them on a walk around Apex Community Park. The path here is paved, advertised at two miles and though it is around a lake, does have a nice hill or two. At normal pace, I generally cover two miles of greenway in 30 minutes, about a 15-minute-per-mile pace. My time: 28:43. Was it the poles?
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to walk the lake sans poles to compare.
But I did early Friday.
I decided to give pole-less walking a slight advantage by doing it first, doing it fresh. I took my resting heart rate — 54 bpm — set my stopwatch and was off. 28 minutes and 23 seconds later I was back. My heart rate up to 88 bpm.
My lap with the poles turned out to be a minute slower, at 29:22. My heart rate, though, had climbed to 96 bpm, suggesting a more demanding workout. Indeed, during the walk I could feel my obliques, my abs and my lats tighten. My behind, too.
One drawback: The rubber tips work great on a clean, paved surface. But with a little leaf litter, pine straw, sand, they tend to slip. This makes you more diligent about the plant, I suppose, and that's good. But the slips tend to break your rhythm. (The poles also come with interchangeable steel tips for natural surfaces; I didn't get a chance to try those out.)
One curious social phenomenon. On my Nordic pole lap, people — women in particular — were more friendly. A woman I passed on lap one who gave a slight nod when we passed broke into a grin and offered a "Good job!" when she saw me with the poles.
Maybe a geeky looking guy walking with poles is appears less menacing?
I have to give these poles back to Jill now. But I have a couple of book projects on the horizon that involve long walks in the woods and I need to get some miles on my Vibrams. Among the Nordic Walking Poles' boasts is that they make for a more efficient workout.
"Thirty to 45 minutes [of pole walking] can be equivalent to walking an hour or longer," Mills told me.
I plan to bet $49.95 that that is the case.
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Joe Miller
Joe Miller grew up in Colorado, skied and hiked, but did not truly explore what all the outdoor world had to offer until moving to the Triangle in 1992. Since then, he's tried everything from diving with sand sharks off the North Carolina coast to clinging to the smooth face of Stone Mountain, 300 feet off the ground, wondering just how efficient the local search and rescue was. He still does a little of everything, but mostly hikes (writing "100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina," published in 2007) and bikes.
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Comments
Pole walking
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 21:16 — Anonymous (not verified)I know this will irritate some, but I will charge ahead anyway. I have done XC-skiing and can understand the application of using poles for walking. But the use of poles in skiing has no harm to the trail. Poles are just fine on hard surfaces like concrete and asphalt, but they are absolutely not friendly to natural trails such as found in Umstead park which are highly erodible. I suppose if the trail was totally flat it would not be as big problem. As a mountain biker I seen this sport constantly attacked as a problem for trails, but it seems to me that poking the trail surface with steel tipped poles is worse than a rubber tire.
Just Walk
Mon, 08/25/2008 - 12:07 — Greg Mills (not verified)The benefits of walking are numerous and well documented. At Foot Solutions we see all types of walkers. Nordic Walking is the most effective exercise walking we’ve seen. Of course there are many opinions about equipment from footwear to the poles. As Board Certified Pedorthists (C.Ped) we see all types of feet, their problems and the negative impact on peoples lives. Many, if not most, common foot problems can be addressed by conservative means, i.e. no drugs or surgery. Matching the right shoe to each individual’s specific needs has become a lost art in our big-box retail world. When found, folks are amazed by the difference real fitting expertise can make. Marry custom inserts dispensed by certified professionals and the differences can be dramatic. We carry many styles of shoes that can maximize Nordic Walking benefits even more, but they must be fitted based on the individual’s needs.
As for the poles, many claim the telescoping varieties are completely inferior. Having sold many and used them for years I can say this just is not true. My wife Jill has used them aggressively for over two years and never had them collapse. In fact we don’t recommend starting with fixed length poles. You need to learn the right height for your specific needs and you need some individualized training for maximum results. As you progress and master the technique fixed length poles may be advantageous, e.g. you Nordic walk on very steep trails or very aggressively. We are unique individuals with unique needs. There is no single correct solution. Start simple and work your way up. Fixed poles are better for some and are also much more expensive. I recommend investing in proper footwear first. When your feet hurt your exercise, and your fitness, suffers. Start simple, get the proper footwear and then walk, walk, walk! Better yet – Nordic Walk.
Just Walk
Mon, 08/25/2008 - 11:59 — Greg Mills (not verified)The benefits of walking are numerous and well documented. At Foot Solutions we see all types of walkers. Nordic Walking is the most effective exercise walking we’ve seen. Of course there are many opinions about equipment from footwear to the poles. As Board Certified Pedorthists (C.Ped) we see all types of feet, their problems and the negative impact on peoples lives. Many, if not most, common foot problems can be addressed by conservative means, i.e. no drugs or surgery. Matching the right shoe to each individual’s specific needs has become a lost art in our big-box retail world. When found, folks are amazed by the difference real fitting expertise can make. Marry custom inserts dispensed by certified professionals and the differences can be dramatic. We carry many styles of shoes that can maximize Nordic Walking benefits even more, but they must be fitted based on the individual’s needs. As for the poles, many claim the telescoping varieties are completely inferior. Having sold many and used them for years I can say this just is not true. My wife Jill has used them aggressively for over two years and never had them collapse. In fact we don’t recommend starting with fixed length poles. You need to learn the right height for your specific needs and you need some individualized training for maximum results. As you progress and master the technique fixed length poles may be advantageous, e.g. you Nordic walk on very steep trails or very aggressively. We are unique individuals with unique needs. There is no single correct solution. Start simple and work your way up. Fixed poles are better for some and are also much more expensive. I recommend investing in proper footwear first. When your feet hurt your exercise, and your fitness, suffers. Start simple, get the proper footwear and then walk, walk, walk! Better yet – Nordic Walk.
Nordic Walking Poles Also Help To Improve Balance & Stability!
Sun, 08/24/2008 - 10:33 — Nordic_WalkingWalking with poles not only burns more calories than regular walking, the poles also help to work more muscle groups and the poles also radically reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. The poles also help to improve balance and stability. It is like Four-Wheel-Drive!
It is important to use the correct length poles and the proper technique. Be sure to avoid cheap twist-locking poles. Even the more expensive twist-locking poles are not as safe and durable as one-piece poles that are sized correctly to your height. Also look for REAL Nordic Walking Straps. None of the cheap twist-locking poles come with real Nordic Walking Straps patented by the Salomon Ski Company.
For additional instruction on Nordic Walking you can go to The American Nordic Walking System and WWW.SKIWALKING.COM
Everyday we hear about twist-locking poles that have collapsed unexpectedly, totally freeze up, vibrate, rattle and/or have twist-locks that completely fail. One-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than twist-locking adjustable/telescoping/collapsible poles. As a ski coach it only makes sense that one-piece poles would be safer, lighter and more durable than poles with a one-size fits all gadget.
Sizing poles to the correct length is easy for knowledgeable retailers - unfortunately, most retailers are only selling cheap twist-locking poles. Seniors and anyone with a balance issue should avoid these cheap twist-locking poles.
I host a lot of Nordic Walking Clinics for MS, Parkinson’s and Diabetes Support Groups and I would NEVER recommend twist-locking poles to them. They always find that one-piece Nordic Walking Poles that are sized correctly are dependable and sturdy.
For everyday use one-piece poles perform better too.
Have FUN walking with poles!