Nordic Walking
These sticks are made for walking
Using Nordic Walking Poles can increase aerobic benefits
By Teresa Dunham
The Winchester Star
http://www.winchesterstar.com/article_details.php?ArticleID=3699
Winchester — Rhoda Kriz gets out her poles and goes cross-country even when it isn’t snowing.
After seeing many people using them while vacationing in Finland in 2006, the 71-year-old Frederick County woman decided to enhance her usual walking excursions with Nordic Walking Poles.They look basically the same as ski poles, except Nordic Walking Poles have a removable rubber tip for indoor walking and a steel tip for outdoor walking. “This will give you the best walk you’ve ever had,” she said. “It’s a very natural way of walking.”
Unlike power-walking with hand weights, this workout takes pressure off the neck, shoulders, and weightbearing joints while still working the upper body. “It’s just the best thing that you can do for your walking. It also helps your posture,” said Kriz, who owns Long Hill Bed and Breakfast with her husband, George, on Apple Pie Ridge Road.
Sure, it takes some guts to get out walking poles in a public area where folks may not be aware of the trend — but the physical pay-off just might be worth it. According to the American Nordic Walking Association, using the poles is up to 46 percent more effective than regular walking. It increases the heart rate by 10 to 15 percent more than walking alone, potentially burning more than 400 calories instead of the estimated 280 calories burned through normal walking.
“It’s all gain and no pain. I gained a lot of stamina,” said Kriz, who has even used the poles while walking past the pyramids of Egypt and on a volcano in Hawaii. Everyone in Finland uses them, she said, and she believes they’ll eventually catch on in the States too. “I think more people are beginning to recognize them,” she said, adding that they’re already popular with hikers on Skyline Drive.
The poles could even benefit those with mild arthritis or multiple sclerosis, she said, and they’re an excellent exercise option for seniors. “It gives you that little bit of stability,” she said. “I’m just a really firm believer in them.” Since the poles are adjustable for height, she said several family members could share them.
Admittedly, it did take Kriz and George a little time to get the hang of using the poles. “When George and I started using them, we couldn’t walk and talk at the same time,” she said.
For George, 71, the payoff was well-worth the initial struggle. “It’s good exercise. If I walk up our gravel hill without the sticks, I have to slow down. If I walk with the sticks, I don’t have to,” he said.
Cheryll Green, outreach coordinator for Valley Health, confirmed the benefits of Nordic Walking Poles. “I think they’re really gaining in popularity. You can increase the efficiency of your workout without feeling like you’re stressing yourself,” she said. Yet, in order to reap the rewards, Green said the poles need to be used properly. “The poles always remain pointing diagonally backward,” she said. “And as the pole strikes the ground you release your hands.”
