Holiday Weekend - Nordic Walking, Roller Skiing and Cross Country Skiing

The Thanksgiving weekend started out with some really nice Indian Summer weather that was ideal for Nordic Walking (hiking with poles). As things started to cool down we did some roller skiing. And then today we were cross country skiing! Got snow.

It was a Nordic "triple crown" - Nordic Walking, roller skiing and cross country skiing (Nordic skiing). All of these fitness activities included specialized one-piece poles sized to our specific heights. Cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles wouldn't be able to hold up. One-piece poles that are sized correctly prove to be safer, lighter, stronger, much more durable and much more user-friendly than collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse or fail altogether. All these activities originated in Scandinavia and they only use one-piece poles for Nordic sports. Over 10 million Europeans are walking with poles in the cities (with the rubber tips/asphalt paws on), out in the country and up in the mountains.

We used SWIX poles for all three activities. While Nordic Walking we used the perfect length poles - elbow at about 90 degrees and forearm parallel to the ground when standing tall and strapped into our comfortable and patented fingerless glove type straps. Using the Perfect Length Poles helped 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. Nordic Walking includes all of the positives about walking with handweights, but none of the negitives.

Our roller ski poles are our longest poles. Our roller ski poles are equipped with special hardened carbide tips that are extra sharp and dig into the pavement to help provide some push-off. Our cross country poles are just slightly shorter.

All of our poles are a durable and user-friendly one-piece design. All of our poles are equipped with comfortable patented straps - patented by the Salomon Ski Company.

One-piece poles also prove to be safer and much more user-friendly for seniors and for anyone with a balance issue because they are so darn dependable. Seniors and those with balance issues should especially avoid cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. Don't get scammed by cheap/flimsy 2-piece or 3-piece twist-lock or flip-lock poles - most are made in China.

Quality SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles can be found at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System.

Nordic Walking Poles - Huge Benefits For Those With Diabetes and/or Neuropathy

Last week I hosted Nordic Walking Classes at Mercy Hospital in Cadillac, Michigan during their annual Diabetes Health Expo. It was exciting to get so much positive feedback from those who had never tried Nordic Walking. And as always, the doctors and physical therapists commented about their clients' successes with the Nordic Walking Poles. Individuals that already had our Swix and Exel Nordic Walking Poles shared their personal success stories including weight loss, the need for fewer medications, improved walking posture, increased walking endurance, radical improvements in stability, decrease in blood pressure, ability to walk on uneven ground again, .......

The cardiac rehab department at Mercy Hospital utilizes our one-piece Nordic Walking Poles too. The one-piece poles prove to be safer, lighter, stronger, much more durable and much more user-friendly than cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse or completely fail altogether. I would NEVER recommend collapsible poles for anyone with balance or stability issues. I also don't recommend collapsible poles for everyday use. One-piece poles that are sized correctly are far superior to collapsible poles.

All of our quality one-piece poles are equipped with real Nordic Walking straps - comfortable fingerless glove type straps that allow the user to keep their fingers relaxed and never have to grip or squeeze the poles. All of our poles also come with the special rubber Nordic Walking tips/asphalt paws that are removable. Permanently attached to all of our poles are durable metal tips for off-road, grass, non-paved trails, the beach, sand dunes, snow and ice.

Unfortunately thousands of seniors from coast to coast are being sold collapsible poles that were made in China. Quality one-piece poles sized correctly would be so much safer, lighter, stronger and hassle free.

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.

At WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we are dedicated to the simple fact that one-piece poles that are sized correctly will always prove superior to cheap/flimsy collapsible poles.

Nordic Walking Study - The Cooper Institute

Nordic Walking is huge in Europe and the benefits of walking with the perfect length poles and the correct technique are many. Over 10 million Europeans are walking with poles - in the cities (with the rubber tips/asphalt paws on), out in the country and up in the mountains.

Here in the USA Nordic Walking has yet to really catch on. Skiers know the huge benefits of training with poles when deprived of snow. Backpackers know that their poles often save their knees and back when hiking when poles. Seniors and anyone with a balance issue also know that walking poles radically improve balance and enable them to walk faster and farther. Skiers, backpackers, seniors and anyone with a balance issue will find that one-piece poles are superior to all the collapsible poles being heavily promoted in stores and online.

The study done by the The Cooper Institute shows that walking with poles really does help to provide a better workout too - burning more calories than regular walking. Nordic Walking provides all the wonderful health benefits of cross country skiing, but doesn't require skis or snow - just quality one-piece poles are ideal. Many of my happy customers have lost upwards of 100 pounds just by walking with their poles and changing their diet. Some have also found swimming to be an added benefit too.

Don't get scammed by all the 2-piece ad 3-piece collapsible poles flooding the market. Over 99% of the cheap/flimsy twist-lock and flip-lock poles in the big box stores and all over the internet are made in China and destined for the landfill. One-piece poles that are sized correctly will always prove to be safer, lighter, more durable and much more user-friendly than 2-piece and 3-piece poles with twist-lock and flip-lock systems.

One-piece SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles can be found at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System - 16 different lengths ensure a perfect fit. One-piece poles are ideal for ALL Nordic Sports - Roller Skiing, Nordic Snowshoeing, Nordic Walking, Nordic Running, Hill Bounding, Roller Blading (In-line Skating), Classic Cross Country Skiing, Skate Cross Country Skiing, .....

When using the perfect length poles and the correct technique we are almost tricked into automatically walking with a super straight back (without having to think about it) - 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.