The Transition From A Summer Of Nordic Walking And Running With Poles To Cross Country Skiing

Three days in a row for cross country skiing! And the middle day was 11/12/13 - a very special day!

 

The Nordic Walking + the running hills with poles and the long treks up on the Sleeping Bear Dunes really paid off. Even after an hour and 1/2 of skiing yesterday I wanted to go longer. The sun was out and we had that awesome blue sky spring skiing thing happening in November.

 

Walking, running, hiking and trekking with poles is a great cross trainer for all sports. The key is using the Perfect Length Poles and the correct technique. At WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we provide quality one-piece poles (no cheap/flimsy twist-locks or flip-locks allowed on our quality poles) and professional instruction for all ages and all fitness levels. The key is to offer options and 16 different lengths of poles.

 

Our poles are tough enough for world class athletes to pound and push. They are also dependable enough for those transitioning from crutches, canes and/or walkers. Don't get scammed by collapsible poles! Be sure to look for SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles. Both come with a Perfect Length Guarantee.

 

And as any ski coach knows - one-piece poles are always going to prove to be safer, lighter, stronger, more durable and much more dependable than cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles flooding the market from China - including those $200 collapsible ones. Quality one-piece Nordic Walking Poles the perfect solution for skiing, walking, running, hiking, trekking, snowshoeing, roller skiing and inline skating.

 

And a good ski coach knows how to wax the skis for these early season ski outings when the leaves and grass are still wet. SWIX CH10 ironed in, allowed to cool, scraped and then brushed out. If there is a No-Wax base under foot be sure to use some SWIX F8LE Red Liquid Glide on the no-wax area (no wax doesn't mean NO wax - SWIX F8LE liquid waxes really help the no-wax area from drying out, clumping up and wrecking your ski time when the leaves or grass are wet. SWIX F7LE and F6LE are for colder temps and are a must for those no-wax areas on colder days. This secret combo will allow for better glide and eliminate clumps of snow underfoot and/or snow/ice freeze up that wrecks a beautiful xc wicked fast.

 

My skis were in great shape and had great glide.

 

Back to running hills today - with poles of course. But happy for 3 days of xc skiing before the snow melted. Glad to that the Nordic Walking proved to be a successful cross trainer to get ready for ski season.

 

Think Snow!

 

The Best Poles For Nordic Sports

 

While cross country skiing out on the Shore To Shore Horse Trail here in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and the township of Empire, Michigan, I had time to contemplate all the advantages of one-piece poles for cross country skiing, downhill skiing, roller skiing, ski walking, hill bounding, running with poles, snowshoeing with poles, Nordic Walking, ....... The simple fact is that one-piece poles in all those situations are far superior to the alternative of cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece twist-lock or flip-lock collapsible poles currently flooding the market from China and falsely marketed.

 

And when it comes to walking poles seniors and anyone with balance issues should never be sold cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. Collapsible poles aren't ideal for everyday use either. One-piece poles that are sized correctly will always prove to be safer, lighter, more durable and much more user-friendly than cheap/flimsy collapsible poles.

 

 At SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we have 16 different lengths of walking poles. These poles are ideal for use in the city (with the rubber tips/asphalt paws on), out in the country and up in the mountains. They are very versatile and user-friendly. Unlike collapsible poles, these quality one-piece poles are dependable and hassle-free.

Nordic Sports and REAL Nordic Poles - For Walking, Running, Roller Skiing, Roller Blading (In-Line Skating), Nordic Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing

Nordic Sports require poles. And one-piece poles that are sized correctly are the norm in the Nordic Countries in Europe. Over 10 million Europeans are walking with poles in the cities, out in the country and up in the mountains and they are using one-piece poles - for hiking, trekking, ski walking, hill bounding and Nordic Walking. And millions more are using one-piece poles for roller skiing, roller blading (in-line skating), Nordic snowshoeing and cross country skiing. And then there is the "Alpine" culture - downhill skiers are strictly using quality one-piece poles too.

Why aren't they using cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece poles? Because they rattle, vibrate, aren't durable, aren't user-friendly, gradually collapse or fail altogether when not expected. There isn't a single ski shop or ski rental business that promotes 2-piece or 3-piece collapsible poles. Why? Because they are cheap, flimsy and inferior products.

So why are cheap/flimsy collapsible walking poles from China flooding the market here in the USA and Canada? Why do thousands of big box, sporting goods and online stores promoting the wonderful benefits of collapsible poles from China?

The answer is ignorance and/or making a fast buck. Seniors and anyone with a balance issue should never use cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. For everyday use quality one-piece poles superior.

A friend of mine manages a successful running shoe store. They carry snowshoes and by accident they were shipped dozens of pairs of collapsible snowshoe poles. He hides them under a bench out of sight. He states that they run a 100% dissatisfaction rate. They are expense poles collapsible poles. They are made by a big name in snowshoeing. They are made in China. And they are cheap/flimsy and do not hold their settings if they can even be twisted and locked into position in the first place. One-piece poles would prove to be user-friendly and super durable - not cheap, flimsy and disposable.

Here at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we only recommend quality one-piece poles that are sized correctly for all Nordic and Alpine sports. We provide safe and effective Nordic Walking techniques that provide a variety of different exertion levels - there is an ideal level of intensity for everyone, every age and every fitness level. Our $69.95 basic Nordic Walking Poles from Norway are far superior to collapsible poles costing as much as $200.00 (from China).

When it comes to Nordic Walking a credible retailer would need to offer at least 16 different lengths. We offer 16 different lengths of quality EXEL Nordic Walking Poles from Finland and 16 different lengths of quality SWIX Nordic Walking Poles form Norway. All of these quality one-piece poles are equipped with metal tips for off-road use on grass, dirt, trails, the beach, the dunes, snow and ice. Removable rubber tips (asphalt paws) are included for use on pavement and other hard surfaces. All come equipped with real Nordic Walking Straps - quality fingerless glove type straps that are patented by the Salomon Ski Company. Free DVD and printed instructions included as well to ensure a successful walking campaign.

Alpine and Nordic means one-piece poles regardless of the hype put into promoting cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles from China.

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.