Now that you have discovered the many benefits of Nordic Walking, and how you can get equipped with the appropriate gear, from previous blog posts, the final step remaining is to get out there and give it a try! 

See for yourself, why this is an activity that is rapidly gaining popularity among people of all ages and fitness levels around the world.
  
As is the case with any exercise or activity you choose to participate in, you are sure to gain the most benefits and enjoyment from your experience with Nordic Walking, if you start off with the proper technique. 

The third and final part of the Urban Poling Blog posts will cover the basics of using both the Activator and the Urban Poles, and include a brief review of the circumstances that would deem their use appropriate.

With the approval of your health care professional, can be appropriate for:

• Pre- and post-surgical hip and knee issues
• non-acute soft tissue injuries
• osteoporosis
• mild stroke
• acquired brain injury
• post-surgical spinal stenosis
• cardiac issues
• arthritis if not severe rheumatoid arthritis that is affecting hand strength
• early stages of Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis
• respiratory conditions that are stable, and
• non-acute and breast cancer after acute phase of surgery and treatment

Technique can be scary - but you can use the tips below to help get you started on the right foot with the right pole!

• Place your hands on right and left poles as indicated on top of the Core Grip
  
• Be sure to wrap your fingers around the handles without squeezing them too tightly.
• Try and stand with an upright posture, with your poles planted so that they are vertical, and always placed in front of your feet.
• Relax your elbows but have them bent to slightly below 90 degrees.  You may need to adjust the height of your poles to get this comfortable and in the right spot!
• As you begin walking, step forward with your LEFT leg and swing your RIGHT arm forward, planting the bell-shaped tip of the RIGHT pole directly across from the front of your LEFT foot.
• Follow it up with the other side! Right leg with Left arm!
• This will become easier with practice - keep going! It will feel like a regular walking pattern where you swing your arms forward and backward.
• Do YOU want to ACTIVATE your CORE?
  
  • Press firmly on the ledge of the handle with the outside border of your hand to activate your arm and core muscles each time you plant the pole. Remember, this action will off load weight from your lower body joints and spine and assist with stability.

In many cases, you should start off by using the Activator technique until you are comfortable.  Once you feel comfortable, progress to the Urban Poling technique! You can see this for helping with:
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• Early stages of neurological conditions
• Younger clients and active clients
• Short rehab period – injuries
• Obesity, cardiac rehabilitation, and diabetes
• Weight management and core strengthening, as well as
• Your own general health, and employee wellness

Urban poling technique has a lot of similarities, and some differences! It would be helpful for you to check out the tips below!

• Holding the appropriate LEFT and RIGHT poles with a light grip, stand with your arms straight and your thumbs beside your thighs so that the tips of your poles are on the ground behind you. **NOTE this is a different starting position!
• To achieve the correct length of your poles there will be markings that correspond to your height that you will adjust and lock your setting to, although when starting out it is recommended that you set them slightly below until you are comfortable with the technique.
• Keep your eyes up and begin walking while dragging your poles behind you, moving your opposite arm and leg together as you would with regular walking.
• Keep your rib cage lifted and your shoulders relaxed as you continue walking, gradually making your steps longer and your arm swings higher until they are a little higher than a high handshake position.
• Your arms should be swinging from the shoulders like long pendulums, with your thumbs returning beside your thighs with each swing.
• Maintain a relaxed grip and press on the base of the handle each time the tip of the pole lands and grips the surface, pushing the ground back behind you.
• Then, once you “get the swing of things” so to speak, instead of dragging your pole tips, begin to lift them slightly (approximately 1 cm) off the ground and firmly plant them with each stride.
• This is similar to Activator Poles in that you are using opposite arm with opposite leg!

As mentioned in the previous blog post on “getting equipped,”

the pole tips are interchangeable and can be matched to varying surfaces.

This is exciting, because it increases your options for where you can walk with the poles!

Traction is key when using the poles, so when you firmly plant the pole, you don't want to slip.

Pole Tip Options:

• Bell tip: for general use with activator poles indoor and outdoor on level surfaces for increased stability.
  
  
• Carbide tip: If terrain is challenging or if carrying a back-pack to help with pole traction and stability (keeping elbows bent and poles more upright is also helpful in this situation).
  
  
• Boot tip: rubber type traction for use indoors and outdoors on concrete sidewalks and asphalt surfaces (attached facing backward at the end of your poles).
  
  
• Trekking baskets: used as an attachment with carbide tips for use in muddy or rocky terrain.
  
  
• Snow baskets: used as an attachment with carbide tips to help keep poles from sinking into deep snow (great for use with snowshoeing).

It is good to REMEMBER, Although it is recommended that your activator and urban poles NOT be used intentionally on icy surfaces, keeping a set by the door in snowy climates where slippery conditions are quite common makes good sense as one way of being proactive in fall prevention.  

Also - Don't Forget
Talk with your physician or therapist before using the poles if:

• you currently use a cane or walker,
  
• have any medical condition which affects your balance, stability, grip strength, vision, depth perception, judgment or co-ordination or
  
• if you are currently recovering from an injury or surgery.

So if using the Activator or Urban Poles is something that interests you, whether

• as a means of becoming more active through a safe and fun activity that will improve your level of confidence and quality of life,
• or simply to step up your fitness game for added strength, posture, and conditioning benefits, let us know. 
  
  We would be happy to consult with you, as well as others on your health care professional team, to confirm if Nordic walking might be appropriate for you, or for someone you know.  

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DID YOU KNOW - We Offer the POLAR BEAR CLUB - a FREE program as a means to get out and exercise this winter! I am excited to be running it once again!!  It is a great opportunity to use some of the TIPS provided to you above!

Click below for more details!

~ ​Elizabeth Stefanyshyn-Alonso BScPT, FCAMPT
​

References:

1. The Urban Poling Ultimate Guide to Nordic Walking; Barb Gormley; Volume one updated and revised; Custom Press 2019
2. Urban Poling – Activator course for rehab professionals

http://urbanpoling.com/old/programs-events/community-programs/professional-training/urban-poling-activator-course-for-rehab-and-wellness-professionals/
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Have you been wanting explore Urban Poling more? Did you happen to read my first blog Urban Poling - Part 1 - The Untapped Treasure? You should definitely give it a read if you are at all interested in Urban Poling!

Although I can attest to the benefits of using nature’s original walking poles from a personal hiking experience I had this past summer (as seen in this photo), without a doubt, setting yourself up with the proper equipment that best suits your individual needs will be key to getting the most out of your urban poling experience.

Fortunately, the equipment required for this rewarding activity is quite minimal and need not be complicated.  Apart from what most of us would already have on hand to enjoy a routine walk, such as appropriate

• clothing and footwear best suited to your chosen activity and environment,
  
  

selecting the right poles is all that is left to get you one step closer to reaching your fitness goals. 

If you do a quick search for Nordic or urban walking poles and the most optimal experience, the most invaluable information will be found at Urban Poling.  Click on the link to see more! 
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Why Use Equipment?
1. The equipment available has been designed by a Physical Therapist, who’s goal at the core of the healthcare professional team makes including optimizing body mechanics and functional movement a key priority

2. The level of research involved in creating this product’s design, keeps

• functionality
• safety
• and ergonomics in mind to suit a wide variety of populations, making its’ inclusivity very appealing.
  
  

3. It highlights a clear picture of this activity’s benefits, backed by numerous evidence-based research studies which are provided throughout the literature, and…

4. The equipment is Designed in Canada!

What Urban Pole is Best for ME?
Although at Urban Poling there are several designs to choose from, there are two basic types of poles available based on your specific needs or ability:

1. The Activator Poles (including Activator 2) for Rehabilitation, and
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2. The Urban Poles for Fitness​    
   
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The Activator Poles are designed to:

• assist with balance,
• increasing safety and confidence which can eliminate some of the fear and
• add to the enjoyment of your walking routine. 
  
  

These poles help to:

• reduce pressure on your back and lower joints and
• transfer it into your upper body,
• allowing you to walk further, faster, or even pain free. 
  
  

These poles are appropriate for use indoors as well as outdoors with interchangeable accessories that adapt them for use in all seasons.

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Activator poles are most suitable for use with:

• pre and post hip and knee replacement surgery
• conditions that affect your balance
• rehabilitation programs
• older adults
  
  

Consultation with your physician or physical therapist

• before use is necessary,
• if you are already using, or
• if it has been recommended that you use a device for walking. 
  
  Guidance by your healthcare professional team is also necessary to determine if, and when the activator poles may be appropriate pre-surgery and post-surgery according to surgical protocols confirmed by your surgeon.

  
Types of Activator Poles:

Activator Pole specifics:

• For use with clients up to 6 ft/183 cm tall
• 200 lbs./91 kg pressure per pole capacity
• 250 lbs./113 kg maximum user capacity
• No straps, to minimize risk of wrist hyperextension and fall injuries that are commonly experienced with use of general hiking poles and ski poles
• Button lock system for ease of height adjustment and for more secure locking
• Capability to upgrade to urban pole capacity by changing tip from bell (stability=vertical) to boot (mobility=angled) making them highly versatile and cost-effective
• Carbide steel tip for sand, snow, and trail capabilities
• Core shape handle with shelf to off load, increase ease of grip for reduced grip strength and alternate holding patterns for various mobility issues involving the hands
• Indicated for:  gait retraining, post-surgery recovery, balance and stability issues related to chronic conditions, walking device vs. fitness tool, clients with limited grip strength, older adults in retirement to LTC
  
  

Activator 2 Pole specifics:

• Designed for the same purpose as the Activator Poles but with increased load capacity
• For use with client up to 6 ft 4 in/195 cm tall
• 250 lbs./113 kg pressure per pole capacity
• 3 section button and flip locking system, making them not only stable, but more compact for convenience for those who travel
• 320 lb max user capacity, making them appropriate for use with weight management

Urban Poles
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How are Urban Poles Designed?

Urban Poles are designed with fitness in mind for those who are looking for a more intense workout over regular walking. 

Research indicates that using the urban poles can:

• burn up to 46% more calories and
• assist in toning your core
  
  

As your abdominal muscles tighten each time you push off with your poles, working out to approximately a thousand abdominal contractions per km! 

And like the activator poles, using them:

• takes pressure off your lower joints, including the hips, knees and spine, and
• transfers the force into your upper body, allowing for the use of 90 percent of your muscles at once. 

This is especially good for your upper body muscles which are typically underused during regular walking. Although similar to the activator poles, the urban poles are can be used for indoor walking, they are versatile and made for outdoor activities such as hiking, winter walking & snowshoeing.

The key features that set the urban poles apart from the activator poles

• the telescoping vs. button locking mechanism for height adjustment, and
• the increased shock absorption features which make them great for higher impact activities.
  
  

So taking into consideration that both types of poles have interchangeable tips that can accommodate for use on any indoor as well as outdoor surface including snow, sand, trail, cement sidewalk or pavement, there is virtually nowhere that these poles cannot be used for your benefit and enjoyment. 

And since most of us will be staying put in Saskatchewan this year, let’s get out there and make the most of our beautiful winter!


Need help in deciding whether this activity is right for you or for someone you love?  Call us!  We would love to help!​ 

Urban poling, alternatively known by its’ generic name “Nordic Walking, ”is an activity that has been popular in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe for years.  Initially developed as a method of off-season training for skiers, it rapidly gained popularity among people of all ages and fitness levels including pre-school children and seniors, and for good reason!
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It takes the simple activity of walking and incorporates the use of poles to assist in propelling your body forward, making it a great total body exercise for just about anyone.  In fact, evidence-based research supporting the clinical rehabilitation potential of Urban Poling in treatment of:

• Post hip and knee surgery
• Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury
• Spinal conditions
• Return to work, Soft Tissue Injuries, Sports Injuries
• Older Adults
• Respiratory Conditions
• Cancer Rehab
• Cardiac Rehab
• Mental Health and
• Fall Prevention,
  
  

has been available for several years.

In addition to this activity’s benefits in assisting with the general recovery process and effective management of many chronic conditions, its potential to promote an active lifestyle throughout the lifespan is priceless.

As I approach my own senior years, I find myself cultivating an even deeper appreciation for the concerns conveyed to me by many of my clients, regarding the perception or stigma that can often be associated with the use of canes, crutches and walkers. Despite the obvious benefits these walking aides can provide in the form of safety and maintaining independence, their use can unfortunately initiate a transition or a milestone with the potential to have a negative effect on a person’s self-worth. An effect that is highly variable among individuals and can perhaps never be fully understood unless you experience it for yourself.

Though certainly not appropriate in all circumstances, the use of walking poles can be an opportunity to bridge this transition in a way that helps represent ability versus disability.  It can motivate toward exercise despite the limitations one may have with their chronic condition, while at the same time addressing:

• Core strength
• Upper body strength
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Increased walking tolerance with motivation to walk further, faster and more frequently
• Stability and balance
• Improved postural alignment
• Factors related to fall prevention
• Decreased pain
• Weight management goals
• Psychological benefits
• Reduced impact on knee joints
• Increased potential for back country trekking
  
  

Like any other form of exercise or activity, reaping the maximum benefits of Urban Poling does require matching the appropriate equipment to your individual needs and incorporating the proper technique in your practice.  If this sounds like an activity that you, or someone you know might be interested in, stay tuned for this information and more in my upcoming blogs.  …And let’s go!

Elizabeth Stefanyshyn-Alonso, Physiotherapist

Reference:  Urban Poling – Activator course for rehab professionals
https://urbanpoling.com/old/programs-events/community-programs/professional-training/urban-poling-activator-course-for-rehab-and-wellness-professionals/