I've been considering using walking poles to help build bone density. (I have Osteopenia.) If anyone has used them to build bone density or just for additional exercise I'd greatly appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!
I've been considering using walking poles to help build bone density. (I have Osteopenia.) If anyone has used them to build bone density or just for additional exercise I'd greatly appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!
I use them regularly. They promote better posture, add weightbearing to the arms, and also increase the cardiac workout.
They also unweight the lower extremities and back so that people with knee, hip, back problems can begin a walking program with less discomfort.
I believe most of them will come with instructions but I'm not sure. The fit is important so that you don't irritate the shoulders.
I use a brand called Exerstriders and they can be found on www.walkingpoles.com.
Good luck! It's a lot of fun.
They are also called Nordic poles. These have also been touted for weight loss; they do provide the types(s) of exercise needed for such.
LL Bean also carries them.
Avoid cheap substitutes; they do not hold up.
These poles are a wonderful means of getting all the kinds of exercise you need for osteoporosis management and treatment in one activity -- weight bearing (both upper and lower); aerobic; resistance; along with postural and balance training. Instructions can be found online although some personal instruction is a good idea.
Search under Nordic walking.
Lucy Buckley PT aka Mother Goose
Hi Sara and Lucy,
Thank you so much for your prompt and thorough replies.
I wanted to get some "user feedback" before I invest in poles. A friend loaned me her SWIX poles which I couldn't stand for quite a few reasons. This negative experience is making me very cautious which poles I choose. I've been investigating the Exerstrider poles. They seem like the best "bet" so I'm happy to hear you like yours, Sara. And I'm really happy to hear that walking poles do provide so much of the kind of exercise that we need!
I'm undecided whether to get telescoping poles or one piece poles. I've read that some brands of telescoping poles collapse easily when in use. Which version do you use, Sara? If you have the telescoping poles are you happy with them?
Thanks once again for your kind replies!
CelticRose (Mary)
hello celtic rose, i have walking poles and i LOVE them, i love walking anyway and these have really helped as they keep me steady when i walk with the dogs in the woods, and gives me a much better work out. you must not get the telescoping kind as they can collapse and you could fall. i got mine on line, i spoke with the man who sells them, at skiwalking .com the poles come from norway, you just have to say your height, when your hand is in the handles of the pole your forearm should be paralel with the ground. apparently a lot of ex marathon runners due to knee problems, use these poles as it is easy on the knees.
good luck
The Exerstrider poles have a telescoping mechanism the same as is used on walkers and canes and so it is very sturdy. It consists of a "hole and button" arrangment that has been used for decades in rehabilitation. These are the Activator poles manufactured by Exerstrider. I also use Leki telescoping poles sometimes--I like them because of the wrist strap and have never had any problem with the telescoping mechanism. However, I would think the "hole and button" arrangement would be superior for strudiness.
As a hiker, I would never go on the trail without the poles! They give me a lot more stability.
My knees are arthritic and I do think that the poles help them out a lot, along with giving some weightbearing exercise to my upper body.
They are a telescoping style. They will shorten up enough to fit in my suitcase, important if you fly much since the airlines may not let you carry them on.
If you do not tighten them well they will shorten up a bit on the trail but you can check them from time to time. They have never failed to support me at a tricky spot. Those "hole and button" ones sound like a good option also.
Deanna
thankyou everyone
I am going to look into these walking poles
I am going to lookinto bio identical hormones
JoanL
thanx again to you all!
I recently started using Exerstriders (a brand of walking poles recommended by Sara Meeks) and I enjoy them. They are easy to use once you get the hang of it and come with an instructive video. I keep them in the trunk of my car so they are always accessable.
I have been using walking sticks for over a year now. After a couple of months of using them I lost 5 # without trying or even wanting to lose. I have the telescoping kind that fit in my suitcase. I was given them about 18 years ago for hiking. Then I read about "Nordic Walking Sticks" in the newspaper and how groups of people walk together. I went to a local hiking/camping store and bought rubber tips to walk on sidewalks in my community. It took a year for anyone to copy me. Just yesterday someone talked about buying them- Now we'll have 4 people in the community using them. They help me "Walk Tall" like Sara tells us to. They give me great upper body exercise as well. I would certainly get the collapsable. Mine are Komperdell made in Austria for Lands End but I don't think Lands End carries that brand anymore. When we went hiking in Alaska I loaned one to my husband. But for regular walking I use both. Can't wait to hear how you do Celtic Rose
Happy Walking, imfishing (Sue)
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