In many parts of the world, you’ll regularly see people urban poling- or nordic walking. In the US, it continues to gain traction- and for good reason! Nordic walking, which is a combination of cross country skiing and walking, provides substantial health benefits across a variety of groups. Those interested in weight management will be happy to know that nordic walking is a full body workout, engaging between 75-90% of your muscles, and burns 20-45% more calories than walking alone. Older adults and those with neurologic disorders, such as Parkinson’s, reap the benefits of improved posture, walking tolerance/speed, strength, balance, and confidence. Individuals with arthritis benefit from lower extremity offloading, allowing them to use their arms more which decreases the stress placed through painful hip and knee joints. For those concerned about balance, nordic walking provides the benefits of external support with an atmosphere of enablement opposed to disablement commonly associated with walkers or similar devices.

Urban poling, founded by Mandy Shintani, an occupational therapist and gerontologist, designed two lines of nordic walking poles that provide optimal support and ergonomic features. The Urban Poles, or the fitness poles, are designed for individuals without balance concerns utilizing nordic walking for exercise benefits and the Activator Poles, or the rehab poles, are geared toward those requiring extra support for balance.

Walking is the most common and accessible form of physical activity so why not try nordic walking and see how good you feel? At Let’s Get Moving, individual and group urban poling exercise and walking classes are available. Visit www.urbanpoling.com for more information and click here to get started with Let’s Get Moving.