Discussion
Just, why?
I'm not referring to those used that might be used on a rocky mountain paths but just for walking along a level road or path, by relatively young able bodied people.
Am I missing something?
FWIW I'm 63 and regularly walk in the Lakes and elsewhere 'off road' but have never felt the need to use these things. Surely it's better for general balance and core strength, esp as we age, to rely on legs and shifting your weight?
I'm not referring to those used that might be used on a rocky mountain paths but just for walking along a level road or path, by relatively young able bodied people.
Am I missing something?
FWIW I'm 63 and regularly walk in the Lakes and elsewhere 'off road' but have never felt the need to use these things. Surely it's better for general balance and core strength, esp as we age, to rely on legs and shifting your weight?
I suppose they could argue you just caught them on the road bit but have been walking across fields for the last hour.
I have a public footpath outside my house and we occasionally see coach loads park at the pub and all the old dears preamble down it in full mountaineering gear and poles.
I have a public footpath outside my house and we occasionally see coach loads park at the pub and all the old dears preamble down it in full mountaineering gear and poles.
Edited by Sheets Tabuer on Wednesday 27th August 09:58
I was sitting outside a restaurant in Cadiz once and a whole bunch of Americans came past, a guided tour off the cruise ship that was docked about 500 yards away. A fair few of them were bravely strutting past with walking poles. It must have been the farthest any of them had ever walked and they wanted to be well prepared for the arduous nature of the trek.
Sheets Tabuer said:
I suppose they could argue you just caught them on the road but but have been walking across fields for the last hour.
I have a public footpath outside my house and we occasionally see coach loads park at the pub and all the old dears preamble down it in full mountaineering gear and poles.
I'm significantly older than Lotobear and got stuck behind some old codger yesterday, who was wandering around the town-centre supermarket yesterday with his poles, accompanied by his wife with her trolley, doing a grand job of blocking the aisles.I have a public footpath outside my house and we occasionally see coach loads park at the pub and all the old dears preamble down it in full mountaineering gear and poles.
Edited by CanAm on Wednesday 27th August 10:44
Lotobear said:
I'm not referring to those used that might be used on a rocky mountain paths but just for walking along a level road or path, by relatively young able bodied people.
How do you know they are able bodied?I can walk fine - even quite happy running. But, after about 20-30 minutes of walking I get increasing pain and have to sit down for a bit. I have started using a walking stick some of the time - but could equally use walking poles - to relieve some of the weight from my legs, which delays the pain.
I'm sure I look entirely able bodied. Doesn't stop it being extremely uncomfortable though.
OP: the people you refer to are probably engaging in Nordic walking. Supposed to be good for burning calories and upper body strength.
I also regularly hike in the Peak District - and around the UK - and I use my walking poles on every walk (I'm 50 and have been hiking since the early 1990s). Poles help protect the knees on long downhill sections, they can take the stain off your legs on steep uphill sections, help with balance on rough ground and are generally a good thing to use IMO.
As the saying goes: hike your own hike. If you don't want or need to use poles and it works for you, then that's great. Personally, I wouldn't even consider a decent hike without them. I don't use my poles on a level walk - that's not my thing. Others do. And that's also great.
Whatever gets you off your arse and moving a bit can only be a good thing.
I also regularly hike in the Peak District - and around the UK - and I use my walking poles on every walk (I'm 50 and have been hiking since the early 1990s). Poles help protect the knees on long downhill sections, they can take the stain off your legs on steep uphill sections, help with balance on rough ground and are generally a good thing to use IMO.
As the saying goes: hike your own hike. If you don't want or need to use poles and it works for you, then that's great. Personally, I wouldn't even consider a decent hike without them. I don't use my poles on a level walk - that's not my thing. Others do. And that's also great.
Whatever gets you off your arse and moving a bit can only be a good thing.
Faust66 said:
OP: the people you refer to are probably engaging in Nordic walking. Supposed to be good for burning calories and upper body strength.
I also regularly hike in the Peak District - and around the UK - and I use my walking poles on every walk (I'm 50 and have been hiking since the early 1990s). Poles help protect the knees on long downhill sections, they can take the stain off your legs on steep uphill sections, help with balance on rough ground and are generally a good thing to use IMO.
As the saying goes: hike your own hike. If you don't want or need to use poles and it works for you, then that's great. Personally, I wouldn't even consider a decent hike without them. I don't use my poles on a level walk - that's not my thing. Others do. And that's also great.
Whatever gets you off your arse and moving a bit can only be a good thing.
That's a good response and makes sense - I'd not considered the Nordic Walking angle.I also regularly hike in the Peak District - and around the UK - and I use my walking poles on every walk (I'm 50 and have been hiking since the early 1990s). Poles help protect the knees on long downhill sections, they can take the stain off your legs on steep uphill sections, help with balance on rough ground and are generally a good thing to use IMO.
As the saying goes: hike your own hike. If you don't want or need to use poles and it works for you, then that's great. Personally, I wouldn't even consider a decent hike without them. I don't use my poles on a level walk - that's not my thing. Others do. And that's also great.
Whatever gets you off your arse and moving a bit can only be a good thing.
Nordic walking is apparently better for working the upper body as it engages your core, lats, triceps, shoulders more.
I think you can also naturally walk faster (ie it's easier to do so) because you're using the poles for powerrrrrrr. It's the nearest thing us humans would have to 4 legs. I've wondered if running with Nordic poles would increase your speed. Might be dangerous running with two large sticks waving all over the place, though?
I think you can also naturally walk faster (ie it's easier to do so) because you're using the poles for powerrrrrrr. It's the nearest thing us humans would have to 4 legs. I've wondered if running with Nordic poles would increase your speed. Might be dangerous running with two large sticks waving all over the place, though?
Faust66 said:
OP: the people you refer to are probably engaging in Nordic walking. Supposed to be good for burning calories and upper body strength.
I also regularly hike in the Peak District - and around the UK - and I use my walking poles on every walk (I'm 50 and have been hiking since the early 1990s). Poles help protect the knees on long downhill sections, they can take the stain off your legs on steep uphill sections, help with balance on rough ground and are generally a good thing to use IMO.
As the saying goes: hike your own hike. If you don't want or need to use poles and it works for you, then that's great. Personally, I wouldn't even consider a decent hike without them. I don't use my poles on a level walk - that's not my thing. Others do. And that's also great.
Whatever gets you off your arse and moving a bit can only be a good thing.
Absolutely this. Wish I'd used them years ago. My knees probably wouldn't be in the state they are now.I also regularly hike in the Peak District - and around the UK - and I use my walking poles on every walk (I'm 50 and have been hiking since the early 1990s). Poles help protect the knees on long downhill sections, they can take the stain off your legs on steep uphill sections, help with balance on rough ground and are generally a good thing to use IMO.
As the saying goes: hike your own hike. If you don't want or need to use poles and it works for you, then that's great. Personally, I wouldn't even consider a decent hike without them. I don't use my poles on a level walk - that's not my thing. Others do. And that's also great.
Whatever gets you off your arse and moving a bit can only be a good thing.
Also good for prodding bogs to see if I am going to be waist deep with my next footsteps.
davek_964 said:
Lotobear said:
I'm not referring to those used that might be used on a rocky mountain paths but just for walking along a level road or path, by relatively young able bodied people.
How do you know they are able bodied?I can walk fine - even quite happy running. But, after about 20-30 minutes of walking I get increasing pain and have to sit down for a bit. I have started using a walking stick some of the time - but could equally use walking poles - to relieve some of the weight from my legs, which delays the pain.
I'm sure I look entirely able bodied. Doesn't stop it being extremely uncomfortable though.
But in addition, when I don't actually need their assistance I quite like carrying a fully collapsed pole in one hand as I walk along. I can't really explain why, unless it is to fend off hypothetical fierce dogs (I have never actually used it for this). It may be that it makes me feel I am going somewhere, not just strolling around, a bit like wearing boots does.
MonkeyBusiness said:
Also good for prodding bogs to see if I am going to be waist deep with my next footsteps.
Ah, bog prodding... saved me from a bog monster many a time! Hoofy said:
Nordic walking is apparently better for working the upper body as it engages your core, lats, triceps, shoulders more.
I think you can also naturally walk faster (ie it's easier to do so) because you're using the poles for powerrrrrrr. It's the nearest thing us humans would have to 4 legs. I've wondered if running with Nordic poles would increase your speed. Might be dangerous running with two large sticks waving all over the place, though?
You do see a lot of trail runners/ultra marathon types using poles. I've often wondered about the 'legs/poles/oh sI think you can also naturally walk faster (ie it's easier to do so) because you're using the poles for powerrrrrrr. It's the nearest thing us humans would have to 4 legs. I've wondered if running with Nordic poles would increase your speed. Might be dangerous running with two large sticks waving all over the place, though?
t!' interaction potential, but as I'm a plodder rather than a runner, I can't see that I'll ever have a definitive answer!On my walk to the station one morning, in front of me was a lady in all the sporty lycra gear, with her walking-poles, "power-striding" along. I was in my usual office suit etc, and strolled past her. It was rather like Harry Enfield's camp jockey cruising past the galloping race-horses.
CanAm said:
On my walk to the station one morning, in front of me was a lady in all the sporty lycra gear, with her walking-poles, "power-striding" along. I was in my usual office suit etc, and strolled past her. It was rather like Harry Enfield's camp jockey cruising past the galloping race-horses.
So...you are a camp walker?🤫
sospan said:
CanAm said:
On my walk to the station one morning, in front of me was a lady in all the sporty lycra gear, with her walking-poles, "power-striding" along. I was in my usual office suit etc, and strolled past her. It was rather like Harry Enfield's camp jockey cruising past the galloping race-horses.
So...you are a camp walker??
I've seen two accidents with theses poles while out MTBing.
First one was while listening to someone giving a very animated description of some feature on one of the local ridgeways to a walking group. Someone got too close and got a nasty cut across the cheek from the pole.. I used my first aid kit to stop the bleeding, nearly.
Second one was a mountain biker who had just passed me and then caught up with a walking group. He shouted a warning too late, someone using poles spun around, somewhat startled and accidentally put a pole through the bikes front wheel, rider straight over the handlebars. To say he was upset would be a massive understatement, was going to call the police, sue them etc. I had a grandstand view of the event, the cyclist thought I was going to be his star witness, I sided with the walkers.
First one was while listening to someone giving a very animated description of some feature on one of the local ridgeways to a walking group. Someone got too close and got a nasty cut across the cheek from the pole.. I used my first aid kit to stop the bleeding, nearly.
Second one was a mountain biker who had just passed me and then caught up with a walking group. He shouted a warning too late, someone using poles spun around, somewhat startled and accidentally put a pole through the bikes front wheel, rider straight over the handlebars. To say he was upset would be a massive understatement, was going to call the police, sue them etc. I had a grandstand view of the event, the cyclist thought I was going to be his star witness, I sided with the walkers.
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