Walking Poles

[Ward-Minter]

To a healthy person, are there any advantages in having a walking pole if out rambling. They have never been issued by the military and when out in the countryside I see fit young specimens using them. Why????

[dancealot13]

I would bet the only reason they use one, if not for the physical need (a limp or a weak leg) , then just for looks. Back in the 70's if you had a walking stick it was considered cool. And if they had scratch marks along them, that usually stood for the amount of acid trips a person did.

Or possibly to see how soft the ground is that you are hiking on ;)

[crispynugget]

Walking poles help and give extra excercise to the upper body when rambling and walking.

[dancealot13]

Crispynugget- How do they give extra excercise to the upper body? I would think it would be the exact oppossite because it forces you to bend over (leaving terrible posture and poor breathing). Also forces you to work one arm more then the other- therefore overtime it would do major harm because the muscles are developing completely uneven, and ultimatly leaving you with a hunch back and a weak hip.

[dancealot13]

lol ;) a bit exaggerated but you get my point.

[ELVIS68]

They are used for fighting off snakes....as are the thick chunky socks which you must always tuck your trouser legs into to stop a snake shooting up your leg

[crispynugget]

I have to say, dancealot13 that hiking poles, like any hand-held walking support (sticks, crutches, zimmer frames etc.), are designed to provide extra stability and to spread the load on your legs onto your arms. Many people feel no need for this support when hiking, but there's a substantial minority who suffer for their pleasure in the backcountry, usually from knee pain, and they usually encounter it on hills and/or carrying heavy loads. If you end your days wishing your knees or whole legs were in better shape you may well benefit from using poles, as you can lower the amount of stress on them by taking the weight onto the poles through your arms.

There are many advantages to walking poles:

reduce knee pain
increase hill climbing power
can increase endurance
aid crossing soft ground
can aid balance for activities like river crossing, scree running, etc.

but there are some disadvantages also:

financial outlay may be required
increases total energy expenditure
keeps hands full
get in the way on technical sections
often ineffective due to poor technique

So there you are. Is that of an help?

[puzzled54]

Mr Puzz likes to use one for extra stabilty when going downhill and for pushing brambles etc aside. It also came in handy when a big dog attacked a friends little dog.

[dancealot13]

Well I guess you put me in my place! ;)

I agree with the stability.

When Ward-winter said pole (singular) I was thinking a walking stick which I think is pretty uncomfortable, but the poles (thin taller and one in each hand) Now that makes sense because weight is distributed more evenly. Thanks for the info ;)

[crispynugget]

You are very welcome Dancealot13

[Ausf-A]

Known as Nordic Walking in Germany. The parks in Hamburg are full of senior citizens in the summer getting taught the correct posture and technique. Makes my Norwegian friends laugh so hard, considering they invented the winter sport, and it's a basic need in their climate.

[Belle Fast]

I use two poles despite being healthy enough. Its hard to imagine how much better walking feels until you try using them. You use muscles all over the body (like with a cross trainer) which is good, and you put 15% or so less weight through each knee making arthritis less likely in the long run. You need to adjust the height to allow your elbows to be at about 90 degrees to get the most benefit, and this varies with the slope and if you are going up or downhill but you get used to adjusting them. I think it all started in Austria, the two-pole thing. It makes sense when you think that we evolved from four-legged creatures!

[sunflower68]

Ward-minter take a look in Millets - you won't believe your eyes. They have a children's walking poles! The girls are Barbie-flavoured and the boys' are a camouflage affair.