Striding with Poles: Research Shows the New Method of Exercise Beats Walking by a Mile

Kreiter, Ted, The Saturday Evening Post

Nearly three years ago, Anne-Marie Westenberg's doctor told her she should start walking for her health. But at five feet, six inches tall and weighing nearly 400 pounds, the 42-year-old woman found walking to be a tall order.

Then she discovered what she calls "the sticks"--actually cross-country ski poles converted for fitness walking. The sticks eased the stress on her overburdened legs and gave her a sense of confidence when maneuvering. After a few months using the sticks, she worked up to walking two miles a day and even farther on weekends. Today, Anne-Marie weighs under 200 pounds. She attributes her successful turnaround to "those sticks."

What helped Anne-Marie lose weight was the relatively new conditioning activity known as fitness pole walking, also called Nordic walking, pole striding, or exerstriding. Nordic walking has soared in popularity in Europe in recent years, especially in Finland. According to a poll there last year, some 18 percent of the fitness-loving Finnish population use walking poles to keep in shape. In the U.S., fitness pole walking has gained a toehold mainly among avid outdoor walkers and hikers, but …

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Publication information: Article title: Striding with Poles: Research Shows the New Method of Exercise Beats Walking by a Mile. Contributors: Kreiter, Ted - Author. Magazine title: The Saturday Evening Post. Volume: 275. Issue: 2 Publication date: March-April 2003. Page number: 26+. © Benjamin Franklin Literary and Medical Society Jan/Feb 2007. COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group.

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