YORKTON - A new activity is being promoted in the city, one which is all about being active.
The new activity is urban pole walking, and Anne Stupak is the person hoping to promote the activity through the creation of a club.
“It’s something that’s been on the back of my plate for the longest time,” she said, adding she has been aware “... of what a benefit it is.”
So what exactly is the activity?
Better known as nordic walking, it is simply walking, but using a pole in each hand not unlike those used by cross country skiers.
Stupak, who along with Karen Ransome are currently taking training so they can teach proper pole walking techniques, said using poles while walking gives the entire body a workout, not just the legs.
Compared to regular walking, Nordic walking involves applying force to the poles with each stride. As a result, pole walkers use more of their entire body to receive fitness building not present in normal walking for the chest, triceps, biceps, shoulder, abdominals, spinal and other core muscles.
Walking with poles uses over 90 per cent of your major muscle groups, added Stupak.
Pole walking increases your heart and cardio rate by 20 per cent, and calorie burn by up to 46 per cent, she said.
Interestingly, using poles relieves strain on the legs themselves.
Using poles also improves balance and posture, said Stupak. The poles help distribute weight and lessen the load with which we hit the ground, making a big difference for those with back, hip, knee, ankle or feet problems.
Due to the use of additional muscles 30 minutes of pole walking equals 50 minutes of regular walking, making it a perfect fit for a busy lifestyle, she added.
Stupak said she and Ransome will host clinics, starting in May once the weather improves, that show the benefits of using walking poles vs walking without poles.
For those interested in taking the clinics Stupak said the city has poles for training.
It is hoped once people are introduced to pole walking a club might form which could meet regularly for walks in the city, or to interesting surrounding locales, said Stupak.
For more information, contact Anne at 306-621-8926 or at [email protected]
