This is a great article that we discovered in the Military Times and reveals another area of use that poles can become a tool to to lessen joint strain. Those that have had hip, knee and ankle surgery find an amazing amount of relief as they march through rehabilitation protocols. Whenever you can unload a joint without creating additional strain or new strains elsewhere that is a good thing, right. You are likely to be more compliant with your Doctors therapies on the road to recovery.

Anyway enjoy the article – Military Times By Mike Gordon – Gannett News Service

The Nordic walkers have heard them all.

Where’s the snow?

Did you forget your skis?

Are you training for the Winter Olympics?

These athletes are hard to ignore. With a pole in each hand, stabbing at the ground with every stride, Nordic walking aficionados appear out of their element.

Nevertheless, the awkward-looking pursuit is gaining converts on the streets of Honolulu, where tropical snowfall is measured only in shave-ice spills.

It’s particularly appealing to people whose sore knees and feet make workouts a pain.

“I didn’t want to do any exercise that would injure my joints, like my knees, and Nordic walking takes weight off and pressure off your hips, knees and ankles,” said Betsy Wilson, 56.

Wilson started Nordic walking about six months ago. She was working out regularly at a gym and wanted to boost her effort. Now she walks with her poles about three times a week, usually for an hour.

“You have to really stand up straight when you’re walking,” Wilson said. “You have to stand tall and have good posture. It makes your whole body feel better to stand up straight. You breathe better.”

Wilson took her husband, Bob Sumpf, on one of her early walks. Sumpf, a marathoner who has run since the early 1970s, couldn’t keep up. So he bought his own poles.

“I got over the geek factor in a hurry,” the 60-year-old Sumpf said. “I think it is a legitimate form of exercise. It is better than just walking. It kind of gets you into a rhythm where you are going faster.”

The similarities to cross-country skiing are no accident.

Sometimes called ski walking,hill bounding or ski striding, the activity originally developed decades ago in Finland as an off-season workout for Nordic skiers. Today, an estimated 7 million Europeans regularly use Nordic walking poles, which can cost $50 to almost $200.

“People in Europe, when they go walking, they walk with poles,” said Eric Okamura, owner of Fit For Life, an exercise and massage studio in Iwilei, Hawaii. “It is very rare that you see them without them.”

And yes, he’s heard all the comments, too.

“There is a little dork factor associated with Nordic poles because they are so uncommon, but there are too many health benefits to ignore,” he said. “So you let it roll off your back.”

The Cooper Institute, which studies fitness and health, found that Nordic walking burned nearly 43 percent more calories than traditional walking.

Great article: America Wasn’t Born Fat, by Harley Pasternak
Right about now, a whole bunch of Americans are quitting their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight if they haven’t quit already. What a shame. Americans can’t really afford to pack on any more pounds. With more than 225 million overweight people, the Unites States is the most obese country in the world, at a cost of $117 billion a year. It’s an understatement to say we’re facing a pandemic.

Yet, dare I boldly say the solution isn’t all that complicated? The alarming obesity rate in the U.S. can be distilled to one basic truth: Americans consume more calories than they burn. It’s a fact. And, I hate to be so blunt, but America wasn’t born fat. The birth weight of the average American infant is 8.13 lbs. In fact, the standard deviation for birth weight is relatively small. Therefore, it’s safe to say, we all come into this world approximately the same size. So, where do we start to morph into chubby kids, fat teens and obese adults?

We often hear of the fat gene. Many overweight Americans plead their innocence by claiming their parents were fat and they inherited the same genetics. To some extent, there is a genetic component to metabolism (we all have that friend who can eat anything in any amount and never gain a pound). However, with the exception of some rare metabolic diseases, there is no excuse for being overweight.

Let me personalize the reasons for my frustration with obesity. Both of my brothers were born with Type 1 diabetes, a metabolic disease that requires them to inject themselves with five needles a day, multiple daily blood sugar tests, and dietary modifications. Diabetes is the number one cause of heart disease, blindness and amputation. Short of a scientific miracle, my brothers will have diabetes for the rest of their lives. Unlike Type 1, Type 2 diabetics are not born with their disease. The number one risk factor for Type 2 diabetes is obesity.

So why is America the fattest country in the world (with, subsequently, the highest number of diabetics, heart attacks, and kidney failures)? Could the soil in America contain too much of a rare enzyme that inhibits our livers ability to metabolize fat? Maybe the air we breathe in America destroys our thyroid gland dramatically slowing down our caloric expenditure. Perhaps the Unites States proximity to the North Pole causes a magnetic field over the country that causes us to store more fat. Obviously, it’s none of the above.

Through my work as a nutritionist and trainer to celebrity clients, I’ve had amazing opportunities to travel the world. In my experience, I made what seemed to be a remarkable discovery: the farther I travel from the U.S., the easier it is to find foods that are both nourishing and slimming. And, people outside the U.S. appear to be healthier and leaner.

I’ve gleaned a unique perspective on the nutrition, diet and lifestyle habits that many foreign countries have followed for centuries and its inspired me to want to educate people on just how easy it is to live healthier. And, it IS easy. Creating an overall healthy lifestyle for yourself doesn’t require a radical diet or significant life change. In fact, it can be attained through common sense decisions about the way we eat, move and live. This is the foundation of The 5-Factor World Diet.

The worlds 10 leanest and longest-living nations are Japan, Singapore, China, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Greece and Israel. Why? They consume, prepare and burn their food in a manner that enables them to stay healthy and lean. Let me share examples from a few countries:

Japan
* They eat mainly rice, fish and vegetables – naturally high in carbs and fiber, low in calories and fat – and their primary protein source is fish, high in Omega-3 fatty acids; they rarely eat the red meat Americans consume in such heart-stopping portions. Rather than sugary beverages, they drink antioxidant-rich green tea.
* The Japanese prepare their food by boiling, grilling, steaming and serving it raw.
* They burn what they consume through much more active lives than Americans. For the business of everyday life, they travel by foot.
Oh, and the Japanese follow hara hachi bunme the practice of eating until 80 percent full, then waiting 20-30 minutes to determine if you’re still hungry.

Sweden
* Sweden’s year-round diet consists of dairy, dark fibrous breads and fish, fish, fish. The calcium in dairy can help the body convert from fat-storing to fat-burning mode. Dark bread like rye or pumpernickel is much healthier than the refined white bread favored by many Americans.
* The Swedes prepare their food through curing, smoking, pickling and boiling. Pickling food contains digestive-system-friendly probiotics and, while boiling may not be the tastiest, it’s effective without adding fat!
* Year-round fitness is a key component of Swedish slimness. Nordic walking (walking with long poles) burns 20 percent more calories than walking without poles. And, people in Sweden primarily walk and bike to work.
Oh, and Scandinavians make their sandwiches open-face, emphasizing the healthy fillers and not the bread.

Israel
* Israeli cuisine is a delicious hybrid of Middle Eastern styles. They consume grilled meats (mostly chicken), protein-rich legumes, and meals made with tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Sesame seeds – consumed by Israelis nearly every day – are not only a nutritional powerhouse, they can help lower cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure. Pita bread, the country’s preference, being thin and hallow, has a fraction of the calories of other breads.
* Israel favors grilling and baking their food. Meat dishes are prepared simply, often grilled with a mixture of spices and no fatty sauces.
* Because Israelis are required to join the army at age 18, they are instilled with a strong foundation of fitness at an early age. Burning what they eat is a lifelong habit.
Oh, and many Israeli families prefer to eat at home over a restaurant. It’s a wise practice, as they have more control over the content and size of their meals.

If Americans want to get healthier in 2010, they need to resolve to take lessons from beyond our borders. The good news is the extraordinary journey of living a healthy life doesn’t require a passport.

Harley Pasternak is one of America’s most renowned nutrition and fitness experts and author of the new book, The 5-Factor World Diet.

It is 2 weeks later and I am just getting to report back on the 10k Classic Balance Walking Event on Sept 7, 09. Balance Walkers are discovering how much fun and how easy it is to learn. The benefits for health & fitness are just too simple to pass up.

The day of the event has come and gone, but I would like to thank all the volunteers on Hwy US 41 for 6.2 miles of long successive hills handing water out and cheering. Not to forget to also mention that these hills were near to a mile in length. The weather was perfect. And those in the Balance Walking Division were so scattered throughout the Walking Division ( which at this event is beginning to out grow the Running Division ) you might pass someone from time to time with poles.

Most of the time you were keeping your head up as you weaved in and out of those in the Walking Division, passing all the walkers who were moving slower. Most everyone we passed would glance at my daughter who is 8 and they would say as she poled right by them, “way to go honey”. My daughter usually responded with a smile and “thank you and you need to get some poles from my Dad @ Foot Solutions.” What a trooper.

Rock n Roll with a New Sole & Nordic Poles. Better Health through Your Feet

Questions asked often about Balance Walking

Why do you call it Balance Walking?
Do you have classes where you can learn?
Do you have video on how to do it?
Do you need a particular walking pole?
How long do I need to walk?
Do you burn more calories than regular walking?
Do I need a particular shoe?
Can you do this indoors?
Do they have competitive races?

Hint: yes, yes and you will love it, walk and talk, this is for everyone, all ages! I see families everywhere bringing balance to their lives!

Balance Walking is a combination of several things that should be part of any health and wellness lifestyle program. Each requires observations and questions that are relevant to each individual. So let’s cover these important considerations before putting on your shoes, grabbing your poles and heading out.

You can start with or without the particular footwear that I will discuss in more detail later. The greatest benefits come to all with the combination of footwear and Nordic poles. We are excited to have a growing network of coaches and community advocates to introduce the Balance Walking program to help you begin today.

Your Program needs to consider

• Analysis of where you stand today physically
• Prescription of how to begin with a plans and goals
• Professional coaching to motivate, monitor progress and modify as you progress
• And if its Family activity know that is a great healthy way to spend time together

The Balance Walking Book – “Turn Back the Clock” briefly acknowledges 4 key training areas

• Cardiovascular
• Strength/Flexibility
• Nutrition
• Stress/Relaxation

The Book and the Coaching network will be a great way to assure your success.

Better Health through Your Feet – with Chung Shi

The Chung Shi is made for walking!

• Made for exercise
• Made for Balance Walking

Thought I would pass on what others are experiencing and saying about their Chung Shis.

Love to hear your input, so yes leave a comment.

Great Article
In the past few years, an interesting trend in footwear has been making an appearance on the feet of quite a few women about town: exer-shoes, or shoes that promise to improve the look, tone and appearance of the hips, thighs and derriere simply by walking in them.
Read the article

In keeping with posting all the Nordic Walking world has videoed, I find myself moved by several key common denominators that run through each video. All those that are Nordic Walking advocates can agree on several things that are being fulfilled as the walking trend swells to a Nordic Walking pole tsunami.

• It’s fun

• It’s a relatively easy learning curve

• It’s inexpensiveness and appeals to a wide range of people , from kids to adults, non athletes to athletes

• You are wearing and carrying your gym with you outside and inside

• Nordic Walking has been the fastest growing recreational sport activity throughout Europe and the US – unofficially 9-10million

I have recently reached out to many people all over Europe, who are much like Ildiko Szigeti and Steve Oakes of Botsport.hu (Botsportis Hungarian for’Pole Sport’). The purpose is to share insight and build alliances as this walking tsunami builds.
Botsport has produced a series of shorts  videos that cover:

• Nordic Walking events

• Nordic Walking in training

• Group participation exercises (which clearly convey the “spirit of a fun participation sport for people of all ages).

This is another great Nordic Video that I discovered and wanted to share.

Personally I keep 100s of videos stored in my favorites on different topic areas in You Tube. Each one left a lasting impression. View this one and see if you are left with thoughts that are worthy of sharing.

I have found that when viewing the teaching of basic human movement and when the instruction is visual and not audio you need to be very clear and methodical. In this case the language barrier for me is really not a concern. I am interested in the European techniques as it emphasizes the movement differently. Near to 9million participants surely have lots of the dos and don’t s figured out.

I always default back to asking myself 2 questions when I view a teaching video like this:
1. Is it being done safely
2. Is it motivating

Nordic Walking is producing new data in Health/Fitness results and is about to be birthed in a major way throughout North America. I will say confidently that this will be the next decade’s health & fitness wave. I have experienced elsewhere the What, When, Why for other health & fitness trends which were successful and all happened because they evolved being advantaged with several key drivers.

They would come as a result of:

• becoming the answer to a universal problem or need

• innovation was the pioneer

• an allure to captivate those searching

• a recognizable influencer who would motivate and build momentum

There have been Nordic Walking pioneers in Europe for years now, along with leaders here in the U.S.

This is the reason why I am very passionate, not only for myself and family, but those searching for better health, fitness and balance as a priority. When you know what you know, it’s just a matter of catching the next wave and doing what you love on that ride.

A few things to do to get started

• Go on line and get your copy of Balance Walking

• Contact a Foot Solutions Location

• Find a Coach in your area and seek their advice on poles and shoes

• Make a commitment and catch the wave

Join the Balance Walking Movement™: A fit-for-life program that involves a complete system that will help you adjust to a lifestyle that is right for a healthier, more active you, with as little as fifteen minutes per day.

Over the past 30 years having read countless fitness, sport, health books and periodicals I can say that Balance Walking – Turn Back the Clock, is a read that will impact your health & wellness. No matter your fitness level, this read is a keeper. Why? The Book’s foundation is firmly planted in the Chung Shis unique, patented angled sole which encourages a soft heel strike with a natural, forward rolling action. Chung Shi directs the entire body to move through the proper biomechanical motion into a stable, correct gait with a shortened stride. When standing, Chung Shi puts the body into an aligned position taking pressure off the neck, back, joints and feet.

The Benefits of Balance Walking

• Tone and strengthen your abs, buttocks and back

• Stress reduction

• The shoe forces better posture and targets under-utilized muscles, building more muscle mass

• Increased calorie consumption

• Gain benefits in just 15 minutes a day!

Colder weather can sometimes zap the motivation to exercise. Less sun light hours and the chilling temperatures tend to keep us inside more. However, continuing to exercise throughout the winter is very beneficial.

With winter often comes depression and one great way to combat this common pitfall is exercise. You may think you are too tired and sluggish to exercise, nonetheless after you start moving you will have more energy. Cold and flu season is already starting but studies show that exercising improves the immune system. According to the Mayo Clinic, those who exercise moderately catch 20 to 30 percent fewer colds than the inactive.

With all of these great rewards, I hope you are finding more motivation to get moving to help with depression, energy, and your immune system. Getting outside is also important, as fresh air is good for everyone. Sitting inside all day makes me get a little stir crazy and going outside helps to relieve some of the stress from the day. A daily dose of sunshine is what we all need. To take advantage of these winter months, I found a list from Mayo Clinic that outlines how to get the most out of outdoor activity in the winter.

• The first obvious note that is always included is checking with your doctor. Fortunately cold temperatures are not typical a health concern for most.

• Proper layering is often overlooked, as a major mistake is wearing too much. If you get too warm, you begin to sweat, which in turn gives you the chills. Smart layering is essential to any workout. Start with a synthetic layer that will wick away sweat from your body, not cotton that keeps wetness in. Next you can put on a fleece and the final layer, if you need it should a breathable jacket. With this regime you can take on and off layers to your comfort.

• Warm the feet and hands, as the blood supply will be focused on keeping your core warm. For your shoes, you might even want a half a size bigger to allow for more room so you can wear thicker socks. Do not forget to cover your head too, as a large portion of your body heat escapes through your head.

• Start your walk into the wind. This way when you are finishing and if you have worked up a sweat, the wind will not be as chilling with it to your back.

• Invest in reflective gear. With less sunlight hours and cloudier days, it is important for people and vehicles to see you.

• Do not forget to drink water. Although you may not be pouring out sweat like the summer months, you can still become dehydrated. Give yourself reminds to drink, as you might not feel as thirsty in the colder months.

Finally, stay consistent. Instead of letting the cold get the best of you, have a plan and think about the rewards you will receive from your exercise regime. Before you know it you will be making New Year’s resolutions and summer will be back again. Keep exercising and remember to take time for you.