Pole Trekking – Fitness for Everyone!
Feeling Pole-ish?
No, I’m not talking about a Polish Dog or your family background; I am talking about using hiking poles, especially this spring, and summer. Pole trekking is a great way to get out and exercise!
Pole Walking is Not Just for Seniors
A few years back, I was gifted a pair of lovely hiking poles for participating in a charity hike, and I have used them, despite my husband saying, “You’re not that old or decrepit to need poles!!” Let me clarify this for the young, middle-aged, and elderly: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE OLD OR DECREPIT TO USE POLES!
I have used my poles for hiking more comfortably when:
I had a sore knee.
Stepping down steep and irregular stone steps.
Crossing late-season snow fields.
Hiking on trails that were still frosty and slick.
Extending my poles gave me more stability during stream crossing and on a skinny log bridge.
They are easy to take along, collapse to about a third of their length, and are lightweight. The only challenge is packing them in checked baggage for a flight.
Pole Trekking in Alaska
We hiked in Alaska last August and booked a full-day hike in the Denali area with a local guide. I recommend hiking with a professional guide in Alaska because much of Alaska is trail-free, and they like to keep it that way. They carry safety items to shoo away bears and moose, know and love the flora and fauna, and have emergency communications handy.
Anyway, when our guide picked us up at our cabin, I ran back in to grab my poles, and he said not to worry; he had poles for us in the truck. My husband thanked him but said that he didn’t use them. The guide smiled kind of sideways at him and said, “Uh, yeah, we use poles. We’re going four-wheeling.” He was right – the tundra was like walking on an extra squishy thick shag carpet with tons of irregularities on the surface. We all hiked merrily along with our poles, feeling almost as agile as the caribou and fox we spotted.
The Virtues of Pole Trekking
Many of you have heard me extol the virtues of using hiking poles:
You burn more calories.
It involves the upper and lower limbs.
Pole trekking provides a tripod of support and stability for an injured knee, hip, or foot/ankle.
Increases safety/fall prevention for balance issues.
The pole support provides a somewhat “tonic” effect on the brain.
All those reasons for using poles are still valid, but this year we have even more reason to grab a pair before heading out on the trails.
In California this winter, we received a historic amount of rain and snow – very welcome to our parched state, but also very wet and slippery. I am not sure when the mountain trails will be clear this summer, but there will undoubtedly be MANY more snowfields, muddy trails, and waterway crossings than we have seen for a long time.
This morning, I was out during a (sort of) break in the rain. I was on fire roads and trails, and honestly, I felt like I was hiking on mashed potatoes and gravy. Often, there just were no dry places to put my foot down. I am ok with getting my shoes and socks wet and muddy; I am not ok with falling. I slipped a lot but fortunately didn’t fall and I certainly didn’t break any speed records, but I really wished I had brought my poles. Next time, I will!
In Summary
Pole walking is a low-impact activity that provides a complete body workout for people of all ages. It is excellent exercise for everyone, especially if you have problems with your hips, knees, feet, or ankles. I recommend that anyone visit some hiking trails and try pole walking. Not only will you get a great workout, but you’ll also feel refreshed after breathing in some country air and taking in some beautiful sights!
In health,
Kathleen McDonough, PT, MA, NCPT
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