A common hiking accessory, walking poles can help you find your rhythm and stabilize your feet, especially on rough terrain. These devices can also reduce the strain on your joints. The following are some tips for using walking poles: Try alternating the legs when you walk, use straps to support your weight, and test the ground before you buy them.
Alternate legs for walking poles
When using walking poles, it is important to remember to hold them correctly and push them with your arms. This will keep your body straight and prevent you from bending or leaning forward. Also, it is important to remember to keep your back straight. If your walking poles are too short, you will find yourself bending forward as you walk.
You can use walking poles to brace steps downhill, which will lower your impact on your knees and increase your balance. The most common type of pole has a plastic body and a metal tip made of steel or carbide. However, these metal tips are noisy and leave ugly scratches on the trail. Using walking poles with rubber tips can also help improve traction on slick surfaces, absorb vibrations, and reduce the impact on the trail. Eventually, though, walking pole tips will wear out and require replacement.
Research has shown that the energy expenditure for walking with poles is between 15% to 20% higher than walking with a traditional walking shoe. However, the actual increase in energy expenditure depends on various technical factors and equipment-related factors. In addition, pole-walking engages more upper body muscles. In one study, researchers found that triceps brachii muscle activity during the loading phase of Nordic walking was four times higher than during normal walking.
When using walking poles, it is important to strike the pole at the center of the stride, pushing forward with the elbow and shoulder. It is also important to maintain balance when you walk with poles because you will lose balance if you don’t use them properly.
Straps to support your weight
Walking poles can be used in many different ways. Some people prefer to use two poles when walking for long distances. Others prefer a single pole for shorter walks. Whatever your preference, there are numerous varieties available from major manufacturers. Many can even fold into a convenient small bag for carrying and storage.
When using poles with wrist straps, the strap should fit snugly around your wrist and be adjusted to the proper length. The strap should be loose but not too tight, restricting the circulation in your hand. You should also check the number of the strap on the top part of the pole to ensure that it fits your wrist.
A good walking pole strap keeps the pole close to your hand and keeps it from coming loose if you fall. These straps usually have a buckle that can be adjusted and fit your right or left wrist. They should also be adjustable and have a soft material for comfort.
The straps should support your weight when you use walking poles. Most people just grab the pole using the grip and plant it ahead. When you reach the pole, you pick it up with your other hand. This method is inefficient because it doesn’t provide any power and does not allow you to swing the pole naturally. Besides, a tight grip will exhaust your wrist and hands.
Using them to test the ground
When you are trying to adjust your walking poles to adjust for your height, it is important to keep in mind how to grip the pole correctly. The most basic technique involves gripping the pole with your hand through the strap. Generally, the strap should fit comfortably in your hand. If you are frequently lifting the poles over obstacles, adjust the strap to keep your grip in a secure position. Also, make sure to purchase a pole with a rubber tip for hard surfaces. It will reduce the amount of damage to your poles.
Another method to ensure that you do not lose grip is to keep your elbows close to your sides while walking. This will avoid forcing your arm to swing in an unnatural way. Instead, your elbows should be slightly angled toward the ground and the tip should touch the ground lightly. To make this action even more effective, you can lightly press down on the tip of your walking pole for extra action.
Another technique involves using a pole as a probe. This allows you to feel the ground with more accuracy than you would with your eyes alone. Using walking poles to test the ground can help you to avoid slipping on uneven surfaces and improve your balance.
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