You’ve tried Nordic walking and have fallen in love with the rhythm of the poles and all the fitness benefits. Now it’s time to buy your own poles so you can do it everyday.
A word of warning here, equipment that provides all of the goodness of Nordic walking poles should not cost $20. You want to make sure you invest in a safe piece of equipment, one that you will enjoy using for many years. Adjustable poles need to have secure lock out mechanisms to avoid failure on the trail, rubber tips must have adequate surface area to grip the ground and help create the resistance for that upper body workout. A quality Nordic walking pole will offer warranty and replaceable parts. They will cost around $100 for an aluminum pole and go up to $199 for a pair of carbon poles.
Why would you buy carbon poles? Carbon makes a pole stiffer, lighter and stronger. It also makes them a little quieter on the trail. Carbon is technically a woven matrix so it locks up when pushed against the ground, no noise like you might hear with an aluminum pole. Remember the weight of the pole affects the swing weight and how well it follows your arm, a heavier pole is not a better workout.
Purchasing your poles is an investment in your health. When you consider investing $200 for 10 years of walking it’s only costing you $20 per year for a great fitness activity. That’s a pretty good return on your investment.
Once you have your new poles be sure to get started on the right foot with the video I did with LEKI.