Before You Buy Fitness Walking or Trekking Poles

A single walking stick, pole, or staff can give you stability, especially on loose terrain or in crossing streams. It also can relieve stress on the joints. A staff can also give you a measure of security - attackers are more likely to go annoy somebody who doesn't have a stick.

A pair of fitness walking poles allow you to burn more calories while feeling no greater exertion when walking on streets, sidewalks, and paths. These poles come with instruction manuals and often with videos for the proper technique. Nordic walking grips are designed for the technique used, with a half-glove to allow the proper release. They come with a removable rubber tip for switching between hard and soft surfaces.

Two sticks are better than one on the trail. Using a pair of hiking poles or trekking poles gives you balance and takes more stress off the lower body joints. The grips and straps are designed so you can push down on them to assist yourself on the trail, but also for quick release if the pole gets stuck between rocks or roots.

Get off on the right foot with your walking poles by fully reading the instructions. Poles come with instructions, some with illustrated booklets, some with videos. It can take practice until you are using them to the fullest advantage. There are at least three different techniques: Nordic walking, Exerstriding, and hiking/trekking.

The best grip is one with a positive angle, which relieves stress and overuse of the wrist joint. Grip designs differ for fitness walking and for trekking - select the pole to match your activity. Retention straps also differ, with a half-glove used for fitness walking and a simpler strap for trekking. A quick-release mechanism for the strap or glove is very useful.

One-piece poles are lighter, quieter and will be the best choice for nordic walking use. For trekkers, adjusting the length as you go uphill and downhill allows you to keep the correct angle. For travelers and hikers, poles that collapse down to store or carry in your luggage or in your pack on the trail are very handy. A padded travel bag for air travel is a solution for single-length poles.

Poles made for fitness walking often have a "paw" made for walking on asphalt, set at the proper angle to hit the pavement. Others use a rubber tip similar to a cane tip, which wears unevenly . Usually these are removable and there is a carbide tip underneath for gripping natural trails. For walking in sand, snow, or soft trails, trekking baskets keep your poles from sinking in.

Cork inside the poles can act to reduce shock, as in the Leki Cor-Tec models. Some poles use springs to act as shock absorbers. These systems generally add more ounces to the poles, but can increase your comfort in using the poles.