Walking with Sticks

At the SWEET event last week, I met Heather Pardon. She was one of the speakers at the women’s only evening. Her topic was “Women Empowering Women” and she spoke about how other women she’d met had turned her on to mountain biking and helped give her the courage to start her own business — a B&B. In addition, Heather is a personal trainer and teaches Urban Poling, otherwise known as Nordic Walking.

Nordic Walking incorporates poles, which increase your stability, reduce the pressure on your knees and provide your core with a better workout than walking without poles. Unlike trekking poles which have metal tips, Nordic poles have rubber tips that cushion the impact and reduce the sound as you use the poles on pavement.

So, I signed up for a Nordic Walking clinic with Heather. Bright and early (ok, it was 9 a.m.), we gathered outside Bushtukah. There were about 8 women and 1 token man (one woman’s husband). After spending a few minutes learning about how to use the poles (which several of us had purchase just minutes before), we headed off to practice. Walking up and down a section of bike path, we circled Heather while she gave us pointers on how to improve our technique. Then, we took a short tour to one of the few hills in the neighbourhood to try out our skills going up and down a hill.

During the 2-hour session, I learned techniques that I could use on my own. In addition, I had an opportunity to meet a number of nice women who shared my love of the outdoors.

I have always been a big fan of walking; really, it’s so easy — all it takes is a comfortable pair of shoes. What a great way to be outside and get some exercise. Now, with a set of Nordic Walking poles, I can walk around the city and get an even better workout. I highly recommend it!