Urban Poling is a fun and easy activity for people of all ages. As with any new pursuit, you need to master the proper technique to become a proficient Urban Pole Walker. Since we’ve all mastered regular walking, all that’s left to learn is how to coordinate the poles with our leg movements. It’s not uncommon for people to feel uncoordinated at first. But with a little practice, walking with poles will become second nature.
To begin, start without the poles. Take a few steps and notice that your right arm swings forward as your left foot steps forward. Now, exaggerate the arm movement slightly by swinging your arms higher as you step.
Once you have mastered this, pick up your poles. With a pole in each hand, start walking and dragging the poles behind you. Let your arms swing naturally with your arms moving in rhythm with your legs.
Now you are ready to start working with the poles and incorporating the 3P’s:
- Plant
- Push
- Propel
Plant: As you swing your arm forward plant the pole at a 45-degree angle: keeping your arm straight.
Push: Now apply some pressure to the base of the handle with the outside of your hand.
Propel: From the pushing phase you are ready to propel yourself forward. Push down and step forward; feel yourself being propelled by your upper body.
Start slowly at first, and pay attention to your technique. If you become confused, stop and begin again. Remember, as with any new endeavor, practice makes perfect and patience is a virtue.
Important Technique Points To Consider:
- Watch your posture. The poles actually assist with maintaining proper posture, but you may find yourself leaning forward. Keep your spine erect, tummy tucked in, eyes forward, chin tucked in and shoulders relaxed.
- Relax your grip. Keep your grip loose, exert pressure only on the base of the handle during the push phase.
- Watch your pace. As you get used to the technique, you may find yourself walking faster than your arms can keep up. This will throw your technique off. Only walk as fast as your arms can move.
- Plant with purpose. When planting your poles, ensure that you plant them, rather than slamming them into the ground. Slamming the poles causes more vibrations through the poles, and over the long term it may aggravate your joints.
- Don’t “tip toe” the poles. This happens when you keep the tips of the poles too far forward and land on just the tips of the boot tips. Go back to the swing phase and practice keeping the boot tips behind you and planting your poles at 45-degrees.
- Be aware of uncoordinated arm and leg movements. You may find yourself planting the left pole as the left leg steps forward. This isn’t how we naturally walk, but it can happen when you over-think the movement. Stop and start over by dragging the poles and gradually ease into the proper technique.
- Have Fun. The most important aspect of Nordic Walking is to enjoy yourself. Eventually the technique falls into place and you will feel more confident and efficient.