XWalk: Nordic Walk Tracker

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TRACK ALL YOUR NORDIC WALKS

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HIKE FAMOUS TREKS WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

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What is Nordic Walking?

Nordic walking is the act of walking with sticks/poles. The only equipment which is needed is poles, and hiking shoes or walking shoes. You can participate in pole walking in hiking trails or just simply by walking on the streets. It was introduced in Finland by Mauri Repo in 1979. The concept was developed for cross country skiing. However, the technique of walking with ski poles has been around for decades. Especially popular among hikers, mountaineers, and backpackers.

Benefits of Nordic Pole Walking

There are many benefits of Nordic pole walking from physical and mental health to being social. Weight loss, it is estimated that between 20-40% more calories are burned with Nordic walking as oppose to just regular walking or hiking. 80-90% of your muscles are used with walking with sticks, which makes it a great all body work. By working all muscles groups you are not only toning your legs, arms, waist and core but also improving our balance. Being mild in nature and with added support of the poles, it is a great exercise for seniors. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine: ‘Nordic walking exerts beneficial effects on resting heart rate, blood pressure, exercise capacity, maximal oxygen consumption, and quality of life in patients with various diseases and can thus be recommended to a wide range of people as primary and secondary prevention.’ 

Mental health is greatly improved by walking outdoor especially in nature. Nordic walking is usually a social activity as well, which makes it even more beneficial.

How to use walking poles

Walking with poles does not require any training. In fact you already know how to walk with poles. After picking up the right equipment, setting up your pole length correctly and downloading iOS or Android Nordic walking Pole App, XWalk. To walk properly just put relax your shoulder and hold poles close to your body. Leading foot start followed by opposite arm to forward to waist height and continue by alternating foot, arm, foot arm.

Setting Your Trekking pole length:

Most poles come in 5 cm increments with majority going between 100 to 140 cm. It is recommended to adjust your poles based on your height by multiplying your height in CM X 0.70 to create a 90-degree angle when hold it straight. For example, if you are 170 cm your pole length should be 170 cm (170X 0.70) should be set to 120. If you are an expert you can increase the pole by slightly to make the pole trekking a little bit more challenging.

Stick Walking Tips:

  • Use wrist strap to support your wrist of the hand. Make sure you use it correctly by putting your hand up from the bottom of the strap and then grab the gripe of the pole. You can adjust the strap for a more comfortable feel. Some trekking poles even have padded or lined straps to prevent chafing.
  • Choose the correct grip material. If your hands sweat a lot choose cork, form is softest to the touch while rubber is great for cold weather.
  • Adjust your pole based on what type of hiking terrain. For example, if you are going uphill you can reduce the size of pole by 5-10 cm to make it easier for your shoulders. The steeper the hill the shorter you can make your poles until you feel relief. For downhill you can decrease your pole by 5-10 cm in order to improve balance.
  • Use rubber pads at the bottom if you are going to use stick walking on pavement. Use the metal spike if walking on dirt or hiking trails for better traction.

5 Benefits of using Xwalk Nordic Walking App:

  • Get inspired to walk the length of top hiked destinations. Such as Machu Picchu, Chinese wall or Cinque Terra without leaving your area.
  • Improve distance by capturing the total distance hiked over a span of day, week, month, year.
  • Get motivated to lose weight by calculating the calories walked on your latest walk.
  • Set goals to either burn calories or increase the distance.
  • See progress over time this will help you stay motivated.

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