Here in North America the greatest enthusiasm for Nordic Walking is primarily coming from individuals with orthopedic issues, balance issues and/or weight issues. When using the perfect length Nordic Walking Poles everyone begins to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles radically reduces the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking.

Given the fact that a record number of American "baby boomers" are hitting retirement age, plus obesity levels are at an all time high and rising, the enthusiasm for Nordic Walking and its many benefits could potentially attract the attention of millions of boomers in desperate need of safe and effective fitness walking.

Backpackers know that knee and back pain can be eliminated by simply using poles. Skiers in the know have been hill bounding and ski walking with poles for decades. And now Nordic Walking Poles are combining all of the awesome benefits of cross country skiing, trekking with poles and ski walking into a doable fitness activity ideal for the masses.

At the American Nordic Walking System we have developed safe and effective levels of intensity and exertion - allowing individuals to dial in on the ideal work out and calorie burn, from casual to intense, burning 20-40% more calories than regular walking. Our user-friendly one-piece SWIX Nordic Walking Poles are helping individuals with balance issues, knee issues or new knees, hip issues or new hips, back issues (including those with rods in their back), weight issues, multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinson's (PD), neuropathy, arthritis, bursitis, scoliosis, lumbar stenosis, fibromyalgia, post polio, osteoporosis, stroke recovery, cancer recovery and other limitations to walking. All of our poles are equipped with the comfortable fingerless glove type straps (patented by the Salomon Ski Company) and eliminate the need to squeeze the poles and effectively transmit power into the heel of the hand.

Individuals with arthritis and/or carpal tunnel can use these comfortable straps when they could no longer use traditional straps. Our SWIX Nordic Walking poles are helping thousands of Americans get off the couch, successfully get outside, start walking safely and effectively launch much needed walking campaigns.

As skiers we all know that one-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. And when it comes to Nordic Walking one-piece poles are superior to collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate and/or collapse unexpectedly.

Almost daily I hear in my Nordic Walking Classes that the poles are a "miracle" because the perfect length poles and correct technique allow these individuals to walk taller, faster, farther and much more comfortably. Obviously it is not a miracle it is just good physics. Our SWIX Nordic Walking Poles are helping thousands of Americans get off the couch, successfully get outside, start walking safely and effectively launch much needed walking campaigns.

About the author:

Pete Edwards is the owner/founder of WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System. He especially enjoys hosting Nordic Walking clinics for MS, Parkinson's, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Diabetes support groups, plus Wounded Warrior Programs. He has donated hundreds of pairs of Nordic Walking Poles to Wounded Warrior Programs at Walter Reed, Fort Lewis/Madigan/McChord, Fort Carson, Vicenza in Italy and Kaiserslautern Military Community in Germany.