Walking is a great activity for seniors. It’s easy on your joints, requires no money or special space, and can help get you out of the house. But how can you help prevent falls while walking? Walking poles!

Walking poles, which may also be referred to as Nordic walking poles or hiking poles, are pretty close to what they sound like. They’re simply poles that can assist you while walking and are often used by hikers going through rough, hilly terrain. However, seniors can benefit from using them too. Check out the top five benefits of walking poles for seniors below.

1. Protects your joints from wear and tear. While conventional walking is certainly easier on your joints than something like running, it still puts stress on your knees, hips, and other joints. Using walking poles transfers some of that weight to your upper body instead and protects your knees and hips more.
2. Works your upper body. Each time you go forward with your walking poles, it works your abdominal and upper arm muscles and as we mentioned earlier, it shifts some of the weight to your upper body. This allows you to get a full body workout.
3. Prevent falls. Falls are a big deal for seniors, and while exercise in general helps you to prevent falls, it can still be nerve wracking to go on a walk in your neighborhood and worry about tripping over a tree root or a child’s toy that got left outside. Using walking poles though helps to improve your balance and posture, thereby helping prevent falls.
4. Burn more calories and build strength. Because walking with walking poles is easier on your joints, it can allow you to walk further. It also allows you to work out more parts of your body, helping you to build more strength and burn more calories.
5. Offers an alternative to running. If you have a health condition that keeps you from running like obesity or arthritis, walking with walking poles can offer a great alternative as they allow you to get a more intense workout than traditional workouts at a slower speed than running.

Contact us for more information about how you can obtain walking poles!

Source: https://www.halohealthcare.com/blog/using-walking-poles-for-seniors/