Not long ago I mentioned that I’d gotten something in the mail that I’d ordered, that might help me burn even more calories as I walk. They’re called Exerstriders, and they’re a pair of adjustable length walking poles. When I first heard about them, I wasn’t too impressed. Number one, I thought I’d look weird or goofy walking with a pole in each hand. But as my friends Deb and John pointed out, I look weird and goofy anyway, so what harm could using the poles do? Second, frankly, I didn’t think they’d really add much to the walking workout. It just didn’t seem like two lightweight poles would help you burn many more calories. But the more I read about them, the more I thought they might be worth giving a try. And the creator of Exerstriders, Tom Rutlin, is a great guy; he answers emails right away and takes a real personal interest in helping people get in shape. So I went ahead and ordered them. I still wasn’t expecting to be all that impressed with them, but there’s a sixty day money back guarantee, so I figured what the heck.
But, boy was I wrong. I just got back from my first Exerstrider workout, and man, do they make a difference. A big difference.
Remember the old Nordic Track exercise machines? For a while, they were very popular, and very expensive. Most people didn’t use them, because operating them was extremely boring, and thousands of them are just gathering dust, or selling for a few bucks on eBay. But for those people who actually used their Nordic Track, they worked very well. They produced excellent results because they gave you the same workout you could get with cross country skiing, which burns more calories per hour than just about any other form of exercise.
Well, Exerstrider Nordic Walking Poles give you the same workout, but without the boredom. Exercise machines rarely work; because using them is drudgery. But if you’re walking, and you want to really ramp up the calories you burn, and tone your upper body, you should check out Exerstriders .
As I said, I was extremely surprised at the effect these two light weight poles had. As I type this, I definitely feel a big difference in my arms after using my poles today, compared to my normal walks. Walking is great, and I love it, but by itself does nothing for your upper body at all. But the Exerstriders involve your entire upper body, even your abs. Tom Rutlin, the inventor, is a former cross country skier who designed them to simulate the effects of cross country skiing.
I took my hour and a half walk around my rural back roads. And my concerns about feeling self conscious were entirely unnecessary. Several cars passed me, and I doubt if any of them even noticed the poles, and many people walk with hiking sticks, anyway. And the motions you use are entirely natural; it’s not much different than plain walking by itself. They do come with an instructional video, but I had no trouble picking it up. (There’s a short video on the website that shows a couple using Exerstriders.) Now, I didn’t use the Exerstriders for the whole 90 minutes. It’s going to take a while before I can do that. But I’d walk for 10 minutes with the Exerstriders, and then I’d carry them for 10 minutes. Believe me, Exerstriders don’t look like they’d do much, but I defy anyone who’s never tried them to go out and use them for a half hour straight without stopping.
They’re also adjustable for different heights. I’m six feet even, but I’m still experimenting with a couple different settings. They’re easy to adjust, and storage is no problem-stand them in the corner. And they’re collapsible for traveling.
According to the website, Exerstriders will enable you to burn anywhere from 30% to 70% more calories. And I believe it. I’ll be using them from now on whenever I walk outside. You can use them inside, too, but the track at my gym is so narrow I don’t know if it’s a good idea.
Anyway, if you’re walking, but frustrated with your slow weight loss, I’d recommend you check out Exerstriders. The website has tons of information, and they’re very reasonably priced, especially compared to an exercise machine that you’ll probably never use more than a week.
