Exerstrider FAQ's

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I just walk for enjoyment. Why should I Exerstride?
Why not just walk faster?
How does Exerstriding compare to using weights or resistance belts?
My personal trainer told me that I'll need to do weight training to build strength.
How can Exerstriding compare to weights or resistance belts?
I've been walking for years and I don't need to lose weight. Why would I want to Exerstride?
I am a former runner who can't run any more because of bad knees. Can I really keep fit by just walking with poles?
I've tried cross-country skiing and those ski machines and I can't seem to get the knack of it. Am I coordinated enough to Exerstride?
Can you use Exerstrider poles for mall walking or on health club tracks?
What's the difference between Exerstriding, Nordic walking, pole-walking and trekking?
Most walking and trekking poles I've seen have straps. Why don't the Exerstrider poles have any?
If Exerstriding has been around for 15 years, why haven't I heard of it until now?
I'm in my seventies. Am I too old to Exerstride?

ANSWERS

*I just walk for enjoyment. Why should I Exerstride?

As people age, certain physical changes generally occur, including weight gain, loss of muscle mass, loss of muscle strength and endurance, loss of bone density, decreasing cardiovascular capacity, and eventually loss of balance, confidence and the ability to remain physically independent. These changes are by no means inevitable if we exercise regularly. But now experts now tell us that we should do both aerobic and muscle strengthening exercise. Despite the experts' advice, fewer than one in four people participate in any type of regular program of exercise. If you already walk, you're in the top 25% of the population in terms of fitness, but walking does little to maintain upper body muscle strength. Exerstriding simultaneously works all the body's major muscles and in addition it more effectively prevents weight gain, helps maintain overall bone density, increases cardiovascular capacity and increases confidence by improving balance and posture. If you're going to invest in exercise by walking, Exerstriding is like putting your investment in a "bank" with a significantly higher interest rate. Without feeling like you're investing more energy and with no additional investment in time you'll reap much greater fitness returns!

*Why not just walk faster?

Many walking gurus suggest that the best (and some will say only) means to increase the fitness benefits of walking is simply to walk faster! Well, the truth is that there are physiological and motivational limits to how much walkers can increase their speed. Walking ever faster also increases significantly the stress that walking puts on the body. Most people take up fitness walking because it is safe and enjoyable. For many, walking faster makes it less enjoyable, and the faster one walks the greater the likelihood of injury. No matter what speed you like to walk, Exerstriding will increase the benefits significantly without any significant increase in the perceived exertion and without going faster.

*How does Exerstriding compare to using weights or resistance belts?

Although wrist weights or hand held weights are the most widely used tools used by walkers attempting to "pump up" their walking workouts, the benefits of their use are minimal and the risks associated with their use are significant. While you can increase the energy cost of walking by 5-15% with weights, swinging these weights back and forth puts significant stress on the tendons and ligaments of the shoulder. Most experts agree that the risks far outweigh the benefits. (A note on ankle weights -- they can also increase energy cost by 5-10%, but can alter gait mechanics and put dangerous stress on the ligaments of the knee.)

The use of weighted vests or backpacks to enhance the benefits of walking are also a poor choice. Studies have shown that in order to significantly increase the energy cost of walking, more than 40% of a person's body weight must be carried (60 lbs. for a person weighing 150 lbs.!). In addition to adding stress to the neck and shoulders, the feet, ankles, knees, hips and spine react as though you had suddenly gained 60 lbs. of excess body weight.

Recently waist belts with attached resistance cords have gained popularity for enhancing the benefits of walking. While the energy cost data on these devices is impressive (40% to 60% increases), it should be noted that because these devices activate relatively small muscles in the shoulder and chest to lift the arm and stretch the attached resistance cords, these energy increases can be sustained for only very short periods of time (3-5 minutes for most people) before these muscles are worked to exhaustion. During this brief period of exercise these devices do little to strengthen important trunk muscles or contribute to aerobic fitness.

In contrast to these means of pumping up your walk, Exerstriding is much safer and more effective. You'll easily increase the energy cost of walking by nearly 25% without feeling like you're working any harder and by up to 70% with a serious effort. (And these increases can be sustained for 30-60+ minute exercise sessions.) Instead of placing even more stress on lower limbs, Exerstriding actually decreases pain and injury-causing stresses to the hips, knees, ankles and feet by 20%-30%! The repetitive contractions of all the body's major muscles result in significant increases in strength and endurance. Your balance, posture and cardiovascular health will also benefit significantly from Exerstriding.

*My personal trainer told me that I'll need to do weight training to build strength. How can Exerstriding build strength?

The commonly accepted belief is that you need to "overload" muscles in order to build strength. This involves lifting heavy weights or working against levels of resistance that actually break down the muscles and result in the body rebuilding and increasing muscle mass in order to do the increasing work that is being required of the muscle. These muscle "overload" workouts use heavy weights or high levels of resistance and usually involve 10 to 25 repetitions. And they do build strength. Exerstriding does not "overload " the muscles. Instead it simply puts every major muscle to work against relatively low levels of resistance for literally thousands of repetitions. There is no argument among experts that Exerstriding can build muscle endurance. What the experts will eventually discover is that muscles that work against light resistance for thousands of repetitions will also increase in strength although they will not significantly increase in mass. Unless you are an athlete whose activities require exceptional levels of strength, the type of "functional strength" and muscle endurance that Exerstriding builds are actually preferable.

*I've been walking for years and I don't need to lose weight. Why would I want to Exerstride?

While maintaining a desired body weight is a a positive step toward maintaining good health, there is much more to good health than that. While walking can help you maintain a desire body weight and contribute to good cardiovascular health, it does little to maintain the strength and endurance of important muscles in the trunk and arms. The American College of Sports Medicine and other experts now recommend that people do weight training or resistance exercise several times per week to maintain their upper body strength and muscle tone. Exerstriding is an effective way to work the large muscles of the upper body against resistance as you walk. You won't have to join a gym or health club or buy expensive weight training equipment and you can accomplish both aerobic fitness and muscle conditioning goals at the same time.

In addition, few people realize that it is possible to maintain exactly the same body weight as inactivity or age brings about a gradual loss of muscle mass and a corresponding increase in body fat. You don't have to "pump iron" to maintain healthy muscle mass, you just need to put all your major muscles to use regularly. That's really what Exerstriding is all about.

*I am a former runner who can't run any more because of bad knees. Can I really keep fit by just walking with poles?

Yes! I too am a former runner, and I've been Exerstriding for nearly fifteen years now. I quit running when I realized that by simultaneously working all of the body's major muscles, I could actually accomplish more fitness goals in less time. Webster's dictionary defines exercise as "the act of putting to use." Running and much of what is prescribed by the "experts" and the media as "exercise" involves putting the body to "abuse", rather than to "use." Those that survive these various forms of abuse do get fit, but for every runner who survives years of pavement-pounding forces to get fit, there are ten who will become "former runners with bad knees."
Exerstriding is a true total body exercise. Unlike many expensive machines and exercise gimmicks on the market that claim to be total body exercise, Exerstriding actually "puts to use" all of the body's major muscles in a sustained aerobic exercise. Unlike running and other "half body exercises", your heart will work to pump blood to every major muscle in your body, simultaneously improving overall vascular fitness and gradually increasing muscle strength and endurance. While some experts will claim that it is not possible to build strength without "overloading" the muscle, you'll see for yourself the strength-building results of doing thousands of repetitions against relatively light resistance during regular total body aerobic exercise.
Over the last 18 years, at age 56 I've maintained good cardiovascular fitness, lean body mass, overall strength and endurance and healthy joints! I just put my entire body to "good use" as I Exerstride 15 - 20 miles per week!

*I've tried cross-country skiing and those ski machines and I can't seem to get the knack of it. Am I coordinated enough to Exerstride?

Just one of the great things about Exerstriding is that unlike cross-country skiing and those Nordic ski machines it does not require a high level of balance, coordination or skill. If you can walk, you can learn to Exerstride in no time at all. It can take years to master the techniques of riding a gliding ski across the snow or balancing on oak boards that threaten to slide off the back of one of those ski machines, but walking with poles requires no more coordination than just walking and swinging your arms. My instructional video and manual will give you all the easy to follow and learn instruction you'll need to learn to Exerstride in no time at all.

*Can you use Exerstrider poles for mall walking or on health club tracks?

The design of our exclusive high-carbon rubber tips allows you to Exerstride anywhere you would otherwise walk. The tips are tough, non-marking and provide excellent grip on any stable walking surface. They work equally well for mall walking and hiking on nature trails. They are even used in school physical education classes on wood gym floors (and you know how custodians are about their gym floors). They work great on composition tracks like those used in health clubs. 90% of the miles logged while Exerstriding are logged on concrete and asphalt surfaces. The tips are tough enough to hold up to paved surfaces and yet safe to use on even the most delicate floor surfaces. I do nearly all my Exerstriding on paved surfaces, but my all-time favorite surface is on the wet sand that is left as waves lap up on lake or ocean shores.
Many people ask if you can Exerstride on a treadmill. The answer depends on what the width of the treadmill belt is. Most home treadmills have belts that are just 14" to 18" wide. Since the poles travel alongside the body, it is not possible to Exerstride safely on these treadmills. On institutional treadmills with belts 20" or wider, it is quite possible to Exerstride with some practice.)

*What's the difference between Exerstriding, Nordic walking, pole-walking and trekking?

First of all, they are similar in that they all involve walking with poles. Since the International Nordic Walking Association itself defined Nordic walking as "fitness walking with specifically designed poles," Exerstriding is just the original and a particularly effective form of Nordic walking. To most people they probably all look the same, but there are significant differences.

Let's begin with an historical perspective. I coined the term "Exerstriding" around 1985. That was when I first discovered how one could use poles and simple techniques to simultaneously exercise every major muscle in my body while striding. Pole walking is a generic term that has been used (mostly by those who do not yet understand the differences between the various activities that combine walking and poles) to describe any form of walking with poles. Trekking and trekking poles have been around for many years.

While trekking actually means "making a long arduous journey", it has come to be just another term for hiking. And trekking poles have been used by "hikers and trekkers" in their outdoor pursuits for many years to make long hikes less arduous, provide stability and alleviate pressure on the knees and other joints. What people refer to as trekking poles can range from a stick or branch you find in the woods to pairs of lightweight telescoping poles with ski pole-like grips, snow baskets and metal tips. Finally, Nordic walking is a term coined by Exel, a Finnish ski pole manufacturer, in 1997 for their version of fitness walking with poles. Nordic walking has become the most commonly used term for fitness walking with poles throughout Europe as a result of Exel's formation of "The International Nordic Walking Association" in 2000, and a growing network of their certified Nordic walking instructors.

In 1988 I began to promote Exerstriding, the original version of walking with poles for the purpose of building total body fitness. By the early 90's, my new total body exercise form and I had been written up in magazines in both the U.S. and Europe, and someone from Exel contacted me to ask how my efforts were going in promoting the use of poles by walkers as a year-round exercise form. They were of course very interested in the prospect of expanding their seasonal ski pole business, and in the prospect of year-round sales of slightly modified ski poles. I wasn't able to paint a very rosy picture of my one man pole walking crusade at the time, so apparently they simply chose to wait and see how my efforts went before making a plunge into the market. Finally, in 1997 they made their entry into the fitness walking pole marketplace with the introduction of the Nordic Walker brand. In 2000, Exel won the top prize in a Finnish "new" product competition for "their" walking poles and an activity I had already been promoting in the U.S. for a dozen years!

In the nearly fifteen years I've been promoting Exerstriding as a total body exercise form, lots of other former ski pole and trekking pole manufacturers have come to recognize a good idea and have entered the fitness walking pole market. I'm proud to say that my once-lonely crusade to get walkers to begin to use poles to turn their favorite activity into a total body exercise has resulted in the worldwide growth of this entirely new total body exercise form. In addition to the introduction of Exel's Nordic Walker brand, German trekking pole manufacturer Leki has introduced a Fittrek line of fitness walking poles, and several other European and Far Eastern pole manufacturers have now offered up their own models of fitness walking poles. While the popularity of Exerstriding has grown very rapidly in this country in the last few years, the growth of fitness walking with poles has experienced positively explosive growth in Europe (especially in those cross-country ski loving Scandinavian countries)! My continued commitment to offering innovative and functional equipment which meets the most rigorous performance standards and provides customers with unmatched value is only part of what has kept Exerstrider poles the world's #1 fitness walking poles. Nearly fifteen years after I began promoting Exerstriding as an effective way to promote total body fitness, it is both still both my techniques and equipment that set the standard in the rapidly expanding world of fitness walking poles and provide leadership for the entire walking pole movement. No matter how one uses walking poles, they will somewhat enhance the fitness benefits of striding. But my easy-to-learn "Exerstriding" techniques have proven that they maximize both the safety and fitness benefits of using walking poles. "Exerstriding" techniques result in a maximum amount of muscle mass being put to "good use" (rather than abuse) and feature biomechanics designed to promote maximum improvement in overall physical function. While some may insist that the differences between Exerstriding, Nordic walking and trekking are insignificant, any serious athlete knows that even subtle changes in body mechanics can significantly affect the results of any physical activity. Thousands have already experienced that there really are significant, results-enhancing differences between Exerstriding and other ways of walking with poles.

*Most walking and trekking poles I've seen have straps. Why don't the Exerstrider poles have any?

Most other walking and trekking pole grips were originally designed to be used as ski pole grips. While many of these grip/strapping system designs work great for skiing, they are not well suited to year round walking with poles. It seems all the makers of these complicated grip designs call them "ergonomic". In doing so, they've made ergonomic a rather worthless term. The definition of ergonomics is "the science of designing things for efficient use by people; design aimed at reducing user fatigue and discomfort".

My strapless grips are truly ergonomic and allow the user to comfortably apply force to the poles without the need to maintain a tight, fatiguing hold on the grip. The large flared surfaces on the top and bottom of the ERGO/SC (ergonomic strapless comfort) grip allow a lightly clasped hand to both maintain control of the grip at all times and apply maximum force without the need for an uncomfortable, inconvenient, complicated strapping systems. Straps (especially those perplexing strapping systems with Velcro fasteners) are hot and uncomfortable in warm weather, and clumsy to get in and out of while wearing gloves or mittens in winter. They can also restrict circulation and can cause chafing. Also, in the (unlikely) event of a fall, it is also much more likely that one might sustain a wrist or arm injury if strapped into a pair of poles. While most walking pole grips are actually just recycled ski pole grips, the ERGO/SC grip was designed specifically with the aim of making the grip feel comfortable, natural and supportive as you apply a strong downward force to the poles. Our grip design will make you feel like the Exerstrider poles are a part of you.

*If Exerstriding has been around for 15 years, why haven't I heard of it until now?

I've been promoting the health and fitness benefits of Exerstriding since 1988. Although it's been written about in over three dozen national magazines, been the subject of more than 100 newspaper articles (in both large and small markets), been featured on several nationally televised shows, Exerstriding has stayed completely off the radar screen of even most fitness walkers. In a day and age where products of all kinds "must" build strong brand recognition and generate huge profits with the aid of millions of dollars in marketing, Exerstrider has done very, very little advertising. Over the last 15 years, dozens of fitness equipment gimmicks have been powerfully marketed to hopeful masses, failed to deliver on their promises and ended up in landfills -- while Exerstrider fitness walking poles have been delivering real quality and results to our customers and the business has grown mostly by word-of-mouth. I didn't start this business to make a killing. I started it to make a living, and to make a difference in many people's lives. I've been doing so for 15 years now and I'll still be around when Exerstriding (or Nordic walking or whatever it ends up being called) is the "hottest new trend in fitness!"

*I'm in my seventies. Am I too old to Exerstride?

The ages of people who are enjoying the benefits of Exerstriding range from 9 to 90. My mom is also in her seventies and she has been Exerstriding for years. If you've got painful joints, Exerstriding will take some weight off of those joints. If you have lost confidence and balance, Exerstriding works even better than canes or walkers. Much recent research has proven that even people in their nineties can significantly increase their strength by doing regular resistance or weight training. Exerstriding is a safe and effective means of resistance training.

Because you bear part of your weight with the strength of upper body muscles, you can also help maintain the bone density of the spine and bones in the arm. People of all ages discover that Exerstriding improves their posture too. Many people are finding that Exerstrider poles work much better than canes or walkers in compensating for balance problems or painful joints. Doctors and physical therapists are recommending their use for people with all sorts of orthopedic conditions and those recovering from joint replacement surgeries.

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