CXC is Trendy
Yes, you heard it here first, CXC is Trendy. According to Fasterskier.com, Green and Vintage are the two biggest trends of the 2009 dryland season. They have yet to pick up on the growing Nordic Walking trend, but as they say about all things Nordic, “It’s big in Europe.”
Bill & I spent the afternoon cutting and rebuilding old broken poles found on the Birkie trail over the past 30 years. We will be using these recycled (read: “Green”), old (read: “Vintage”) poles to teach Nordic Walking (hey, “it’s big in Europe”) clinics around the Midwest this fall. Let us know if you’d like to host a Nordic Walking Clinic for your fitness group. All CXC Team Vertical Limit athletes are trained professionals and will put on an informative, entertaining clinic. Get your Nordic on!
Pete Edwards 7:49 pm on September 12, 2009 Permalink |
Nordic Walking is HUGE in Europe with some 8 million Europeans reported to be walking in the cities (with special removable rubber Nordic Walking Tips/Paws on), out in the country and up in the mountains.
Cross country skiers know that one-piece poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than twist-lock and/or flip-lock adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles. One-piece poles that are sized correctly improve posture and help to reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back.
Utilizing xc poles that have been cut down to the correct height is a green way to go – keeping old poles out of the landfill and providing an inexpensive way to get folks fired up about Nordic Walking.
Perfect length poles help us 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.
The best Nordic Walking Straps are the fingerless glove type straps patented by the Salomon Ski Company. All of the poles at http://WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and The American Nordic Walking System are equipped these comfortable straps patented by the Salomon Ski Company. All poles also come with removable rubber tips/paws for pavement and other hard surfaces plus durable carbide metal tips for trails, the beach, snow and ice.
Nordic Walking Poles are not just for skiers deprived of snow during the summer! 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. 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.
If you have poles – hit the trail. If you need poles be sure to avoid cheap twist-lock and flip-lock poles that can’t hold up to Nordic Running, hill bounding and ski walking.
If you have a family member that isn’t getting out and walking daily please consider Nordic Walking Poles – even if the use a cane or walker. When hosting Nordic Walking Clinics and donating real Nordic Walking Poles to the Wounded Warriors program we found that poles that are sized correctly are a huge improvement over their canes and walkers 100% of the time!
Walking with poles is the best – when we can’t find snow for our skinny skis!