Nordic Walking - 'How to' with LEKI poles

Nordic Walking is the fitness rage of Europe. It is emerging in the USA. Simply, it's walking with poles to engage the upper body. When "just walking" you only use 70% of your body's muscles. Using poles, you'll up that to 90%. Because you are now pumping blood to areas that normally just go along for the ride, your heart rate goes up. You'll burn about 20% more calories than just walking and you'll breathe in more oxygen due to your upright position. And VERY important - NO joint pain. Doctors love it.

The prestigious Cooper Institute in Dallas has tested this. It works. Plus you do not feel any more tired than just walking! LEKI is the world's leading maker of Nordic Walking Poles (and ski poles and trekking poles). They are the best.

I'm a master instructor for the American Nordic Walking Assn., and made this video to help people do it correctly. I see too many people trying - but are really only taking their poles for a walk. Without proper training, the benefits will not come your way.

Fitness is only a step away.

See my YouTube channel for more outdoor oriented videos.

Carpe Diem,

Rick Deutsch

[DB-cxcb]

Details are important for beginner’s. I have watched many instructional videos on Nordic walking, but this by far is the best. Thank you Rick! Now I need to go purchase some pole’s and get busy walking.

[fperez]

Easy to understand video, too many people complicate the instructions of using poles, great video.👍

[caseysimpson]

Thanks Rich. I have a set of Leki Trekking poles that I have been using on trails. A year ago, I aggravated an old knee injury and subsequently injured my "good" knee through overuse. I was unable to hike, cycle, and had a difficult time strength training. During bad periods, my stride was very uneven and I walked with a limp. Within one week of Nordic walking, I am almost walking normally, walking at a faster tempo, and feel less pain. Bonus: it helps my injured shoulder. Age 62

[liberty]

Just got some poles. The speed of my walking increased tremendously, plus it was nice feeling my upper body muscles working as well. This is a FAR superior exercise than just walking.

[iamfortytwo]

I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for your video. After years of thinking about it, I finally started nordic walking a few weeks ago. Your video was super helpful to me, and you have a great calm, easy to understand instruction style. The first couple of days were awkward, but it did get easier every single day. A few weeks in, I am feeling pretty comfortable.
To anybody who is putting it off, just get out there. Even if there are hills around your house or you are thinking you should wait to get better poles. Just start with what you have and go for it, forget about what the neighbours will think when they see you. That is what I finally did, and I love it. I only wish I had started sooner.
Thanks again, RIck.

[nancyconlin]

Rick, thank you for excellent instructional video on proper use of the Leki Nordic Poles. I am 72 and my only exercise is walking. I have poor posture and I have recently noticed my balance is off. really help to correct these problems when I use them. I don’t have Leki poles yet but definitely see them in the near future. I wish I had taken up Nordic Walking years ago? Your video was the best I have viewed.

[fiona]

Leki poles arriving today, had two weeks daily lessons for over an hour a day but learned more from this video! Thank you.

[renwes]

Rick, my husband and I just watched your "How To" with Leki poles as a refresher course; we've been walking with them for a long time. The video is great, nice job! Thank you.

[davidkelly]

Congratulations Rick.This is by far the best training video I have seen.I am 79 and recovering from Sciatica which nearly wiped out my leg muscles.With my Leki shark sticks I CAN WALK.
Thanks again, David Kelly

[puppy_pause]

Thanks for this video Rick, I'm 51 and my mother turned over her precious Leki poles to me. I need the exercise but felt kind of silly using poles on tarmac. After your explanation of why it's better than just walking you've change my impression. Thanks for helping me out in 2019. Keep walking!

[vinapatel]

Thank you do much for clarifying many points and showing proper way to walk with poles.

[litasciturro-smith]

Great video! I am new to Nordic Walking and your video is the best out there. Thanks you. I purchased the Leki carbon travel poles. Really enjoying adding these to my walks!

[dunwirk]

Thank you so much Mr Deutch! I just started today! Poles came. I walked around my back yard. Then drove down street to a walking trail that's called the Independence Greenway in West Peabody Mass. Paved.
YES it is more work then walking alone .But I can FEEL the difference. This is GREAT!
Thanks Again!
Dean

[sdavids]

Rick thank you so much for this great explanation. I bought the Leki poles because of you!

[whateverfor]

I've used my 'poor man's walking poles ' (2 Lysol mop handles with crutch tips) for a good decade. I'd made them for my husband after he had a total hip replacement and hated the walker, and crutches, both hurt his hands. I was reluctant to allow him on conventional hiking poles as they do collapse, so I hit a sale. The mop poles had a good hand grip and the poles were 1 piece so therefore, safer for his hip safety. It allowed him to get moving much quicker than the convential walker patient. For one, he could stand erect, and still be supported. I was told that I should market them, but rather, I told people who were walking around all hunched practically in half to talk to their doctors to see if this idea would help them. Again at the university, my husband was having a scan for something and the tec there asked how he'd done it so successfully. I pulled out a photo of the muscles worked via nordic walking and a photo of my poles. She copied them for her mother. I always tell them to get approval first. Now my husband after a month switched back to his hiking poles. We never did get him the more expensive poles, but he still uses them a few times a month, or if there is a stability issue. I use my poles (the ones that I made for him) a few times per week, mixed in with other forms of walking on other days. I don't just walk with them either, I use them for all sorts of variations in exercise to help expand the chest and back muscles. I love them. I do need to change the tips again...on both. A good thing for post cardiac people. I've used them as a rest tripod. both legs and the tips with tops together with arms when we need a rest, and we do use them on hillsides for stability up steep inclines with just adjustments. It may not be the intent of the hiking poles or the mops, but hey whatever works to keep one safe in a cost-effective manner.

[tabakabaka]

Hello, Mr. Deutsch! Your tutorial was VERY helpful to me! There are lots of instructions on YouTube for Nortdic Walking, but yours, I find absolutelu helpful! Thank you very much!

[bonnieschmelz]

Thanks for explaining in which direction the tips go. Other videos do not address this.

[goheredothis]

Thanks for the video! Just starting out. I watched some other videos and gave it a try with some trekking poles that I had, and added some tips to them. Then I watched your video and increased the height of my poles a good bit, and I think I'm liking that better. They are good poles, and they have a hand-strap so I'd say they're 90% of a dedicated Nordic walking pole, but if I stick with this I foresee getting a pair of Lekis.

One new thing I learned from your video is that it is ok to drag the poles; previously I was picking them up. I notice you do have to have a pretty smooth surface to walk on, or else the poles start bouncing around when you drag them. Part of my walk is wooded, so I sometimes take the rubber tips off and use the carbide one.

That could be a good follow up video, how to deal with different types of terrain, and how to change styles when going up and down hill. Thanks again!

[alvinwong]

Now i remembered.... At 50k trail run i automatically switch my trekking pole walk into Nordic pole walk. It really helped me a lot 😊

[Ppurk]

I am 78 and have been using the spin sharks daily, > 2 miles, and can realy notice inproved toning on arms and core. Thank you.