Sun Run 2020: Surrey woman 'hooked' on Nordic pole walking for health and fitness
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 16:00:46 +0000
Nordic pole-walking is not only fun, for Leanne Booth of Surrey it has been a path to recovery and health.
Booth, 65, a retired accountant and co-leader at a Running Room walking clinic, tried out the trendy sport in 2012 as a way to replace the cane she was using after hip surgery, and she was hooked.
She joined the Port Coquitlam Running Room walking group, which has a five-kilometre group, but wanted to walk longer distances, so she switched to the 10-kilometre Langley group.
One of the instructors suggested she walk with poles instead of the cane, so she did and was amazed by the results.
“The improvement to my balance was just incredible because you are standing up straight and not favouring one side of your body over the other. It was so wonderful, and I’ve been walking with the poles ever since,” she said.
“It keeps your body even and you get an awesome upper-body workout.”
Over time, and as her distance increased, Booth began to notice how strong she felt in her body, and how her legs and arms became much more toned.
“When you go up a hill with regular walking, your legs are working really hard, but when you walk with the poles, you are moving your arms at the same time. You have to get the length of your pole going, so you are really working out your back and arms. Even walking on flat ground you notice it.”
Booth had to have a second hip replacement because of her osteoarthritis, and says the pole-walking sped up her recovery.
“The recovery time was incredible because of being so active,” said Booth, who trains with the poles three times a week or more.
“Your balance is so much more improved that you don’t have to be afraid of tripping, and from using the poles I have been able to go faster without tiring out, so my cardio has improved a lot. I know my endurance is higher than it has ever been. In some ways, my health is better than it was in college.”
She is training to walk this year’s BMO Vancouver Half Marathon, which takes place in May, but it won’t be her first. She has used her poles and completed several half-marathons, including Victoria and Las Vegas, usually completing the 21-kilometre courses in about three and a half hours.
She has also taken part in many Vancouver Sun Runs, and always with her poles, despite the massive crowd.
“You change your stride a little bit, and you change the distance you are putting your poles out and you must be cognizant of the people around you, you always have to be. Sometimes you will pull over to the side and take the path less travelled, but I have never had a problem.”
The poles she uses collapse so she can pack them in her suitcase and go for hikes in other countries. In addition to her poles, Booth recommends using a hydration pack, because it’s so much easier to get a drink from the hose rather than trying to get a water bottle out of a waist belt while holding poles.
As for shoes, Steve Mattina, B.C. regional manager for the Running Room, said while you don’t need footwear specifically designed for Nordic walking, choosing the right fitting shoe is important.
At the Running Room, staff will do a gait analysis for a proper shoe fitting. Mattina said from that they can determine the walker or runner’s personal biomechanics and then select the right footwear.