January was Active Living month, but how do you stay active? How about giving urban poling a try? The Gloria Hayden Community Centre was the host of an urban poling demonstration, a sport that makes walking easier.
Jannalee Edgar with Parkland Physical Therapy describes it as a way to ‘amp up your walking exercise routine.’ Walkers use two poles to help propel themselves as they walk. While poling people use 90 per cent of their muscle mass, Edgar said.
“You’re going to feel more stable, it’s going to have an increase in your posture.”
The sport is ideal for seniors, said Edgar, because the poles provide plenty of stability, something that is necessary when someone is at risk of falling. By using the poles, seniors can continue walking but also safe as they keep active.
Poling is an especially good sport to take up for people who have had knee surgery, Edgar noted, as instead of a cane or a crutch someone could use the poles to walk as another option.
The hope with doing the demonstration in Active Living Month, people will use the skill throughout the year, and hopefully through the rest of their lives, said Edgar.
She also noted that while the poles are primarily used for walking, you can also do much more, including exercise routine using the poles.
“They can create a little bit more stability. So if you’re doing standing exercises, or standing balance exercises, you can create more stability with those as well.”
January is Active Living Month, and Edgar hopes that with the demonstration of urban poling, the people who attended have a skill they can use for the rest of their lives to stay active.
