Max
04-08-2003, 09:37 AM
Sticks help take risk out of walking
Chris Zdeb
The Edmonton Journal
Monday, April 07, 2003
CREDIT: Brian Gavriloff, The Journal
Paul Reid and his son, Kyle, on his bike. In front, inventor Richard Hirtle with the walking sticks he designed.
CREDIT: Brian Gavriloff, The Journal
Paul Reid and his son Kyle as he tries out the new walking stick. Reid, who has spinal cord injury, uses special walking sticks called WorkOut Poles.
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EDMONTON - You could spend fifteen hundred bucks on a treadmill, a thousand bucks on an elliptical trainer, four hundred bucks for a workout centre bench.
Or you could plunk down $110 on a couple of hickory sticks.
Lili Liu loves her WorkOut Poles so much she has parked her car at home and now walks the 20 minutes to and from her job as an occupational therapist in the Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty at the University of Alberta.
"They're versatile, inexpensive -- if you think about exercise equipment, and you can integrate them into your daily lifestyle," she says. An improved version of the walking poles are a big craze with European hikers right now.
The poles allow Paul Reid, who has a spinal cord injury, to walk alongside five-year-old son Kyle, who is learning to ride a two-wheeler with training wheels. Before, he just didn't go for outside walks for fear of falling.
"I started to use the sticks and discovered right away, while they may be good for lower back pain and exercise, the biggest thing for me was freedom," says Reid, who also works in the Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty.
They're so simple yet do so much, it's hard to believe, says inventor Richard Hirtle of Edmonton who came up with the idea when he decided to get fit.
Besides straightening posture, which also relieves chronic back pain, the custom-made poles improve stamina, allow users to walk faster than normal giving them a cardiovascular workout, and improve the workout of a regular walk by working the upper body as well as the legs.
"It burns a minimum of 20 per cent more calories," says Hirtle. "It's the only tool you need for physical fitness."
The poles are made of hickory from Maine, because it's the toughest wood you can get and it absorbs vibration. Rubber hand grips on the top of each pole allow the user to push against the poles as he walks strengthening arm muscles. Rubber stoppers on the bottom that can be reversed to extend their use -- Hirtle says he's walked 1,000 miles on one side of his stoppers which show little wear -- prevent falls.
Liu hopes to study the value of the poles to seniors and fitness.
For more information on the poles check out Hirtle's Web site www.workoutpoles.com (http://www.workoutpoles.com).
© Copyright 2003 Edmonton Journal
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=931D9F4A-C679-4726-9288-0A257D38474C
Chris Zdeb
The Edmonton Journal
Monday, April 07, 2003
CREDIT: Brian Gavriloff, The Journal
Paul Reid and his son, Kyle, on his bike. In front, inventor Richard Hirtle with the walking sticks he designed.
CREDIT: Brian Gavriloff, The Journal
Paul Reid and his son Kyle as he tries out the new walking stick. Reid, who has spinal cord injury, uses special walking sticks called WorkOut Poles.
ADVERTISEMENT
EDMONTON - You could spend fifteen hundred bucks on a treadmill, a thousand bucks on an elliptical trainer, four hundred bucks for a workout centre bench.
Or you could plunk down $110 on a couple of hickory sticks.
Lili Liu loves her WorkOut Poles so much she has parked her car at home and now walks the 20 minutes to and from her job as an occupational therapist in the Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty at the University of Alberta.
"They're versatile, inexpensive -- if you think about exercise equipment, and you can integrate them into your daily lifestyle," she says. An improved version of the walking poles are a big craze with European hikers right now.
The poles allow Paul Reid, who has a spinal cord injury, to walk alongside five-year-old son Kyle, who is learning to ride a two-wheeler with training wheels. Before, he just didn't go for outside walks for fear of falling.
"I started to use the sticks and discovered right away, while they may be good for lower back pain and exercise, the biggest thing for me was freedom," says Reid, who also works in the Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty.
They're so simple yet do so much, it's hard to believe, says inventor Richard Hirtle of Edmonton who came up with the idea when he decided to get fit.
Besides straightening posture, which also relieves chronic back pain, the custom-made poles improve stamina, allow users to walk faster than normal giving them a cardiovascular workout, and improve the workout of a regular walk by working the upper body as well as the legs.
"It burns a minimum of 20 per cent more calories," says Hirtle. "It's the only tool you need for physical fitness."
The poles are made of hickory from Maine, because it's the toughest wood you can get and it absorbs vibration. Rubber hand grips on the top of each pole allow the user to push against the poles as he walks strengthening arm muscles. Rubber stoppers on the bottom that can be reversed to extend their use -- Hirtle says he's walked 1,000 miles on one side of his stoppers which show little wear -- prevent falls.
Liu hopes to study the value of the poles to seniors and fitness.
For more information on the poles check out Hirtle's Web site www.workoutpoles.com (http://www.workoutpoles.com).
© Copyright 2003 Edmonton Journal
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=931D9F4A-C679-4726-9288-0A257D38474C