Check out the October issue of Prevention magazine with Dr. Oz on the front!

I was involved with an 8 week study using Balance Walking poles this past spring. A friend asked for volunteers and about 10 ladies in my area signed up to track our walking, eating, toning and quiet time. Our team name was "Chicks with Sticks"! We worked with the Balance Walking head chief guru as well, and we were asked to at least walk 15 minutes/day (or more!) with the poles. We sent our results in weekly so they could see how the teams from around the U.S. fared using this opportunity.

While I didn't lose weight and had already been committed to exercise; it was good for me to track my food on a daily basis. I loved using the poles and really felt the push in my shoulders and arms. These are a much different use than hiking poles, which I also use on our Colorado hikes. The tips are curved so the walker pushes off with more effort. They are adjustable for different fitness levels. Some of the women did lose weight and inches during the 8 weeks.

This type of exercise is really good for beginners to fitness as well as those who are already doing something. I have trained for half-marathons, but I find running is a bit harder on my body than I like. This really is a great way to get a good workout, get your heart rate up, protect the knees, use your upper body and enjoy time with family and friends outdoors.

While I am not quoted in Prevention magazine, I am part of "38 women" and a photo of two of our gals from our Colorado team made it in!!

I highly endorse the nordic walking style (and I am not an employee of Balance Walking!) Check out their website to learn more about Balance Walking and how to purchase them if you would like!

Happy walking!
Julia : )