Over six million Europeans are Balance Walking. What in the h— is that you ask. It’s a new fitness activity that involves using walking poles during stride, which in turn, turbo charges the normal walking regimen.
Balance Walking, sometimes referred to as Nordic Pole Walking and described as cross-country skiing without the skis, exercises the entire body encouraging an upright posture and balance without placing unnecessary stress on the muscles, ligaments and tendons.
Essentially, you use your arms to push off from the poles, engaging the entire range of upper-body muscles. The poles relieve lower body strain and tone the shoulders, arms, and back.
The sport, which got its start 10 years ago in Europe, is enjoyed by millions worldwide. It is just recently gaining popularity in the U.S. Utilizing Nordic Ski Walking Poles, or Balance Walking Poles, encourages improved walking posture, while the poles and your arms absorb an impressive amount of the shock that would typically hit the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is ideal for athletes, kids, adults of all ages and even folks with balance issues.
If you are looking to increase the effectiveness of a walking program, Chung Shi revolutionary fitness shoes and Balance Walking Poles are the perfect blend of moderate exercise with significant results.
The Chung Shi rocker-soled shoe give you a workout each time you put them on, helping you lose weight, tone muscles and improve posture with each step. The secret is Chung Shi’s unique, angled sole that encourages a soft heel strike with a natural, forward-rolling action, helping work muscles harder and burn more calories with each step. [adsense]
Nordic Balance Walking adds core and upper-body regimens to your walk, and burns up to 46 percent more calories than normal walking. Combine Nordic Walking poles and Chung Shi shoes, and you’ve got the ultimate fat blasting, muscle toning walking regimen. The beauty of this exercise is that you can be 85, and enjoy the same action and routine as a 25-year-old. The combination of the Balance Walking Poles and the Chung Shi shoes increase calorie burning 50 percent over walking or jogging alone.
“As a coach for the Balance Walking program, I believe that not only is this a wonderful program, but anyone can do it, it’s perfect for all fitness levels. Whenever you combine both upper body and lower and get maximized results but with less stress to the rest of your joints than it’s a winner! I have been involved with many different types of programs over the years, but this one will be around for a very long time because we all want to walk. Give it a try and you just might have fun doing it,”, says Laurie Marks, Master Trainer Balance Walking.
Foot Solutions ®, a worldwide company with more than 240 franchise locations and headquartered in Marietta, GA, is a recognized leader in specialty footwear, custom inserts and technology driven health and wellness products. They sell the Chung Shi line and different styles of Balance Walking Poles and other accessories. Poles run around $60, while the Chung Shi Footwear ranges from $245 to $300. (www.balancewalking.com, www.footsolutions.com, www.chungshiusa.com)
