Ashley Hawke was originally a skeptic of trekking poles. But after twisting an ankle on a tree root while descending a hill during a 2015 backpacking trip, she tried a pair.
“I couldn’t believe how much easier hiking felt, especially while wearing a 40-pound pack,” Ms. Hawke, now 30, said. “I used to think they were just for older people. Now I tell everyone I know to use them.”
As a Ph.D. candidate in integrative physiology, Ms. Hawke did a meta-analysis, scouring 40 years of research into hiking poles. There weren’t many papers, but the ones she found showed that using them often improved balance, took weight off the legs, made hiking feel easier and led to fewer sore muscles.
Other small studies suggest poles can make hiking gentler on your joints and can boost the cardiovascular benefit of walking.
In other words, you don’t need to be a long-distance backpacker — or a senior — to benefit from using trekking poles.
Why use walking poles?
Put simply, poles can help you walk easier, faster and farther. One small study found that walking with poles increased the amount of oxygen and calories subjects used by more than 20 percent.
This is one big reason Aaron Baggish, a cardiologist with the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, often recommends them to patients of all ages, especially those with limited mobility.
“Poles will allow you to get fitter, faster, because it’s a full body workout,” he said.
If you regularly head outdoors onto dirt trails, poles can also help pull yourself uphill and protect your joints going downhill. Sharon Caputo, 55, who lives in Syracuse, N.Y., has climbed all 46 of the high peaks in the Adirondack Mountains, and used poles during each climb.
They take pressure off her knees going downhill, she said, “and they also help spread the wealth from my legs to my arms, so I don’t get as tired.”
Ms. Caputo also finds the poles helpful for balance when walking through water, in deep mud or when moving from one rock to another.
Pick your pole.
Consider whether you’ll use your poles for Nordic walking or hiking.
Nordic poles are better on flatter, smoother surfaces and involve a single piece with more elaborate straps attached at the grip, which keeps the poles close to your hands. This allows you to more easily push yourself forward.
For hikes on undulating dirt trails or up mountains, lightweight, collapsible trekking poles are better, because they’re easier to pack, said Maggie Peikon, manager of communications at the American Hiking Society.
Look for easy adjustability so that you can change lengths on the fly. Also decide which type of grip you like: foam, rubber or cork, which tends to be grippier, even when it’s wet.
Ms. Caputo varies the length of her poles on every hike. “On the way down, I like them a little longer to help with bigger drop-offs,” she said. “On the way up, if I need to use my hands to scramble, I fold them down.”
Also consider the pole’s tip — on dry, paved trails or sidewalks, a rubber tip is best. If you’re heading onto a dirt path, or if there’s snow or ice, a metal tip provides greater stability (though the metal can sometimes damage rocks).
You’ll want to learn how to adjust and use your wrist straps, too. Grip the handle and make sure the strap is resting snugly but comfortably around the back of your wrist. If not, play around with the adjustments until you find your sweet spot.
You can also bring your poles to a physical therapist to find the setup that works for your body, Dr. Baggish said.
Find your technique.
The classic position for any pole — Nordic or trekking — is straight down, so that your arms are parallel with the ground and your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. In this position, your arms can help to power your movement.
Don’t let the poles alter how you walk or hike. “The poles shouldn’t change your natural walking rhythm,” Ms. Peikon said. “It should feel intuitive to use them, not a hindrance to your natural cadence.”
Try to consciously engage your arms and shoulders. Focus on pushing down to propel yourself forward. Hiking downhill won’t be as much of a push motion, but rather a stabilizing plant, Ms. Peikon said. Do your best to maintain an upright posture, never hunching over your poles.
“It may feel awkward to use them at first,” said Ms. Peikon, “which is why practicing with them on flat, level terrain is best.”
You can also play around with using one pole or two. Ms. Peikon prefers one: “If I have a misstep, I like having a hand free to catch myself,” she said.
In the end, how you use them comes down to preference — don’t overthink it and don’t overspend, Ms. Hawke said. “Sometimes, the random hiking stick you find on the side of the trail works just fine, too.”
Amanda Loudin is a freelance writer covering health and science.
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