Have you tried Nordic walking?
You might have seen someone walking with sticks and looked at them like they were´nt completely sane. Walking with sticks, why would you do that?
To begin with it´s called to walk with poles and not sticks. It´s a tradition from Finland originally. From the beginning it was supposed to be a way to train for skiing when there was no snow. Today it´s a great way to vary your workout.
So why would you want to walk with poles? If I tell you that you can burn up to 40% more calories would you be interested then? Or that it is good for your joints and that you will build muscles? The benefits are many!
Deciding what kind of pole is the best for you is very important. It all depends on your height.
Before you start you will have to learn the technique, just as in power walking there is a special technique to learn how to walk to get the most out of your training.
So do you need snow? No, that´s the good thing about this, no snow is needed.
If you like walking this is a great way to vary your walk or to find a totally new sport that suits you.
Have you tried Nordic walking?
Good information on your post, but unfortunately, the picture is not accurate. The man in the photograph is using cross-country ski poles, not Nordic Walking poles, and is just strolling in the snow, not using Nordic Walking technique. Claire @ http://nordic-walking-usa.blogspot.com.
That is absolutely true, thank you Claire for pointing that out! The image should have shown a Nordic Walker, my apologies.