Using hiking or trekking poles has many advantages. Hiking poles typically are lightweight and sturdy, and they can easily be packed with your other gear, especially if the poles are of the telescoping variety. Hiking poles range from wooden sticks to ultralight aluminum or carbon fiber, they typically stand to a height just above your waist. Hikers traveling long distances tend to use hiking poles to reduce wear and tear on their bodies, exercise their upper bodies and improve their balance, especially in rough terrain.
Weight Distribution
According to a 2000 study that examined the muscular and metabolic costs of uphill backpacking published in "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise," the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, the use of hiking poles helps alleviate stress on your lower extremities and redistributes some of your backpack weight. On flatter terrain, the benefits of pole hiking are not as apparent when compared with hiking performed in rougher terrain. When you're hiking uphill or downhill, though, poles can help reduce the burden and impact on your joints, especially if you're carrying a heavy pack. Another study published in "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" in 2007 that examined the effects of hiking downhill using trekking poles while carrying external loads concluded that hiking poles help reduce the forces around your joints, which reduces the load on lower joints and tissues.
Upper-Body Workout
For many hikers, using hiking poles is an opportunity to exercise their upper bodies. Without poles, most trekkers grasp the straps of their backpacks and use only their legs to propel themselves. Exercising your upper body while trekking can help reduce the burden on your lower extremities and boost your upper-body strength and endurance. It also contributes to a better overall workout. According to a 2008 study that examined physiological responses to hiking and perceived exertion and was published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," the use of trekking poles can burn more calories, as energy production is elevated during exercise, without increases in perceived exertion (the measurement exercise physiologists use to quantify your perception of physical effort or work). You're not likely to develop bulging muscles from using hiking poles, but hiking poles will help tone your upper-body muscles.
Improved Balance
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of trekking poles is the improved balance they afford, which is especially helpful for people who feel apprehensive about falling. For some people, especially seniors, the difference between getting out for a walk and not walking is balance and how confident you are in your ability to remain upright. Using hiking poles to assist your balance is especially important on rocky or uneven terrain. According to a 2009 study about the effects of continuous hiking pole use on balance published in "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise," you should use trekking poles while hiking to increase your stability and lessen the forces placed on your lower extremities. Trekking poles are especially helpful in providing lateral stability, and they can even reduce knee pain. They can be used for support when climbing over rocks or boulders, and they can be used to probe the depths of mud or water when you are fording a stream or other body of water.
References
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise;" Muscular and Metabolic Costs of Uphill Backpacking: Are Hiking Poles Beneficial?; 2000
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise;" Effects of Hiking Downhill Using Trekking Poles While Carrying External Loads; 2007
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research;" Trekking Poles Increase Physiological Responses to Hiking Without Increased Perceived Exertion; 2008
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise;" The Effects of Continuous Hiking Pole Use on Acute Static and Dynamic Balance of Men and Women Hikers; 2009
Member Comments