According to Bill Ames at HikingReviews.com, trekking or hiking poles offer you a variety of benefits. While ranging in size, weight and composition, trekking poles typically are light, capable of bearing considerable weight and can be stowed easily in or on your pack, particularly if they possess a telescoping feature. Consider using trekking poles for short and long journeys, especially if you have lower extremity musculoskeletal problems, as hiking poles significantly reduce the overall wear and tear on your body's joints and muscles.
Upper Body Exercise
Using trekking poles allows you to exercise your upper body while hiking, which helps tone your arms, chest, shoulders and back, and assists your lower body, especially when you're going uphill. Hikers who don't use trekking poles typically swing their arms freely or grab the straps of their packs to help stabilize their core muscles and aid forward movement. Using trekking poles while hiking helps distribute the physiological demands of your activity more evenly between your upper and lower body, and it helps you build upper body strength and muscular endurance. Incorporating your arms into your hiking workout also challenges your cardiovascular system to adapt to the physiological demands of quadrupedal motion or motion that requires all four of your limbs for propulsion. Using trekking poles helps you burn additional calories without making you feel as though you're working harder.
Enhanced Balance
One of the most important benefits of using hiking poles is the heightened sense of balance you experience on the trail, which is particularly helpful for those whose coordination is hampered by a medical condition or those who are afraid of falling. Possessing a lightweight and functional stability aid, such as a trekking pole or poles, can improve your confidence and reduce your likelihood of falling. Trekking poles can be particularly useful when you're traversing uneven or slippery ground, and they can even help boost your average speed while hiking. According to a 2001 study published in the journal "Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise," using trekking poles enables you to walk at a faster speed and reduces the level of force on your knee. Trekking poles are also valuable as probes to scan water or mud before crossing a river or stream or for testing the thickness and strength of ice.
Reduced Muscle and Joint Wear and Tear
According to a 2010 study published in the journal "Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise," using trekking poles reduces your ratings of perceived exertion--the measurement used to quantify your perceived level of effort for a physical task--during mountain ascents. The researchers also note that using trekking poles reduces possible muscle damage, maintains your muscle integrity following a bout of hiking and lowers your risk of experiencing a hiking-related injury. Using hiking poles reduces stress on your weight-bearing joints too, especially if you're carrying a backpack filled with supplies. A more even distribution of your weight, along with balanced muscle tone, helps reduce unnecessary wear and tear on your lower extremity joints. Consider using trekking poles for multihour or multiday treks, as this will help you avoid musculoskeletal pain or discomfort, allow you to recover quicker following bouts of activity and improve your stamina.
References
- HikingReviews.com: The Benefits of Trekking Poles
- "Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise;" Effects of Walking Poles on Lower Extremity Gait Mechanics; John Willson et al.; January 2001
- "Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise;" Trekking Poles Reduce Exercise-Induced Muscle Injury During Mountain Walking; Glyn Howatson et al.; May 2010
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