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Monday, March 11, 2013

New Walking Sticks

My daughter appeared carrying a longish box decorated with a big colorful bow.  She said she bought me a present and wanted to get it to me before I bought some. Then I knew what it was....... walking poles. 

I got into the habit of using walking sticks and mine went kaput. A few years back, when I started walking, I used some old ski poles but then graduated to a cheapie pair of sticks with 2 adjustments on each  pole and a non-carbon probe. I soon learned to dislike the 2 adjustments because they didn't stay locked and kept falling apart as I walked. I also had worn the tip to the nibs.

I guess she was tired of me grumbling about my sticks. The new ones are super nice with one adjustment, lightweight but strong with carbon probes. Very soon the mountain behind my house will be free of ice and I can shorten the poles a little for the steeper incline.

Do you remember the early Nordic Track? Walking with sticks is that kind of motion as one gets a rhythm going with the feet and arms. I must be a trend setter, as I'm noticing more and more people using the sticks in the park.

When I began walking daily, it was to exercise Cody. Now it's more for me. My body craves that walk every day, come snow, high winds, hell or floods. See ya on the trail.

Do you have a daily exercise program keeping you captive?

53 comments:

  1. Oh these are NICE!! May you have many happy energetic walks with these babies!!

    I follow a very gentle aeorobics exercise regime every day with lots of stretching involved! :-)

    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Old Kitty
      Lots of stretching makes long, lean muscles. You go. And, you don't have to leave the house, either

      Delete
  2. I love going on nature walks myself - very cathartic and also doubles as exercise.

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    Replies
    1. Keith
      Walking is great but I wish I had more time to walk. I do my 5 miles and that is all the time I can spare.

      Delete
  3. With all of my crap, I'd need the sticks to keep me standing if i walked tht much lol used to have one, but not any more. Now just do what I can do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat,Have to do something about that. I have note
      books and notebooks of old timey recipes that will cure any ancient/nodern .

      Delete
    2. If only I knew what it was. Terry, showed me the worm pills, so will give that a try, if they ever get here. Then if that doesn't work, notebook time indeed. I'd lick the litter box if someone told me it would work lol

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  4. I'm bad...Got out of the habit of walking. You're an inspiration...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. turquoisemoon
      But you nourish your soul. I don't.

      Delete
  5. Hi Manzanita,

    I'm liking the fact you get out there and get that exercise. Such a positive resource and I know you immerse yourself with the wonders of the great outdoors.

    I find it hard to um 'stick' to a routine. Although I did get a lot of exercise about three years ago when an ambulance wiped out my car. Oh, the irony. Yes, I didn't have a car for two years and did loads of walking. Amazing what lengths our universal health care will go to to see me get some exercise :)

    Be well, my friend.

    In kindness,

    Gary :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gary
      That conniving Universe!!!! A gal I know (I guess she could be called the town lush) had her driver's lic. taken away for a year. She walked everywhere in this small town but at the end of that year she turned out to have a gorgeous figure. Slim, toned and sober. Again, points for the Universe. Ha
      Sorry about your car. Did you get right into the ambulance?

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    2. I was taken into the ambulance and checked over to see if I was okay by the ambulance driver who had decided to um 'customise' my car. Lot of irony that night! :)

      Delete
  6. Dad always found his walking sticks here and there through out the woods. We are blessed with many of his "crudgels" and keep every one.

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    Replies
    1. Gail
      Those are nice walking sticks. I've found some beautiful ones at the farmers market, made by guys who find the wood locally.

      Delete
  7. I was using my walking sticks a lot, but my shoulders are aching right now so I have to leave them, behind. I really like them though. I used to have the Nordic Track but we just donated it and bought a treadmill for my mother. She couldn't handle the Nordic Track.

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    Replies
    1. Kay
      People used to say they really benefited from the Nordic tract but I never had one. How great that your mother walks on the treadmill.

      Delete
  8. How sweet! Your Daughter is a chip off the ole Block. I do need to get more exercise and am planning on riding my bike more this year. I was just thinking yesterday that I need to get it out and clean it up.

    Hugs and love to you!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Terry,
      I sold my bike when I moved to Bozeman..... too much traffic there. It's a college town and all the kids ride bikes but I don't see that well and I feel so vulnerable with cars whizzing all around me. I used to ride bike and Cody just ran along beside me. Good for you.... get that bike out and take your camera and you'll find lots of posts.
      Love ya

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  9. Now that I am feeling better I am hoping to add more regular exercise to my daily routine. My mom just got her bike tuned up. I am building up my courage to see if the old adage holds true... the one about riding a bike, that is...

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    Replies
    1. Robin
      Oh, I hope those headache culprits stay away so you can get on with your life. I found that old adage about riding a bike wasn't exactly true for me. I didn't ride for years and then I bought a bike. OMG I could barely keep it upright and I was scared. It actually took awhile before I could ride and feel comfortable about it. But I sold it and I'm sticking with walking.
      That is so great that your mom is riding too. You two will have fun riding together and you can take a lot of pictures as you pedal.

      Delete
  10. I am trying to walk more. Broke my ankle 2 yrs. ago, it healed badly. Slowly getting back into the routine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan,
      So sorry to hear you broke an ankle. It's impossible to go for long walks when your feet are hurting. Happy to hear you are recovering. Can you ride a bike?

      Delete
  11. Now those really look neat. I have seen folks using them. I am still at the stage of walking for Mighty, not for me. He has two repaired knees and a remarkable capacity to pee on everything he sees so we don't set any records speed wise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patti,
      I used to walk and stop, walk and stop and with my old poles, they kept breaking down and I'd have to put them together. I never noticed that the walking was doing anything for my body.
      Now, I've used these new poles 3 times and yesterday, every muscle in my body hurt. Yay.... walking really does work when it's done right. I get a rhythm going with my feet and arms and it's a fairly brisk clip. It's faster and more even than I used to walk. I must have used muscles that I've never used before. I can hardly wait now and see if this will make a difference in my body and weight.

      Delete
  12. Those sticks look fantastic. I can definitely see their use for walking. And for smacking that jerk who let his dog get up in your grille!

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    Replies
    1. Al,
      Funny, that's the first thing I thought of too. Now I have a weapon for the jerky dogs and their owners.Ha

      Delete
  13. Cool! Also handy for picking up wayward litter and cold-cocking any would-be robber :)

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    Replies
    1. Carol
      Ha Ha Ha...I thought about the bad guys but now I can add beauty to the environment. Al Gore will love me. (Yuck, scratch that thought)

      Delete
  14. How very thoughtful of your daughter to get those new sticks for you. She must be an apple who didn't fall far from the tree. You put most of us to shame. I do some walking, and love to do it, but don't do it nearly as often as I should. Mostly, I exercise my fingers at the keyboard, and my insides by laughing. (That's like jogging on the inside, right?) Oh, and I HOP from blog to blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan,
      Ha ha ha I never thought about innards jogging. And you tickle the ivories ..... good finger exercise too.
      Only reason I got into walking was because of this herding pup. Geej but they need a lot of exercise. a walk around the block on a leash just won't do it. (Unlike my old chihuahua that died). As soon as the ice is gone in the mountains, I can just walk out my back door and hike. Dogs don't have to be leashed on the mountains or at the fair grounds.

      Delete
  15. Handsome looking walking sticks. The Husband and I keep ours in the trunk, and then remember when we're on a trail that they are there. With a walking stick, I feel more confident on steep trails, especially coming down. With Spring, we ought to start hiking again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Su-siee
      Ha ha, The trunks a good place.
      I keep an assortment of single walking sticks in the corner of my back porch...... along with all the junk piled up that goes into the garage. It's too cold to run out to the garage with one little item, so I just pile them up until I can no longer get in and out. Ha Hurry spring.

      Delete
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    I wanteԁ to ѕee ωhаt thiѕ ρizza сould offeг me.


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    ReplyDelete
  17. I walk to and from the fridge a lot, does that count?
    No?
    okay, I'll try harder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. River
      I suppose it would count if you take the long way, Like out the front door, around the block and in the back door. Ha ha

      Delete
  18. The dog makes sure I get out too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John
      Dogs are great exercise promoters. I don't think I'd be as gung ho over walking if it wasn't for this naer-do-well ... now spoiled... rescued pup.

      Delete
  19. Lovely walking poles, Manzanita,and how thoughtful of your daughter. I think you are amazing, with all the exercise you do! We have a Siberian spell of weather here at the moment, with really biting, bitterly cold winds, so really too cold to go out, as you can hardly stand up. I can't wait for spring, so that I can really get out walking again in earnest. I think I owe it to myself to stay as healthy as possible, in order to see my gorgeous grandchildren grow up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thisisme
      That is such a healthy and generous reason to keep fit. Those little darlings need you in their life and you need to watch them grow up. I always said too, that I took good care of my health because I never want to be a burden to my kids. Soon you can get out in that gorgeous yard of yours.

      Delete
  20. Karen
    That is what I do too. You get every kind of exercise from that. No wonder you are being such a girly girl these days. Ha

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  21. I've never walked with sticks or poles. I can see how on steep/rocky trails they'd come in handy. As for exercise, I do water aerobic 3 to 4 times a week, walk the treadmill once or twice a week, and yoga. Love it.

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  22. Bish,
    Boy, you got me beat by miles. Although this isn't a contest but if it were, you'd win. Ha

    ReplyDelete
  23. You might need the walking stick to fight off that rude guy's dogs!

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  24. JJ
    You are so right .... and perhaps use it on the rude guy, too. Ha

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have a daily stretching routine I do before starting my day. It prevents me from injuring myself.

    Dropping by from A to Z Challenge. This is my first year participating.

    Brett Minor
    Transformed Nonconformist

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brett
      That morning stretch really must get you going. I wish I could get into that habit but my critters are always waiting to be fed and I get distracted Ha.
      See Ya on on A-Z trail.
      Thanks for stopping.

      Delete
  26. I see a lot of walking sticks when I'm out hiking and I hike in the mountains a lot. It always seemed like extra work to me, but on the other hand I'm getting a reputation for tipping over and I could probably stand to get used to a pair.

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    Replies
    1. Murr,
      Ha ha Yeah, there are probably better things you can get a reputation for (and also worse) but the walking sticks/poles (whatever your choice) does help with the balance on the steep places. After 3 days of using the new ones, I was sore all over my body, shoulders, arms, back, butt, and I've been walking walking for years BUT with these I cold go faster and it was easy to hold that even clip once I set a rhythm with my arms and legs.

      Delete
  27. I'm no good at exercise programmes. You're an inspiration. I will try harder.

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  28. Dear Ros,
    I'm really not good either but I have to walk the dog each day so my walking programs is pre-determined for me.If I'm late or miss a day, she'll let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  29. A lot of pepole use them here in AZ, there are little mrks along the sandy trails ;-) I just like one wooden stick for going down steep inclines. It's my 3rd leg!

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