Nordic pole walking originated in Finland in the early 20th century as a summer training exercise for cross country skiers.

The real breakthrough of this activity as a practiced exercise came in 1997, when a Finnish company, in cooperation with athletes and sports medicine experts, invented a new wrist strap system to make the present-day Nordic walking technique possible.

With the proper technique and equipment – just two poles and good walking shoes – there’s an astonishing list of benefits to taking up Nordic pole walking.

Benefits for Older Women

Anyone can do Nordic pole walking, but there are particular benefits for older women. In fact, the greatest segment of the population who commit to this sport are over 55, with some avid Nordic pole walkers as old as 100.

This sport gives you a tall feeling – naturally aligning your spine and strengthening your core. Over 50% more muscles are engaged than walking without poles. Pole walking targets arms, abdominals, waist, chest, bottom, hips and thighs.

A side benefit? In particular, this helps burn the unwanted back fat and floppy arms that torment many of us!

Studies have also proven that pole walking is beneficial for breast cancer treated women with arm lymphedema.

Budget-friendly Equipment

With any sport or activity, it’s important to have the right equipment and instruction. Fortunately, Nordic pole walking is budget-friendly and the equipment is simple to transport. As stated above, all that is required is a good pair of walking shoes and two proper poles.

Lightweight shoes or trainers with a flexible sole are a necessity, as the foot bends when you push off for each stride.

“Don’t be tempted to use skiing, hiking or trekking poles, which are designed for totally different purposes,” says Cathy McNorgan of Wellesley, Ontario, a physiotherapist and certified Nordic walking instructor.

This article has specific information for seniors interested in purchasing poles. The author, Pete Edwards says, “Seniors and anyone with a balance issue should never be recommended to use 2-piece or 3-piece twist-lock or flip-lock walking poles.”

All Nordic walking poles have a spike tip at the bottom for walking on grass and trails. This spike is covered with a rubber boot-tip that grips sidewalks and indoor surfaces. Some poles have thick ergonomic handles, while others have a thin handle with a wrist strap. Any knowledgeable sporting goods store staff will be able to assist you with the right choice.

Average prices range from $70.00 to $200.00. A good addition to a birthday or Christmas list!

Where and How to Walk

You can Nordic pole walk anywhere, in any season. Nordic walking can be done in any location – city or countryside.

Just step out your door – preferably with some good company – and away you go. You may initially think this is no different than going for an ordinary walk. The statistics prove differently!

This sport uses similar movements and muscles as cross-country skiing. The walking poles are ideal for wintry weather but also suited to any season and any landscape.

It’s also a sport that can be easily learned. “Trekking with poles is walking with serious attitude,” says Jayah Faye Paley, a certified trainer from California.

The cadences of the arms, legs and body are, rhythmically speaking, similar to those used in normal, vigorous walking. The range of arm movement regulates the length of the stride.

Health Benefits

Most importantly, the proven health benefits are enormous. Research shows that this low impact, full body sport strengthens the upper body and core, decreases stress on the hips and knees, increases your heart rate and burns 20% more calories than simply walking.

According to Marja-Leana Keast, PT, “Nordic walking has also recently been investigated as a potential rehabilitation modality for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and fibromyalgia, post-acute coronary syndrome or congestive heart failure, and orthopaedic issues such as arthritis and peripheral neuropathies.”

Keast adds, “Nordic walking is great for cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation patients.”

Using poles offloads weight from hips, knees and lower spine, and into the upper body, making it ideal for some clients who have arthritis or low back pain, or are easing back into activity after surgery.

Have you tried Nordic pole walking? What are your favorite aspects of this activity? Do you have your own walking group? Please share your advice and experiences with the Sixty and Me community.

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that it’s best to gift yourself even if you’re partnered up. Sure, your S.O. might get you a necklace or new perfume but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing what you really want: Bath & Body Works’ Valentine’s Day goods. As usual, the retailer is going all out for the romantic holiday with fragrance mists, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, body wash, bath foam, lip scrub, hand soap and 3-wick candles in 15 new fragrances. Phew! We told you it was a lot.

The collection is sugary sweet with scents like Coconut Cream Pie and Strawberry Pound Cake. The packaging is seriously cute, as expected from Bath & Body Works, in shades of red, pink and gold. Pick up a few for yourself (you deserve a night of self-care!) and grab some for your friends, work wife and mom. There’s so much to choose from, with even more fragrances online than you can find in the store.

Shop a few of our favorites below and visit Bath & Body Works for the rest of the Valentine’s Day goodies.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Bath & Body Works.

Raspberry Jam Donut Shower Gel

With scents of wild raspberry jam, powdered sugar and donuts.

Bath & Body Works.

Pineapple Pancakes 3-Wick Candle

With pineapple, pancakes, banana, and brown sugar essential oils.

Bath & Body Works.

Coconut Cream Pie Ultra Shea Body Cream

With scents of toasted coconut flakes, caramel custard and pie crust.

Bath & Body Works.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Super Smooth Body Lotion

With scents of milk chocolate, cherries and sweet liqueur.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubble Rosé 3-Wick Candle

With rosé, blood orange and cranberry juice with essential oils.

A ticking clock in your home can affect you in ways you may not realize.

One of the primary effects of living with a ticking clock is that you are likely to feel that time is limited or running out for you. This is because the constant background ticking noise provides a continual reminder that time is passing. Your conscious mind soon learns to tune it out but your subconscious continues to hear every tick.

I’ve found this to be the case with every client I’ve ever worked with who has a ticking clock in a prominent location in their home, and there is scientific evidence for this phenomenon, too.

In one study by researchers at Florida State University, people were asked to fill out questionnaires about their ideal partner and at what age they would like to get married and have children. It was found that when there was a ticking clock in the room, women opted for getting married and having babies at an earlier age.

Those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were the most affected, but I have found that anyone who has a ticking clock in their home is subject to feeling there is generally not enough time. Remove the clock or replace it with a silent one and the belief will usually melt away.

Feeling that Life is Repetitive and Boring

Another effect of a ticking clock is that the monotonous, repetitive sound can cause you to feel that your existence is nothing more than a series of cycles, repeated day after day, week after week, year after year.

Some people say that they find the ticking noise comforting and enjoy having a safe, predictable life, but as Benjamin Franklin once put it, “Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” There is so much more possible in life than doing the same things over and over again.

A Ticking Clock May Affect Your Body Rhythms

The human body has many different rhythms. We each have a unique heartbeat that is so distinctive that technology is now being developed to use it as the most secure password system ever invented. There is also the rhythm of our breath, our brainwave frequencies and our personal sleep-wake cycle. Most cells in the body have their own circadian rhythm.

External rhythms can affect these. It is well established that depriving a person of sunlight can disrupt their sleep cycle, and certain types of music can lower blood pressure and heart rate.

A study conducted by Shoko Yamane and Naohiro Matsumura in 2015 in Japan showed that having a slow ticking clock in a room has an entrainment effect that slows a person’s performance. There are likely to be many other effects that have not yet been monitored.

Solutions

A ticking clock in any part of your home will affect you but the worst place to have one is on your bedside table, or anywhere in your bedroom. You will be exposed to the sound during all the hours of sleep.

And it’s so unnecessary. Just do a Google search for “silent clock” and you will discover a whole range of readily available noise-free clocks.

Most wall clocks are battery operated these days, so it’s just a matter of finding one that goes with your decor. If you use an alarm clock, be sure to choose one that runs on batteries rather than mains electricity, for the reasons explained in this article: Why the best place for a clock radio is in your bin, not on your bedside table.

Had you ever thought about the effect of a ticking clock? Do you have one in your home? Have you ever tried silencing it to see what a difference that makes? Please join the conversation.

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that it’s best to gift yourself even if you’re partnered up. Sure, your S.O. might get you a necklace or new perfume but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing what you really want: Bath & Body Works’ Valentine’s Day goods. As usual, the retailer is going all out for the romantic holiday with fragrance mists, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, body wash, bath foam, lip scrub, hand soap and 3-wick candles in 15 new fragrances. Phew! We told you it was a lot.

The collection is sugary sweet with scents like Coconut Cream Pie and Strawberry Pound Cake. The packaging is seriously cute, as expected from Bath & Body Works, in shades of red, pink and gold. Pick up a few for yourself (you deserve a night of self-care!) and grab some for your friends, work wife and mom. There’s so much to choose from, with even more fragrances online than you can find in the store.

Shop a few of our favorites below and visit Bath & Body Works for the rest of the Valentine’s Day goodies.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Bath & Body Works.

Raspberry Jam Donut Shower Gel

With scents of wild raspberry jam, powdered sugar and donuts.

Bath & Body Works.

Pineapple Pancakes 3-Wick Candle

With pineapple, pancakes, banana, and brown sugar essential oils.

Bath & Body Works.

Coconut Cream Pie Ultra Shea Body Cream

With scents of toasted coconut flakes, caramel custard and pie crust.

Bath & Body Works.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Super Smooth Body Lotion

With scents of milk chocolate, cherries and sweet liqueur.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubble Rosé 3-Wick Candle

With rosé, blood orange and cranberry juice with essential oils.

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that it’s best to gift yourself even if you’re partnered up. Sure, your S.O. might get you a necklace or new perfume but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing what you really want: Bath & Body Works’ Valentine’s Day goods. As usual, the retailer is going all out for the romantic holiday with fragrance mists, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, body wash, bath foam, lip scrub, hand soap and 3-wick candles in 15 new fragrances. Phew! We told you it was a lot.

The collection is sugary sweet with scents like Coconut Cream Pie and Strawberry Pound Cake. The packaging is seriously cute, as expected from Bath & Body Works, in shades of red, pink and gold. Pick up a few for yourself (you deserve a night of self-care!) and grab some for your friends, work wife and mom. There’s so much to choose from, with even more fragrances online than you can find in the store.

Shop a few of our favorites below and visit Bath & Body Works for the rest of the Valentine’s Day goodies.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Bath & Body Works.

Raspberry Jam Donut Shower Gel

With scents of wild raspberry jam, powdered sugar and donuts.

Bath & Body Works.

Pineapple Pancakes 3-Wick Candle

With pineapple, pancakes, banana, and brown sugar essential oils.

Bath & Body Works.

Coconut Cream Pie Ultra Shea Body Cream

With scents of toasted coconut flakes, caramel custard and pie crust.

Bath & Body Works.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Super Smooth Body Lotion

With scents of milk chocolate, cherries and sweet liqueur.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubble Rosé 3-Wick Candle

With rosé, blood orange and cranberry juice with essential oils.