Having introduced the concept and promoted traditional strapped Nordic walking poles for several years, the Nordic Walking UK HQ team are often asked why we now advocate ergonomic handles and no straps for some walkers.

The answer is simple – there has been a major evolution in pole walking and new ergonomic handles help the walker or Nordic walker to perform better, be more comfortable and avoid common issues such as over gripping, poor pole planting and poor use of straps. We see this as a positive and way to increase the amount of people who are joining our groups and benefitting from poles. It also means we can allow people to choose the right poles for them and get maximum benefits

Here are some of the common issues we wanted to address when we began to design the WALX Handles and the solutions we came up with.

Glove like straps on Nordic walking poles are not for everybody.

• Traditional Nordic walking poles have a glove like strap that is used to ensure a soft grip and articulation can be achieved by ‘letting go’ of the handle ( see below)
• Some people find glove like Nordic walking straps aggravate arthritic thumb joints
• Others feel being attached to a pole via Nordic walking straps makes it harder to break a fall if you trip or tumble. To that end, we have always advised that walkers unclip from their poles when descending hills or on tricky terrain.
• Similarly those using poles for balance, stability or who may find movement is slower on one side of their body are advised not to be strapped into poles – this is to avoid trips and to enable them to break a fall or grab something easily if required.

SOLUTION:

WALX poles have been designed to sit in the hand in a loose position and the power of the upper body is transferred through the centre of the hand and not the thumb joint or outer edge of the hand – see images later in this article . For many arthritis sufferers this is comfortable. The poles can also be discarded in the event of fall, leaving the waler able to break their fall or grab onto something or something else if required. Both the WALX Xcelerator and Stability models are vat free to those with medical conditions and the WALX detachable wrist straps ensure the walker does not drop the pole when trying to open a gate or pay for a coffee (but do detach in the event of a fall)

Incorrect use of straps & over gripping of pole handles reduces the effectiveness of pole walking

• When used correctly, glove like Nordic walking straps should negate the walker gripping the pole handle too tightly but many users fail to master the straps fully as a way to articulate the required movement that mirrors the action of a cross country skier – some use them to pull the pole forward after the pole has been planted rather than to push into in order to facilitate that movement and maintain a light grip on the pole handles.
• Poor or lack of use of straps can result in over gripping of the pole handle – this will create tension through the arms and shoulders, shorten stride and reduce propulsion because it causes the pole to be planted in too upright a position. Nordic walking with bent arms also means the poles are simply tapped on the ground and not ‘pushed into’ as you step forward – see below
• It also compromises the wrist angle which causes discomfort and potential injury

SOLUTION:

The ergonomic handle on WALX poles makes over gripping a thing of the past!  It rests lightly in the hand and the thumb ridges helps distribute weight through the centre of the hand and does not allow the thumb to curl round into a fist grip. This ridge also acts as a guard to stop fingers curling too tightly and the design ensures it sits in the hand at the position it would be when walking naturally. The added benefit of this light grip is that it positions the pole at an angle that is perfect for forward propulsion – it also ensures the wrist is in a neutral comfortable position. 

Bent arm movements rather than a natural arm swing

• Often a result of the over-gripping of handles outlined above but also due to a natural urge to bend the arms when holding a pole (as you would with a walking stick) This results in the poles being too close to the body and too upright. This action will take weight off the legs but it does not enable forward propulsion and wastes a lot of the upper body effort
• A good arm swing from the shoulder with a relaxed but straighter arm allows the walker to plant the pole at an angle and use it to push themselves forward – it also provides more room to stride forward.
• This correct arm swing will also utilise more of the larger muscles like the shoulders, upper back and chest which increases the exercise benefits such as calories burned. A bent arm action focusses primarily on the upper arm so will only tone that area and not boost weight loss as much as if more larger muscles are used.

SOLUTION:

WALX poles actually feel uncomfortable when gripped incorrectly for use in an upright position therefore if used with bent arms the movement feels unnatural. We do not walk with bent arms when we don’t have poles so all a walker with a WALX pole needs to do is….walk naturally and and if the pole is at the right height, the handle will ensure the pole is in the right position to engage with the ground and enable them to push themselves forward with each step. One thing most Instructors comment on is that this simplicity helps the walker to master pole walking quickly and that they FEEL the benefits instantly rather than having to perfect a precise technique. A final added bonus is that the WALX handle design and this smooth natural action also increases the engagement of the core muscles with every push into the handle.  

Strap ‘release’ can compromise stride

• Those using Nordic walking poles correctly or for training as cross country skiers will have the fitness level required to match their stride to the push back and release of a glove like strap which mirrors the glide action of a cross country skier. However, many Nordic walkers can not or should not attempt to stride that far and for that reason at Nordic walking UK we reduced this action considerably to match the needs and goals of the users with our gear technique system.
• It became apparent that many were not managing to plant and push the poles because they were focussing too much on being able to release behind them. This actually caused them to adopt the bent arms and short forward stride outlined above thus reducing the overall upper body engagement.
• Those managing the push back and release do not walking naturally as we do not perform this action when walking without poles and whilst its great training for skiing, it is not necessary to gain fitness benefits.

SOLUTION:

WALX poles maximise upper body and core engagement whilst allowing a walker to walk naturally with a good stride and forward arm swing but no over reach either forward or behind them. This improves posture due to the core engagement mentioned above. 

So, the development of the WALX Handles are a result of years of work by experts who had spent years looking for solutions to the above points which all Nordic walking instructors will have encountered at some point.

Our experts also wanted to ensure that more people were able to experience the benefits of using poles without too much ‘technique’ focussed learning and more focus on

The result is that the poles are now being used by a wide demographic from mountain walkers and challenge walkers to Nordic walkers who enjoy the increased upper body engagement, postural benefits and freedom of not being strapped in. They are also used widely for rehabilitation from hip and knee replacements and for balance conditions too. So there’s no need to buy expensive poles that are made in the far East as this British designed handle and Italian designed and fabricated pole shafts are also affordable – starting at only £79.95 for a pair. WALX also take sustainability seriously read more HERE

Find out what people say about WALX poles below or call our team for more information  on 0333 1234 540……………………

Just a few of the many testimonials we receive every week

I discovered WALX in October 2024, about the same time I learned I need a hip replacement. The first Power of the Poles session was a revelation – I was able to walk a fair distance and have limited pain afterwards. The session involved the new WALX poles rather than traditional NW strapped poles, although we were shown the differences and given a short opportunity to use them and compare them both. I was keen to join my first walk so a couple of days later did so. The Walk Leader only had spare strapped poles, so I borrowed a pair of these for the 6km walk. The experience was nowhere near as positive – my pain was increased and I had more issues with my mobility for a couple of days afterwards. I bought a pair of WALX poles to compare and found that they made my hip feel better again! I would now exclusively use and recommend TBW poles. Hannah

In January I rashly signed up for a ‘Challenging’ trek across Costa Rica with no trekking experience whatsoever.  With 3 weeks to go I found Walx and local total body walking classes – I completed the ‘Power of Poles’ initiation (thank goodness) and went from 0 – 100k and from sea level to 2,200 metres with my WALX poles

These poles are a game changer  – I am training for an ultra trail of 100km and on the first hill training with them, I felt so fresh that I went back down and did it again! They are comfy and spread the load.

I have MS and as a former runner wanted to keep covering 5 k every day – with these super comfy poles, I still can and i am finding they help my posture and upper body too. Love them and the service at WALX was brilliant.