EG Walking Club

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We are excited to start the East Gwillimbury Walking Club together with our community.

It begins one step at a time, as do many wonderful beginnings. Walking is innate to the human existence for most and is a form of exercise accessible to most, too. People of all shapes and sizes can start to move by taking their first steps to health.

We at East Gwillimbury Physiotherapy would like to be a part of the promotion of healthy exercise and healthy movement for good health and prevention of injury in our community.

Walking is a wonderful community activity, and we look forward to you joining us. The locations of the Saturday morning walks will be posted on our calendar.

East Gwillimbury and Newmarket have many beautiful walking trails to walk via public access that are interconnected between East Gwillimbury, Newmarket, and Aurora. Our physiotherapists know the benefits of walking these trails. Besides the fresh air and beauty of nature to feast on with our eyes, walking has a very physical and tangible benefit to our bodies.

Walking serves as stimulus to decrease or prevent back pain, stimulate your vestibular faculties, improve balance, improve cardiovascular health, improve side effects during cancer treatment and cancer recurrence via exercise, reduce Lymphedema, and mobilize and strengthen sore, injured or arthritic joints.

Walking has both tangible and intangible benefits, those that can be measured and those that can’t.

We were created to move and work and live together as a community, and this club is a great training ground for that.

If you are having difficulty or pain with walking, our physiotherapists at East Gwillimbury Physiotherapy would be happy to help you to start you participating in the club or to keep you participating in the club!

We look forward to seeing you at our scheduled club meetings.

URBAN POLE WALKING


 
Urban Pole Walking for Beginner level and Intermediate level pole walkers is now accessible to Newmarket, East Gwillimbury, Bradford, Aurora and York/Simcoe Region residents!

Your registered Physiotherapist and certified pole walking instructor will walk you through some of the most beautiful trails in East Gwillimbury and Newmarket.

Everyone is welcome, please contact East Gwillimbury Physiotherapy for details on when our classes are running and when the walks are scheduled for, please also check out our calendar (link) for the next group walking session.

HOW AND WHEN DO I START?

Give us a call at anytime to have a starter session to learn how to pole walk, you do not have to wait for a group meeting session.  The group walking sessions are to facilitate your use of the poles and to improve your technique and fitness.

WHERE DO I GET THE WALKING POLES?

East Gwillimbury Physiotherapy sells the Urban poles at the best price in the region at $100 taxes included.

WHAT IS URBAN POLING?

Urban poling, or Nordic walking is a technique combining an upper body technique similar to cross country skiing with lower body walking technique.  This can also extend into incorporating an upper body technique with roller blading or jogging.

The term Urban Poling was coined by Mandy Shintani and Graham Watts.  There is more information about them and their history at www.urbanpoling.com.

Nordic walking was pioneered by Tom Rutlin in 1988.

WHY POLE WALK?

To a Registered Physiotherapist the benefits of pole walking are undeniable.  This form of walking is appropriate for a wide diversity of individuals, conditions as well as age groups.

Appropriate for:

  • Individuals interested in a low impact activity that increases their caloric expenditure
  • Avid walkers
  • Individuals who would like to lose weight
  • Cross training
  • Mild to moderate MC, Parkinson’s, individuals with balance and gait difficulties
  • People recovering from lower body injuries
  • Individuals looking for safe Cardiac rehabilitation activity.

 

BENEFITS OF POLE WALKING IN THE RESEARCH:

Increased calorie burn, oxygen consumption and heart rate compared to walking alone.
(Church et al. 2002, Morse et al., 2001, Rodgers et al., 1995, Laukkanen, 1998 unpublished)

Improved mood and reduction in fatigue
(Stoughton, 1992, thesis)

Improved muscular endurance for breast cancer patients following surgery
(University of Northern Colorado, Sprod, 2003)

Improved biomechanic – improved walking posture, increased use of the extensors to increase speed and reduce ground reaction force.
(Wilson et al. 2001)

Improved stability – and yes they can be used on ice.
(Afman, baker & Miersma, 2005 unpublished; Kwon et al., 2006, unpublished)

Improvements for patients with Fibromyalgia
(Mannerkorpi et al.)

Improved outcomes for specific Cardiac rehab patients
(University of Ottawa Heart Institute, unpublished)

Everyone is welcome to inquire, please contact East Gwillimbury Physiotherapy for details on when our classes are running and when the walks are scheduled for, please also check out our calendar for the next group walking session.

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