Why Use Trekking Poles?Updated 10 months ago

Although they probably shouldn’t be considered mandatory equipment, trekking poles are often considered indispensable by hikers and walkers who give them a try. Trekking poles provide several key health benefits and generally make hiking more fun.

Some of the most notable ways trekking poles improve your health and hiking experience include:

• Trekking poles help you keep your balance. Because trekking poles increase the number of contact points with the ground, they’ll improve your balance. And while this is helpful for those traveling on paved roads or sidewalks, it can be a game-changer for hikers trying to cross rugged, uneven terrain (including shallow creeks and streams).
• Trekking poles make it easy for hikers to take a quick break. Everyone needs periodic breaks during long hikes, but you won’t want to take your pack off every time you need a breather. Trekking poles allow you to lean forward and take some of the pressure off your back and legs without removing your pack or having to sit down.
• Trekking poles alleviate some of the wear and tear hiking inflicts upon your joints. Whether you’re walking on a mulched trail, sidewalk or ice field, your legs, hips and back will suffer minor impacts with each step. And while the stress imparted by a single step is pretty negligible, these impacts add up over the course of a hike. But because your trekking poles (and arms) will absorb some of the impacts your legs normally would, they’ll help reduce the abuse your knees and ankles experience during a typical hike.
• Trekking poles encourage a natural walking stride. To cover the ground quickly and effectively, you’ll want to use a natural walking stride and swing your arms with each step. It is also important to keep your arms close to your side to deliver maximum power to the poles with each step. Trekking poles help encourage you to do so and they’re designed to work in conjunction with your body’s natural mechanics.
• Trekking poles increase your heart rate. If you like to walk as a way of burning calories, you’ll love the way that trekking poles help elevate your heart rate (which will help you burn more calories). However, it is important to realize that while trekking poles help encourage your heart to pump faster, they don’t make walking feel more strenuous – it is almost as though you get to burn more calories without putting in any more effort.
• Trekking poles help you travel farther. Because trekking poles improve your balance, encourage a natural walking stride and reduce the pressure on your legs, they’ll help give you the energy to walk farther than you previously could. This is not only helpful for hikers and campers seeking to reach increasingly remote areas, but also exercise-oriented walkers, who’d like to take a slightly longer route during their daily journey.
• Trekking poles can be used for a variety of additional purposes. Trekking poles are primarily designed to help you walk more effectively, but they can also work in a number of additional ways. For example, trekking poles are great for testing the depth of water or the strength of ice. They also make handy monopods, on which you can rest your camera when trying to get the perfect photo. You can even use trekking poles to support tarps or tents if need be.