Nordic Walking & Seniors

Today is the Close of Active Aging Week, 2009

Active Aging Week (September 21-27) ends today. It started without my noticing in advance, but for Tom Rutlin every week is Active Aging Week! He is the developer of Exerstrider poles and frequent presenter International Council on Active Aging conferences and a preferred ICAA vendor, and he and Exerstrider Method Nordic Walking instructors continue to be involved in getting and/or keeping seniors moving. Among the recent activities:

• EMNW Instructors, Sarah Provenzano and Stacy Macri, conducted an workshop at Friendship Village in Shaumburg, Illinois. BTW, Sara recently joined Exerstrider as director of senior programs. She was well preparing, having been the wellness director at Wesley Willows in Rockford, Illinois (right). Regular participation on their “Pole-Striding” programs topped 100 people in less than 6 months.
• Rutlin reports that “EMNW programs going at dozens of continuing care retirement communities all across the U.S. and Canada and many of them held special Nordic walking events for Active Aging Week. At Cedar Ridge Senior Apartments in West Bend, Wisconsin, Paula Hader, wellbeing and lifestyle coordinator, took her group on a regular ‘Mystery Tour’ for Active Aging week to hike along the bluffs at Port Washington, Wisconsin, with their Exerstrider poles.”
• On Thursday, October 1, Rutlin travels Yukon, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, to give an open-to-the-public Nordic Walking presentation sponsored by Spanish Cove Life-Care Retirement Center, whose wellness activities director, Debbie Miller, hoped he could come for Active Aging Week. Since he could not come then, they decided to do it the week following. On Friday, October 2, he will conduct an EMNW Instructor Training workshop for a group of senior fitness/wellness professionals and others from around the area.

Today is Also World Heart Day

Since coronary disease are the country’s number 1 killer, I appreciate the heads-up on a day devoted to focusing attention on heart health. In a post on the other Nordic Walking USA blog — the one whose URL has no hyphens — SkiWalking‘s Pete Edwards posted a World Heart Day reminder with this bit of background: “In 2007 the World Heart Federation and EXEL Sports Oy teamed up to encourage heart disease prevention. And this year Nordic Walking is one of several healthy activities planned for World Heart Day – Sept. 27th, 2009….For 2009 The World Heart Federation is placing additional emphasis on increasing awareness for the many benefits of workplace healthy habits….World Heart Day is run by the World Heart Federation’s member organizations in over 100 countries. Communities – from families to schools, social groups, workplaces and religious circles – can encourage smoke-free environments, regular physical activity and health food choices. As well as Nordic Walking events, other World Heart Day activities will include health checks, organized walks, runs and fitness sessions, public talks, stage shows, scientific forums, exhibitions, concerts, carnivals, and sports tournaments….SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System are currently being used in Cardiac Rehabilitation Centers and utilized at numerous Healthy Heart Day Programs.”

Boomyah Boss Heads to Arizona to Promote Nordic Walking to Snowbirds & Seniors

Jeff Lunde, the brains behind the Boomyah pole concept (and the company’s president too), is becoming a snowbird this year. He is leaving Colorado for the winter with a load of poles and a plan to provide Nordic Walking clinics to retirement communities, senior centers and any other interested groups. He will be based in the Phoenix area, so if you know of anyone interested in a presentation, clinic or workshop, him know: jeff.lunde@boomyah.com.

From a Blog About Staying Healthy As We Age

In her blog called Staying Young, Staying Healthy, Staying Fit, confessed former gym rat Robin Sharpe of Santa Barbara wrote post on “Healthy Walking to Stay Fit.” She wrote, “Walking, walking, walking… The great thing about it is that no matter what your fitness level is, most people can do it. But how can you get more out of your walking?…Adding Nordic walking sticks will allow you burn 33 percent more calories and get re-energized about your walking.” The post is accompanied by a photo of three very fit-looking and relatively young Nordic Walkers, but I am always happy for the Nordic Walking message to get out to people who are in the mid-years and planning to stay that way.

From the Twin Cities Senior Housing Guide

Linda Lemke, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area’s “Nordic Walking Queen” wrote an article called “Active Aging Through Nordic Walking” for the Twin Cities Senior Housing Guide. It’s on page 13, so type that number in the little circle on the bottom of the page.

From the Hartford Courant

In a piece called “State Getting Older and — And Not Planning for It,” Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green urging the State of Connecticut to pay more attention to changing demographics, observed, “I went to Vernon — where the busy senior center now offers tai chi and Nordic walking — to try to get a handle on this.”