Do walking poles make you stronger? Well, seeing our founder and owner Lauren at last week's 2025 APTA CSM meeting you would think so!! And actually, yes, using walking poles can help strengthen certain muscles! Here’s how:

Upper Body Workout: When you use walking poles, you engage your arms, shoulders, and chest. Pushing the poles with each step works muscles in your upper body, helping improve muscle tone and strength over time.

Core Engagement: Poles can also activate your core muscles because they help with balance and posture. Keeping your body stable while walking with poles engages your abdominal and lower back muscles.

Improved Endurance: Walking poles can make your walking sessions more intense, increasing overall physical endurance. The extra exertion required to use the poles helps improve cardiovascular fitness as well.

Reduced Impact: While they help you strengthen muscles, poles can also reduce the impact on your joints (especially knees and hips) since they distribute the effort more evenly. This can help you stay active longer and avoid injury.

So, while they won't make you "stronger" in the same way weightlifting might, they do provide a form of functional strength training, especially for walking and hiking. Do you use walking poles or have you thought about trying them? Let's Get Out There!