BASIC WALKING ON LEVEL GROUND
Core posture is important: keep your head and trunk erect so your ribs can expand for easier breathing; by stretching-up to walk-tall you’ll flow over the ground with less effort. When walking on level ground or on slopes - always aim to keep the span between shoulder tip to shoulder tip as wide as possible i.e. not rounded forward or arched back. Your upper arm and elbow are behind a vertical line dropped from the shoulder, and the shafts remain at an angle behind. As you walk don’t lift a pole to place it in front – instead almost drag it along so it just skims over the ground behind each time your elbow bends (the important swing comes from the elbow/forearm thrusting down-and-back from a firm shoulder girdle above).
Forget about the pole, just be aware of the hands/forearms moving up-and-down at your side (not out in front) left hand goes up passed your hip when the right leg moves forward etc. Feel the upward and forward thrust each time your hand pushes downwards and backwards - don’t grip the handle, push against it.
If you grip hard it’s the equivalent of lacing-up your boots too tight - which disrupts the flow of movement over the joints so they can’t function as they should. As the body pivots over the shaft tip, loading is being controlled and directed through the hand/handle’s contours as a dynamic action. Relax the fingers - just pressure between thumb and index finger is usually all that is needed to retain the pole. Gripping the handle tightly wastes energy, and can cause sweat (as can suncream / insect repellent on the hands). plus jamming the sides of the fingers together skin-to-skin can also cause sweat. By allowing air to circulate as the hand/palm peels away from the handle at the end of each stride, allows the skin to 'breathe' (see hand images on the Product page/What is a Pacerpole).
For the ‘swing / lift phase’ of the stride, your elbow / forearm bends automatically after the thrust; this minimal action alone is enough to lift the shaft tip a few centimetres so it can just skim over the ground behind (no shoulder swing is necessary). The tip is now positioned ready to be dropped again behind you.
Note: as the elbow bends relax the fingers so they curl into a hook for the handle’s central core to rest on, away from the palm; remember just slight pressure between the thumb and index finger is usually enough to secure the pole before the tip drops to the ground again; this is the important ‘ground contact phase’, where you gain the benefits of improved stability / support / propulsion - and rhythm. Try to maintain an even stride, with heel/toe alignment pointing forward (and not at an angle). If you are aware that you have a weaker leg, consider starting with this leg and then match its stride length with the other (otherwise your stronger leg would set the length which may be difficult to match, resulting in unequal strides and poor posture). The body looks for equality Left and Right to perform at its best.
N.B. The arm's functional walking-stride leverage is to lift the trunk upwards to instigate the stride and thrust it forward, just like the legs leverage underneath - which is why the Pacerpole action can promote better posture and enhance our walking gait so effectively.