How I’m Amping Up My Winter Walk—Before the Holidays

The first time I went out for a walk swinging my Jetti Poles, I’ll admit: I felt a little bit unsure of how they would fit into my fitness regimen. As a lifelong New Yorker, I consider myself to be a pretty speedy walker, whether I’m racing up the street to get a cup of coffee or hop on the subway.

 I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t know how to stroll so the idea of adding a walking accessory—in the form of poles—didn’t necessarily seem like they would add much to my daily life. 

 That all changed the first time I tried my sky-blue set. I quickly experienced how a basic walk around Central Park could morph into a full-body exercise unlike any other I’ve tried to date. 

That’s because these poles come with middle grips that enable you to do lots of upper and lower body exercises. They’re weighted (they’re 1.1 pounds each—twice as much as a regular hiking pole) and aim to build strength in your arms and shoulders, without putting too much pressure on your joints. 

After all, you’re lifting one pound (and change) during each step you take. So, over the course of a 10,000-step walk, you’re doing a sizable amount of strength training without that much of an effort.

Walking with these poles compels you to maintain good posture, too. And, since they’re sized according to your height (there are three sizes that cover most heights), you don’t have to worry about bending over as you go. Add to it solid traction, thanks to the rounded rubber feet on each pole, and even a trail walk in the rain feels like something you could do easily and safely.

After a week of daily use, I got more comfortable using them and began to feel like I was building some newfound strength in my back, arms and shoulders—and I realized that the poles had something major to do with this.

And, if you’re looking for more options to mix things up even more, the Jetti app offers countless add-on activities, including daily challenges, on-demand classes and audio walks taught by world-class teachers with new features being added all the time.

Finally, it’s hard to ignore the promises made that you’ll burn more calories (the company maintains that you can burn up to 40% more calories) using these poles. I’ll say it: With the Thanksgiving feast just days away, every little bit helps. I’m going to keep walking with my poles—at least until the first snow falls.