These are a great cardio tool that really help to burn more calories and strengthen your core and upper body. Awesome!

I purchased these poles hoping to get the most out of my early morning power walk. I have 4 small children, and I get up before dawn to get in some exercise. I like the poles, but they do slow me down. I don't use them every day, I just can't go as fast. I can feel the difference in my abdomen and in the backs of my arms, though! They are super light and easy to store.

LEKI Nordic Walking Traveller Poles have really enhanced my morning walks. I feel my abs and arms toning up a bit (in addition to my push-ups twice a week) and they're so easy to use. What I appreciate about the Nordic Walking experience is that the ads feature fit people from all walks of life instead of the cliche shirtless muscular hunk or the shapely spandex-clad honey. It's nice to incorporate some strength training into my morning walks.

I am a morning neighborhood walker, and I had thoughts in my mind of something else is needed to give me more results from "just" walking. I tried walking with hand weights but I was left carrying heavy weights. I had read an article about walking poles and decided to buy this pair. I was first embarrassed to use them in my neighborhood so I went out early on a Sunday morning. I quickly got over the embarrassment and use them every time I walk. I love them and they are exactly what I was looking for. They are light weight and easy to use. I would recommend watching the instruction video all the way through first and then watch it again to get it setup. Also, you will want a water bottle with you as you do get a good workout and hydration is important. You may consider buying a belt designed to hold a water bottle.

I bought Macalau poles (online) then thank god I went to an IDEA fitness convention where Leki experts had a booth. I found out that my online seller had no clue what he sold me. What I really needed was the Travelers poles for my use (NYC walking) .. Macalau poles have pointy ends used in trekking with dirt and rock trails. I am returning my Macalaus since I bought the Traveler poles from the convention. I learned a lot from Leki demos in person, but here at Amazon you are paying 20 bucks less for Traveler poles--- lucky for you! With that being said, you really do need instruction in how to use them. Most people will not realize that Traveler poles arm positioning is not what you think. You say to yourself: Why would you need someone to teach you to walk with poles? Well, because different poles have different arm movements. With Macalau, the arm bends a lot on every stride.. but with Travelers, the arm doesn't bend much at all and you are landing the poles BEHIND your stride. That is why the pole tips have a slant.. you are going to push off with an almost straight arm. This enables you to activate the back shoulder muscles which improve posture. The one reviewer seemed to think these poles were going to make his walking easier. These are made for fitness.. yes they take strain off the knees because you are pushing against gravity with the poles; they may assist with stability if you have those kind of problems, but you buy Travelers poles to work MORE muscles and burn more calories.. not to make walking easier! I bought mine to make walking a more balanced workout for the hour I spend. These poles are expensive, but what is staying healthy and preventing osteoporosis worth to you? This is a fun cross training workout and I will probably walk with my poles LONG after I give up step class, martial arts, and bellydance. For city use, these Travelers are a great investment. I telescope them down, put in my backpack and have my hands free for getting groceries on the way home. If money is an issue, buy the fitness poles that do not telescope and save yourself about 25 bucks. Note: It takes about 8 practice sessions to get the pole thing right so that eventually they don't drag but sort of aerodynamically lift before they come down again, so if it feels awkward at first, it will get better.