The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized that actions are needed in the areas of rehabilitation, injury prevention, promotion, and treatment as a key health strategy to guarantee healthy lives and promote well-being by 2030. The goal of the WHO is to strengthen and extend the restoration to ensure better health for all people across the globe. Research data from the Global Burden of Disease Study demonstrated that 74% of the total number of all chronic conditions impairing function are due to health conditions that trigger limitation in functioning, but which can benefit from rehabilitation. The WHO has identified falls to be the second leading cause of injury deaths worldwide and the population that is more at risk are individuals older than 60 years of age. They have suggested that prevention strategies should focus on education, training, and creating safer environments.
In Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury among older Canadians and at least 20 to 30% of seniors experience one each year. Unfortunately, falls cause 85% of seniors to have injury-related hospitalizations, 95% of them suffer from hip fractures, and the healthcare cost due to falls is 2 billion a year. Some of the side effects that result from falls are chronic pain, reduced mobility, loss of independence, and even death. Similarly, in the United States, 3 million older adults are treated in the emergency department for fall injuries and from which 800,000 need to be hospitalized. In 2015, the total amount of medical cost related to falls in the US summed up to more than 50 billion, and the center for diseases control and prevention has recommended doing strength and balance exercises to prevent falls. After all, the good news is that falls can be preventable locally and globally at an early stage in life and action can be taken by all.
The director of Urban Poling Mandy Shintani, OT & Gerontologist, had the amazing idea of bringing the benefits of Nordic walking aka Urban Poling into the rehabilitative and health market. Through her design of the ACTIVATOR® Poles which are FDA Registered as a Class 1 Medical Device in the USA, people all over the world have been supported through improved balance, posture, and stability – ultimately contributing to reducing the risk of falls. Urban Poling has the vitality to guide and improve the lives of those who have previously experienced a chronic condition that may have impaired daily function. Additionally, through the educational courses and webinars offered through the Urban Poling Academy, therapists and medical fitness professionals are able to learn strategies to help support their patients/clients to reduce the risk of injury that can be caused by multiple conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer, vestibular disorders, stroke, and many more.
Some of the benefits offered by the unique features of the ACTIVATOR® Poles include:
- Improved Gait Speed: Individuals will be able to increase the speed of traditional walking with the ACTIVATOR® poles allowing for increased caloric burn of 20 to 46%, ultimately leading to weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and supporting reduced cholesterol levels.
- Improved Balance: The bell-shaped tips of the ACTIVATOR® poles provide greater stability and ultimately improved balance when walking through their wider surface area.
- Reduced Stress on the body: The numerous anti-vibration features of the ACTIVATOR® poles also facilitate a more comfortable experience for the user, especially those with Arthritis or other conditions which is causing joint discomfort.
- Less Pressure on Joints: The 4 points of contact offered by the poles will result in a reduced load of pressure in the hips, knees, and joints allowing for an increase in confidence and balance when walking, and applying a downward force on the ledge of the handle would also promote better posture.
- Multi-functional exercise opportunities: The ACTIVATOR® poles can be used to confidently perform seated and standing exercises leading to the increase in flexibility, and amplitude of body movements.
Additional benefits of Urban Poling & the ACTIVATOR® Program include going on walks with friends and family, as this social activity can help reduce levels of stress and inflammatory biomarkers produced by the body. Overall, the ACTIVATOR® poles will facilitate improved balance, body movements, and stability. As previously mentioned, the WHO suggests that rehabilitation is the number one strategy to ensure healthy lives, and Urban Poling is a leader in this space by offering an excellent approach to be able to help you Walk Your Way To Better Health.