"I was completely shocked at how much I love pole walking. From the first few steps I was hooked. Walking through the trails with light snow falling is breathtaking. " (Linda)
"I have recently been dropping in to your Chair Yoga and Balance classes in Buckhorn. I think both are very worthwhile — you make it fun while emphasizing the functional aspects of fitness for women “of a certain age”. " (Maureen)
"We had a great walk yesterday and took advantage of a sunny day! Was in bed at 9 and had no problems falling asleep! " (Monique)
"I have taken Michelle's chair yoga and found it very helpful. I have lower back and hip pain so traditional yoga does not work for me.
I have also been Nordic Pole walking and fell in love with it. I look forward to going out again soon, it gives me a sense of security on the trails." (Sonya)
"My husband Neil and I really enjoyed learning about Nordic walking, meeting other people, and discovering trails in the area.
We've been using our poles when we snowshoe (they're much better than ski poles), so I guess you could say we are Nordic snowshoeing!
We also really appreciate that you emphasize stretching before and after so we can increase flexibility and avoid injury." (Mona)
"Safety and proper execution are always top priorities for Michelle in both her Nordic pole walking and in her chair yoga classes. She asks for feedback so that she can fine tune and improve her classes. Her focus is always on delivering the best experience possible. Michelle is positive, knowledgeable, and always inclusive. It is great to be part of a group and to be committed to a regular day and time to ensure that you actually do get outside and walk.
Michelle takes care to ensure that all levels of participants are taken care of. She moves within the group correcting form and answering questions. In addition to the clear fitness benefits, these walks are a great way to get to know others in your community and to get to know local walking trials and routes.
You may think that chair yoga is not a workout but this class is so much more than sitting in a chair doing exercises. In addition to the chair exercises, Michelle focuses on balance exercises …where you are standing… and she teaches you how to get up if you fall and are on the floor struggling to get up. She also works on hand to eye coordination. These are all skills that we need to remain strong and vital as we age. Rest assured that at the end of the class you will feel like you have worked hard." (Anne)
"When I signed up for the demonstration class, I had already been doing quite a bit of walking on my own. I was skeptical about using the poles and if I would even like using them.
I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable the movements were and I was even more surprised how much more of a workout they gave me...travelling the same routes I'd been doing without the poles. Made sense to me to use them...same distance in the same time allotted, but a better workout .
Some other benefits I found using them, especially on trails, was the added stability/confidence on uneven terrain and/or icy, snow covered areas. Many times, I leaned into one of the poles for added balance and used both poles to help up or down an incline.
I've also used a pole as a makeshift dog leash when the glove was put through the collar.
The poles are great for checking for snakes too, lol...in Florida and for moving branches etc out of your way. Basically, an extension of your arms.
Would definitely recommend the clip on straps...so easy to remove hand from pole to pick up something, wipe your face, fix your shoe etc...clip back in and ready to go." (Loren)