About FootePath
Fourteen percent of our population are fit, healthy, and active. They enjoy running, skiing, rock climbing, kayaking, and a seemingly endless list of outdoor activities that has many of us watching in envy. An entire industry thrives while catering to this small percetange of people. Sporting goods stores have clothing and equipment designed for this demographic. For the most part, they have nothing for the other 86%.
The 86% of our country who do not fit into the fitness industry's pre-defined size and fitness level are, ironically, the ones who need it most. The media is filled with infomercials and advertisements for pills, drops, diets, and exercise equipment all promising the same thing: do this and all your problems will go away. So many of the people in that demographic reach out to try those various options, with varying results. Most do not reap the promised benefits. And the people promoting these options are, for the most part, healthy, fit individuals who do not have health challenges.
So, what makes FootePath, and Nordic Walking, different from all the other gimmicks? I do. I am not your typical fitness instructor. I am part of that 86%. I have numerous health challenges of my own. I understand how hard it is to find a fitness activity that is easy to do, that doesn't hurt, that is portable, and that doesn't have me trying to hide when at the gym.
I have insulin resistance, which is the pre-cursor to Type II Diabetes. I have osteoarthritis in both knees. I have activity-induced asthma. I have high blood pressure and poor Cholesterol levels. By the time I was 40, I had given up on finding a fitness activity I could do. Bicycling, my last hope, had finally become too much for my knees.
Copyright © 2011 FootePath: Walking for Health. All Rights Reserved.
Swimming, while easy on them created too much resistance making it impossible for me to breathe. Feeling frustrated and hopeless, I tried being sedentary. It didn't hurt and it was easy to do. But there was a problem: the longer I was sedentary, the worse my health became.
In summer 2004, I was introduced to Nordic Walking. I don't know what made me decide to give this a try, but I'm glad I did. Within hours of picking up the poles, I began to have hope. In 2006, my friend Donna and I were priviledged to be part of the first group of individuals to become LEKI Trained Nordic Walking Instructors. During those 3 days in Florida, Donna and I realized what a powerful tool these poles really are, and set out to share this fitness activity with the not-so-fit. Through the next few years, we were featured on local news and in local papers, our photographs were in Newsweek, and in February 2007 we were in the fitness section of the Wall Street Journal.
FootePath has gone through some changes since its beginning, but despite those changes, the core purpose remains the same: To bring fitness and hope to those who need it most, to overcome health challenges, and to build a thriving community of like-minded and like-challenged individuals through Nordic Walking.
My journey to health is ongoing. I am determined to overcome and combat my health challenges. I invite you to join me. Let me show you what a difference walking with sticks can make in your life.
Happy Walking!
Elizabeth