I like the look of these exercises. Balance/core is easy to overlook for hikers. What are your thoughts on the use of trekking poles in regards to balance when backpacking? Obviously they help a ton, giving you 4 points of contact, instead of 2. But do you think they hinder hiker's overall balance because we end up relying on them too much? Or do you think its not really an issue at all? I've used trekking poles almost exclusively since I was a young teenager. Over the past year I've almost completely quit using them. For me, I haven't noticed any real change in stability or had any impact problems. I've enjoyed the added freedom of not hauling something else around and being able to freely use my hands.
Hi Cameron, I do a lot of these exercises pretty often, although on both legs usually. But I do a lot of lower body balance work. Doing the upper exercises while trying to balance is beneficial though, and I'm going to do them a little more often. It's complicated with the hiking poles. Maybe I'll do a video about that. I would say use them as little as possible. You probably backpacked a lot when you were younger, and if you had a heavy pack and weren't used to it, that would be the best time to use them. But, it is in a way just like walking with crutches, as they detract from your natural balance system and don't allow it to develop as much. However, they can definitely help prevent falls and injuries, and they allow you to take at least a little bit of the load off your legs and put some of that weight into your upper body. You can always use just one, which is what I sometimes do. The rougher the terrain, and the more likely of falling or slipping, the more you should use one (or two). But I like not using them myself.
