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We’ve Tried Every Walking Accessory to Make Our Walks Better at Fat Burning, and This One Is the Winner

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We’ve Tried Every Walking Accessory to Make Our Walks Better at Fat Burning, and This One Is the Winner

Exercise fads have come and gone over the years, but the one that has never gone out of style is walking. Experts agree that walking is the best form of exercise you can do—it delivers countless health perks, from easy weight loss to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, better immunity, stronger bones and more.  

 “I recommend walking to my patients because of the positive effects it has on metabolic health, mood and stress levels,” shares integrative and functional medicine physician Sara Gottfried, M.D., NYT bestselling author of Women, Food, and Hormones. “Don’t underestimate the power of walking.”

While walking alone delivers these incredible perks, there are all kinds of accessories you can bring along on your walk to make it even more effective, from ankle weights to heart rate monitors, step counters and more. But the one accessory that stands out? Nordic walking poles, which can help counteract pain, stability and balance issues, plus improve confidence.

These hiking poles (available at sporting-goods stores) originated in Finland in 1979 as a way for cross-country skiers to train in the off-season. By the late 1980s, the poles had become popular all over Europe for their superior toning capabilities, and they’ve become increasingly popular in America too!

Hiking poles speed slimming.

Walking poles perform a function similar to circuit-training machines, toning virtually every muscle in the body in a short amount of time. But the real body-sculpting prize is that, throughout the entire range of motion, the abdominal muscles are engaged. And pushing the poles forward with each step works the shoulders and upper arms, while pulling the poles back tones the back. Fans of the walking accessory also say holding the poles upright through the motion engages the body’s core to sculpt abs, so a simple stroll can deliver full-body firming. What’s more, Nordic walking burns 46 percent more calories than walking without poles. And researchers in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that women who walked with trekking poles increased their upper-arm strength and muscle tone over eight weeks.

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Hiking poles ease pain.

Walking poles are a great tool for women who are just starting out walking, since they help support body weight, reducing pressure on the feet. And that can mean the difference between sticking with an exercise program and giving up. What’s more, one study of elderly people with chronic back, hip or knee pain found that walking with poles eased the pain in 12 weeks and increased the distance walked for 91 percent of subjects. If you decide to hit the trails with your walking poles for a hike, it will feel even easier than working out on asphalt or concrete, says women’s health expert Jamé Heskett, M.D., author of The Well Path. The reason? The softness of the dirt cushions joints, lessening the impact that can cause pain.

Hiking poles make walking easy!

Though this walking accessory deliver a full-body workout, women who walk with them don’t feel like they are working any harder. Fitness experts say this is because the poles provide lateral stability and encourage proper posture, which helps walkers sidestep ankle, knee, hip and lower-back pain.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

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Ivanka Trump stays fit with this self-defense practice: ‘Moving meditation’

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Ivanka Trump stays fit with this self-defense practice: ‘Moving meditation’

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Ivanka Trump, the daughter of incoming President Donald Trump, has been known to lead an active life.

As the mother of three kids and a lover of outdoor sports, the 43-year-old is always on the move, recently adding jiu-jitsu to her mix of physical activity.

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In a recent appearance on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast, Trump shared how her daughter, Arabella, expressed interest in learning self-defense when she was 11.

IVANKA TRUMP SHARES THE FITNESS ROUTINE THAT HAS ‘TRANSFORMED’ HER BODY: ‘SAFE AND STEADY’

“I’m just so in awe of [her],” Trump said about her daughter. “She came to me and said, ‘As a woman, I feel like I need to know how to defend myself, and I don’t have a confidence level yet that I can do that.’”

Ivanka Trump plays with her daughter, Arabella Rose Kushner, in the Rose Garden during a Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in June 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump responded, “At 11 … I was not thinking about how to physically defend myself, and I thought it was the coolest thing.”

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After researching self-defense options, Trump enrolled Arabella, now 13, in jiu-jitsu (martial arts) classes with the Valente Brothers in Miami, Florida – and soon the whole family joined in.

STAY SAFE WITH 4 SELF-DEFENSE TIPS FROM EXPERT RENER GRACIE: ‘NOT AN EASY TARGET’

“[Arabella] started asking me to join – I joined,” she said. “Then my two sons wanted to do what their older sister was doing. Then my husband joined … It is good for everyone.”

“It’s almost like a moving meditation.”

Trump, who is now a blue belt in jiu-jitsu, described that she likes how the sport “meshes physical movement.”

“It’s almost like a moving meditation because the movements are so micro,” she said. “It’s like three-dimensional chess.”

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“There’s like a real spiritualism to it … The grounding in sort of samurai tradition and culture and wisdom.”

During President Trump’s first term in the White House, Ivanka Trump noted that she had very little focus on fitness, only taking weekly runs with husband Jared Kushner and “chasing the kids around the house.”

WHAT IS RUCKING? THIS POPULAR FITNESS TREND GOES BACK TO BASICS FOR BIG GAINS

Trump shared that she was “never a gym person,” but always loved sports, which still holds true today.

She said she enjoys skiing, surfing and racquet sports like padel tennis (a hybrid of tennis and squash) and pickle ball, which she described as “fun and social.”

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Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are seen out for a walk

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are seen out for a walk with their children on Dec. 10, 2022, in Miami, Florida. (MEGA/GC Images)

‘Elevating awareness’

On the podcast, Trump said she was drawn to jiu-jitsu because it combines physical fitness and philosophy.

It also focuses more on how to extract yourself from a dangerous situation before having to harm someone who’s a threat, she noted.

MARTHA STEWART, 83, STAYS FIT AND FLEXIBLE WITH THIS ROUTINE

“Having these skills makes you less likely to get into a fight, not more likely to,” Trump went on.

“Once you have the confidence that you can sort of move out of a situation, there’s a real focus on elevating awareness.”

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ivanka trump waves

Ivanka Trump waves as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for US President Donald Trump’s departure on Jan. 20, 2021. (ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Rener Gracie, head instructor of jiu-jitsu at Gracie University in California, stressed that the only truly reliable skills are those that have been “mastered into muscle memory.”

This occurs through extensively practicing self-defense methods like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which are “leverage-based and don’t rely on you having a physical advantage over the subject,” he noted.

“Having these skills makes you less likely to get into a fight, not more likely to.”

“And by that, I mean strength, speed, power and size — because in almost every case, the attacker is going to target someone who they feel is physically inferior to them.”

KATE MIDDLETON EATS THIS HEART-HEALTHY ‘SUPERFOOD’ FOR BREAKFAST EACH DAY

Gracie, whose family created Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), shared that jiu-jitsu is “highly sought after” because it only takes weeks or months for someone to “develop the core skills that could keep them safe in a violent physical encounter.”

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‘Transformative’ strength training

In addition to mastering self-defense skills, Ivanka Trump recently revealed a shift in her fitness routine to include weightlifting and resistance training.

On Instagram, Trump posted a video displaying different exercises with various equipment in the gym, noting in the caption that she used to focus primarily on cardio, yoga and Pilates.

“Since moving to Miami, I have shifted my focus to weightlifting and resistance training, and it has been transformative in helping me build muscle and shift my body composition in ways I hadn’t imagined,” she wrote.

“I believe in a strength training approach built on foundational, time-tested and simple movements – squats, deadlifts, hinges, pushes and pulls. These are the cornerstones of my workout, emphasizing functional strength for life.”

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Trump added that prioritizing form is “essential” to ensure results before adding on weight.

“This ensures a safe and steady progression while maintaining the integrity of each movement,” she continued. “I incorporate mobility work within my sessions to enhance range of motion.”

Ivanka Trump workout

“I believe in a strength training approach built on foundational, time-tested and simple movements – squats, deadlifts, hinges, pushes and pulls,” Ivanka Trump wrote in an October Instagram post. (Ivanka Trump/Instagram)

“Weightlifting has enhanced not just my strength but my overall athleticism and resilience,” she added.

Trump said she dedicates three to four days a week to strength training, including two solo sessions and two with a personal trainer.

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She also said that increasing her protein intake has also been “critical” to her progress.

“I now consume between 30 and 50 grams of protein a meal,” she said. “It works … I’ve never been stronger!”

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in miami

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are seen arriving at the beachside eatery on May 2, 2024, in Miami Beach, Florida. (MEGA/GC Images)

Trump also still enjoys weekly yoga sessions, spending time outdoors with her children and playing sports with friends, she said.

“I also incorporate a couple of short (10-minute), high-intensity interval training sessions (such as sprints) each week to keep my cardiovascular fitness sharp and dynamic,” she noted.

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“This balanced approach has infused new energy into my fitness routine and yielded great results.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Ivanka Trump for comment.

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Semaglutide Pills and Injections Vs. Drops: Experts Weigh In | Woman's World

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Jennifer Hudson Lost 80-Lbs Without Depriving Herself—Learn Her Secrets

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