Urban Poling’s 150 Testimonials

Although we are not quite as old as this beautiful country that we are proud to call home, we are thrilled to have been in business for nearly 12 years. During this time we have enriched the lives of thousands of Canadians, at all stages of life. Over the course of the years, the enthusiasm over urban poling has spread and we have received thousands of testimonials from our clients, healthcare professionals and instructors. Although each experience is unique to them, they all have one thing in common: they love our poles! Our clients love walking with them, our medical professionals love prescribing them to their patients and our instructors love teaching about how to use them. Year after year, one step at a time, Canadians all across the country have walked their way to better health.

We decided to share a few of our favourite testimonials*, even though they all rank high on our list!

1.  What a great experience!! In the past I had difficulty walking to the park just half a block away, however with these poles I walked 5x further! It only took me about 25 steps to get my stride and off I went. It was amazing. I could feel it in my arms, my back and my upper body. Walking was an exercise I definitely needed but was not getting. It gave me stability and confidence and when I got home I felt like I could take on the world! It felt so good..like I never felt better in my whole life.Unbelievable, phenomenal for a senior who is a diabetic and has some other issues and will turn 85 in a couple months. I am so grateful that I received these as a Father’s day gift…the best gift ever. – Bob Ferguson, retired

2.  Thank you for providing such customer centered service. Your website states that for you “it’s not just business. It’s personal.” I can attest to the fact that this line is not just a slogan. You put it into action in how you deal with your customers. Prompt responses to emails, non-pressuring quotes for various quantities of poles, and patient explanation of your various products all contributed to making what could have been an overwhelming and stressful experience a very pleasurable one instead. I also appreciate how you adapted your training techniques and format to fit the needs of our volunteers and program. Thank you again for putting the needs and best interests of your customers first. Katelynn (Seniors Wellness Outreach Coordinator @The District Municipality of Muskoka)

3. My wife and I both work busy jobs, but when we found out about Urban Poling and the many benefits, we made it a point to set aside 30 minutes each night to walk together. Not only have the poles helped strengthen our core and upper body, but they have also been a great way to reconnect in our marriage. – Brian

4. I introduced the Activator poles to my mother as her stability was diminishing and a walker couldn’t quite fit those tight corners of her condo. I love that the poles allows her to be more independent and less fearful of falling. – Jill
5. I’ve been enjoying my early morning walks for sure. I certainly feel like my arms have started to shape up as well as a tightness in my stomach. Posture has definitely improved. I’m a 60 year old lady and super happy with my poles. Absolutely no regrets with my purchase and look forward to my mornings. I get out between 4 and 5 times a week. – Christine

6. As an Occupational Therapist, I have been successfully using Urban Poles with by clients since 2012. I was so impressed with the poles that I decided to become a Master Trainer so that I could teach other rehab colleagues about urban poling. It has become mu exercise of choice for several years now. – Sue

7. Have been using my poles on a regular basis indoors and outdoors for the last 2 years and along with dietary changes, have managed to lose 60 pounds. These poles are of great quality and would highly recommend. – Andre

8. My Activator poles allow me to keep doing the things I love while adding more stability and balance to my gait. -Ryan

9. I love the fact that my Activator poles provide me with the ability to be outside exercising on my own. At 100 years old, that is very important to me! – Bea

10. After a year and a half I’m able to walk with my poles for 2 hours. When I was heavy I loved the poles because they took a lot pressure off my knees, My children are very proud of me. They have been very supportive. I am at my goal weight right now and have lost 100 pounds! My knees are 100% fantastic and I have no pain. –Dolly

11. I’ve had some health issues and haven’t been able to get out on a regular basis. I am starting to fell better now and am looking forward to moving more. I am really pleased with the poles and have recommended them to several people who are now considering upgrading their poles to ones like mine. Thanks again for the motivation. – Linda

12. I have been using my poles regularly since buying them seven weeks ago and I absolutely love them. I do a lot of walking and took to the poles like a fish to water. In fact, I have been using the poles so much that the booties already need replacing, – Anonymous

13. I have some mobility and balance issues so walking was a chore, even though I love to walk. I discovered Urban poles and over 1.5 years ago, I bought a pair of Activator poles. I have never looked back. I walk every day! I am able to walk faster and with more confidence. I was on a weight loss journey and thanks to my poles giving me the confidence to walk, I lost 70 lbs. I am excited to share my story! – Katherine

14. My very active life came to an abrupt halt the spring of 2011 when I was diagnosed with having a massive aggressive malignant tumor in my left femur. Following months of chemo I had a 9 hour surgery that involved removing my femur, knee and part of my tibia. A prosthetic was inserted in its place and my leg was reconstructed. I was devastated that I couldn’t climb a step; never mind walk uneven terrain or climb a mountain range! Physiotherapists worked very hard with me to get my leg moving and functioning again; and then I began using the urban poles. First, I hiked around the neighborhood. Then, I hiked the Bruce Trail. Just recently; Maui’s volcano Mt. Haleakala; Kawai’s canyons and the Santa Monica, California mountain range!!! (The poles pack up very nicely). I LOVE my Urban Poles!! They give me the stability and confidence I need to ascend, and more importantly descend some very difficult, uneven and steep terrain. –Arlene

15. I absolutely love my Urban Poles! I have been using ‘regular poles’ for walking & hiking for the past 4 yrs and could not believe the difference with UP. I walk daily for 45 min. mostly along the Bow River & up a steep hill in Calgary. . .in rain & yes snow (but not when it is icy). What I notice mostly is my posture, and the muscles in my arms and abs working hard. -Juanne

16. I am in LOVE with my walking poles! Who loses weight over Christmas? I did, thanks in part to walking 3 times a week for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I easily packed my poles in my suitcase and spent a month in my home country (Australia).- Deb

17. The poles are great. They are with me on the Camino de Santiago. They’ve helped me trudge up hills and have helped me navigate rocky, downhill slopes safely. The telescoping feature allowed me to take them as carry-on luggage on all of my flights to get to Spain from Canada. I am so glad I decided to use poles on this adventure. -Nicolette

18. This is my second set of mobility poles, which I use for balance problems attributable to chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. I have really come to depend on them; so I thought it would be great to have a second est. I have had excellent customer service form Urban Poling and can’t say enough about your product. – Cindy

19. I have Cauda Eqina Syndrom and a severe dizziness and balance problem. I can hardly walk with a walker. My vesibular therapist started me to use the Urban Poles ACTIVATOR and we are both amazed how well it is working for me. -Horst

20. The poles were for my wife who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. She uses them for a daily walk and finds them helpful. She also used them in September in Budapest, Vienna and Prague as we were travelling in Europe. Again very helpful. I suspect that they will become a permanent part of her walking routine. -Alex

21. I bought your poles for my wife (Christmas present) and she gives them an A+. She is active so the improvement was in her balance and peace of mind/safety while hiking.- Jeff

22. I love them and use them every day either for going for a walk with my partner or when I go shopping. They are great, better than my cane. They give me so much support in my back arms and posture. I could not do without them. I recommend them to everyone. Gerd

23. The Activator poles were for my 70 year old father who has been having a progressively harder time walking since a back injury years ago. I was afraid he was going to have to go into a wheelchair, although he’d been fighting it. I went to visit him in March and I was heartbroken to see him so unsteady. He had to do a kind of tilting shamble, so that he could raise his feet enough not to trip on carpeting. He loves them. He uses them all the time and my mother tells me he looks much stronger. She always had to stop and wait for him when they went out together, but now he’s the fast one. I am so grateful to your company for giving me a way to help. -Tracy

24. I bought the poles for my Husband, who has knee problems and he is enjoying the stability he feels while walking. Hopefully, in time he will enjoy walking more. I have had mine for years, love them, and definitely it has strengthened my core. -Loretta

25. I Love my poles ! I walk our dog every day. I find I have better balance on the uneven trails, Knees and hips have less pain, and some weight loss. I bought the pole because it was becoming a struggle for me to go for a walk. If it wasn’t for the poles I would probably have to give it up. Extremely pleased. I am still able to get out with our dog at least an hour a day. Thanks -Shirley

26. I was having difficulty walking more than 400 yards or so with a cane before experiencing pain in my lower back. I looked into urban poling and was impressed with the many benefits claimed. With my first purchase of the Activator I walked more than 4 kilometers with NO sign of back pain! I now walk daily, my posture is good, I feel fitter now than I have for many years and am looking forward to losing weight. Thank goodness for urban poling. -John
27. I have been using my poles and loving the whole experience!! I retired last year and was looking for ways to get some exercise. My friend introduced me to Nordic walking and I am so grateful. We go out twice a week for a 45 – 60 minute walk. I so enjoy it. I enjoy Nordic walking so much that I even walked in the 5 KM MS Walk a few weeks ago. I’ve never done anything like that and am quite proud of myself for that accomplishment! LOL – Janette
28. I love my poles! I find it does take concentration to stay coordinated and I’m able to walk for about half an hour before my body feels tired and my arms feel like I’ve been lifting weights! But this is all good for a person with PD. I’ve even got my sedentary husband to use them. My goal is to walk in the 10km Parkinson’s Unity Walk in NYC! Now that spring is here….no excuses not to get out! -Donna

*The testimonials are that of customers and are not a guarantee of results. The reader should not rely on these testimonials but consult a physician or therapist before using the poles if they are currently using a cane or walker, have a medical condition which affects their balance, stability, grip strength, vision, depth judgement or co-ordination, or if they are recovering from an injury or surgery.