If you want to use poles for your walking workouts, you should know that there are two major techniques popular around the world. In Europe, people mostly stick to Nordic walking while in America exerstriding is preferred. The latter was invented and named by Tom Rutlin from the US.

No matter which one you opt for, you'll benefit from walking with them much more than without them. Using poles helps to actively train muscles of the upper body but it still impacts leg and foot muscles. The difference between the two ways of using poles can be distinguished by the arm tension that affects the way walking poles are constructed. For example, poles for Nordic walking do not lack straps or demi-gloves, while the others do. These accessories serve to enable releasing and catching the poles while you walk according to whether you make a back or front stroke. On the other hand, grips of exerstrider poles are much more flared. Moreover, in order to practice exerstriding, trekking poles can be used as they are similarly designed. You can't apply trekking poles if you do Nordic walking, as they don't have the required strap or glove.