Maine Mall Walkers Discover Nordic Walking

Mercy Hospital demos Nordic Walking poles for mall-walking club

Maine winter weather can challenge the most committed outdoor enthusiast -- and winter can last well into what is considered spring else. Therefore, the Maine Mall in South Portland has been a popular walking venue since it opened more than 35 years ago. Mercy Hospital now has partnered with mall management to it walking as a safe and convenient environment for older adults to get a year-round cardio workout and to socialize with other mall walkers.

On March 12, 2007, the hospital and the mall partnered to launch Pacesetters, a free club with perks that include free monthly breakfasts, information on health and health screenings. With security staff on duty both inside and out, the mall unlocks its doors between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays -- and Pacesetters are ready to get moving. They can get in a lot of mileage before the stores begin open, which is 9:30 on weekdays and 11:00 on Sundays.

One lap around the mall is about a mile, and many Pacesetters, who range in age from their 50s to a spry 106-year-old who arrives with her 78-year-old daughter, do several laps. Pacesetters members were given free pedometers in celebration of the club's first birthday earlier this month and also had a Nordic Walking demonstration put on by the hospital.

Conveniently, for Pacesetters who need or want orthotics to help them walk comfortably, Foot-O-Pedics is right at the mall. So are The Walking Company, Sports Authority, Foot Locker and other footwear retailers for those in need of new walking shoes. What a benefit to be able to try them on right there.

For information on Pacesetters, call the mall's Customer Information Booth, 207-828-2063, Ext. 233

Pedometer Wonk Website

I'm writing about pedometers right now, so I'm plunging into the world of microchips, motion-sensing mechanisms, digital displays and the like. Actually, I'm not plunging. I'm really dipping my toe into the pedometer info pool. In doing so, I found a pedometer website maintained by JSC Engineering LLC, which describes itself as an electrical engineering consultant group specializing in product design and performance testing. I don't know where JSC Engineering LLC is located, and I noticed that the website is copyrighted 2004. With that caveat, if you are interested in the innards of electronics in general and pedometers in particular, check out the site.

Pedometer Primer

I picked up a Walking Advantage by Sportline pedometer on sale at REI before Christmas, and I've finally gotten around to setting it for my stride and using it. And I love it. The model I bought is #353, which not only was well priced but also had features that appealed to me. It is lightweight and clips firmly onto a belt or waistband. It counts steps, distance (after be calibrated to the user's stride length, which is why it took me a while to get around to using it) and calories burned. Also, its FM radio feature is a nice extra when I'm walking alone.

Perhaps this would be redundant for an iPod owner, but for me, it's great. Now, I can't claim not to know how much I've walked and use that as an excuse for not logging at least 10,000 steps a day. Pedometers are pretty inexpensive too. The most expensive mainstream, general-purpose instruments sell for less than $40, many are between $20 and $30, and some retail for under $20.

Sportline makes pedometers from a SpongeBob Squarepants model for children to more sophisticated models. The #360 can track walking/jogging/running and also measure steps, distance, calorie burn, speed and time spent on those activities. The #355 is similar to mine but instead of an FM radio, logs time expended, displays the time of day and also has a way to adjust the stride setting.