Antoinette Tomsett - One of the ‘Walking Wounded’!

Antoinette fractured her spine two years ago following a fall in her garden. She had already spent 30 years seeing osteopaths and physiotherapists as a result of an earlier fracture to her spine when she fell off a horse. This had led to chronic lower back pain and an arthritic hip. Now not only was walking painful but her crumpled vertebrae caused her ribs to contract which in turn led to painful breathing.

A favourite hobby had always been walking but this had become more and more difficult over the years. When Antoinette received an invitation from Aubrey & June Zaft of Country Walks to attend a meeting to find out about Nordic Walking, she accepted - what had she to lose, she thought. Listening to June and Aubrey's illustrated talk, hearing about their own experiences, and responding to their enthusiasm, she enrolled for a class in Hyde Park. This new form of exercise sounded promising. It appeared to fulfil all her criteria: it was cheap, she could do it either on her own or in a group and it seemed safe. There was a long list of benefits and the holistic approach particularly appealed.

She enjoyed her first class, bought a pair of poles soon afterwards and started practising immediately. Her determination to succeed was such that she rose every day at 6.30 to walk with her poles for a mile and a half before work.

After only a few weeks she began to feel the benefits - her arms became looser and she felt much less stiff in general. Before she started Nordic Walking, Antoinette had such mobility problems in the mornings that she would often have to lower herself down her stairs step by step on her bottom. Gradually, such difficulties were resolved. Her wrists were another success story. Antoinette like so many of us uses a computer throughout the day and she was beginning to find she was developing arthritic pains in her wrists and having to wear wrist supports. By utilising the 'open hand' technique she learnt in her second class she gradually found that all her wrist pain disappeared and she no longer needs to wear the supports. Along with the pain in her wrists, the tension from her arms and neck has also disappeared.

Antoinette's surgeon had advised surgery for both her spine and hips. Now that she is so much more mobile with much of her pain alleviated, Antoinette is optimistic that this may no longer be necessary. Her physiotherapist too was impressed with the effects of her Nordic Walking, noting a much greater degree of suppleness and flexibility.

Antoinette has demonstrated what can be achieved through learning the techniques of Nordic Walking combined with regular practice, determination and commitment - an inspiration to us all.

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