I GET AROUND: HOW POLE WALKING KEEPS ME CONNECTED TO MUSIC, NATURE, AND LIFE

by Cynthia Plemmons, Certified Urban Poling and Activator® Instructor

I admit it: I’m still a Tampa teenybopper at heart. Growing up in the Bay Area, music was everywhere. Tampa’s winter touring circuit brought national and international acts within reach—even for a 10-year-old spending babysitting money. My first concert was the Beach Boys in 1967.

Music, Nature, and Growing Up in Tampa Bay

My friends and I lived for music. One later became a California music critic and wrote that we were addicted to local radio—and he was right. Radio was our Facebook, connecting us and pointing us to live music, from free community events to park jams. We were all wannabe rock stars; singing, dancing, and playing guitars. Once we could drive, we headed to the beach and the Keys with the Beach Boys blasting. With year-round access to both, music and nature became inseparable.

After high school, I attended nursing school in a beach community and later married into a musical family. When my concert-promoting husband needed help, I worked behind the scenes at his shows, gaining a backstage view of country, rock, reggae, Motown, and more. Radio had prepared me for that mix. An avid outdoorsman, my husband and I built our family rooted in music and adventure—one our son continues as a professional drummer.

Changes in Latitudes – The Journey Shifts

Forty years later, widowed and recovering from a balance-related medication reaction, I relied on a walker and wondered how to reclaim the life I loved.

Then a friend let me try walking poles recommended by his physical therapist. I immediately felt taller, steadier, and able to breathe more deeply.

My nursing background prompted me to explore why the poles helped and which equipment worked best. I found Activator® poles, whose therapist-designed, strapless handles are especially helpful for people like me with rheumatoid arthritis. They are certified by the Arthritis Foundation as an “Ease of Use” tool, and research—including 22 Urban Poling studies—supports walking poles.

I enrolled in Urban Poling’s instructor training and soon used the poles everywhere—shopping, errands, walks, dinners, and concerts. Collapsible and easy to tuck away, they freed me from a bulky walker.

With regular use, I grew stronger, more energized, and walked farther. Eventually, my strength, coordination, and confidence improved enough to leave my walker behind. This is only my experience, so consult a doctor or physical therapist before switching from a walker or cane to Activator® walking poles.

Pole Dancing and May the Circle Be Unbroken

Pole walking unexpectedly led me to my “Second Act” as a pole walking instructor. After experiencing its benefits, I felt called to share them and now offer what I believe is Florida’s only indoor pole walking program. Music drives my classes: we “pole dance” to lively music, then walk in a large circle to a steady jazz bossa nova rhythm. People come for mobility, balance, fitness, travel preparation, community, relief from summer heat, and the lake views.

Once participants gain confidence indoors, we move outside to learn Nordic walking—cross-country skiing without skis. Developed by Olympic cross-country trainers, this faster technique adds cardio benefits and athletic flair. When people tease me about my “skis,” I laugh and say, “I’m training for the Olympics!”

Once outside, the question I hear most from my class is, “Where’s the music?” Clearly, I have found my people.

Surf’s Up

And you can use Activator® poles on the beach. Bell tips work on compacted sand; for softer sand, remove them, expose the hiking spikes, add sand baskets, and pole on!

Since restarting my life with Activator® walking poles, I’ve attended countless musical events and festivals, including:

• My son’s band performing at the Straz Riverwalk Theatre

• Mayfaire Art Show on the Lake at Lake Morton

• Bok Tower Gardens’ Garden Party with a string quartet in Lake Wales

• Vince Gill at The Van Wezel in June 2026

The Vince Gill concert deserves special mention. One of his first solo shows after touring with the Eagles since 2017, it lasted three and a half hours at a beautiful beachside venue. Thank you, Vince! And from the “nosebleed” section, my Activator® poles made the steep climb easy.

Thank you, Urban Poling, for helping me get there.

Urban Poling’s Activator® walking poles are available at select CVS stores and at www.urbanpoling.com