A Gymstick™ is a piece of exercise equipment that consists of a pole with a band attached at each end. Each free end of the band has a loop to place over the feet. A form of Gymstick™ called the Nordic Walking pole can also be used to perform Nordic walking. The Gymstick™ was invented by a group of fitness experts from Finland.
Gymsticks™ come in different colors. The resistance offered by the band is shown by the color. Green offers the least resistance, which makes it suitable for the elderly or people needing rehabilitation. Gold offers the most resistance and is primarily intended for athletes. The resistance of a Gymstick™ can be further increased by rolling the band around the pole.
Several features of Gymsticks™ can make them a useful piece of home gym equipment. They are lighter and take up less space than dumbbells and weight machines. Some Gymsticks™ can be shortened for easier storage or portability. The Gymstick™ also works the often neglected core muscles. Gymsticks ™ may be less intimidating than certain core exercise disciplines such as Pilates and yoga.
There are a large number of exercises that can be done with the Gymstick™. Most of them are exercises which can be done without a Gymstick™, but benefit from the added resistance. One example is a Gymstick™ crunch with bicep curl. This is performed in almost the same way as a regular crunch, but with the band loops over the feet and the pole held in the hands. As the exerciser raises his or her upper body, the arms are simultaneously raised in a bicep curl.
Another exercise is the backward lunge with overhead press. The exerciser places both loops over the foot of the lunging leg with both hands gripping the Gymstick™ at chest height. The Gymstick™ is held perpendicular to the line of the body. As the looped foot moves into a lunge, the Gymstick™ is raised over the head. Arms should be straight for this exercise.
A Gymstick™ can be used to provide a total body workout. If a higher resistance is used, the Gymstick™ can form the basis of a regular workout, but it should not be used alone. The user could get bored and give up on the exercise. The best results typically occur when the Gymstick™ workouts are combined with other forms of gym equipment and cardio training.