A solid timber pole for stretching, posture and balance — standing, sitting or lying down. No joints. No plastic. No telescopic bits to rattle or seize. Made one at a time in Stockport.
The pole
Stood upright, the top sits at about head height on someone around 5 ft 8 in. The varnish is left slightly grippy on purpose, rather than glassy, so it does not slide in the hands.
What it is for
Something to hold, something to reach with, something to steady yourself against. It works standing, sat in an ordinary kitchen chair, or lying on the floor — so it suits people at very different stages.
Standing tall
Heel raises
One leg
Supported squat
Supported lunge
Hamstrings
Hip opener
Calf stretchEight of the twenty-seven exercises in the illustrated guide that comes free in the box with every pole. These are illustrations, not photographs — made with an AI image tool and chosen by me, the same as in the book, where it is stated on the copyright page. Every photograph of a pole on this page is my own.
Why wood
Wood is warm to hold. It has a little give in it, and it does not slip in the hands the way metal does on a cold morning.
A one-piece pole has nothing to go wrong. No telescopic section to seize, no screw thread to work loose, no plastic collar to split. It is the same object in ten years as it is on the day it arrives.
The usual alternative screws together in the middle out of aluminium. It rattles, it works loose, and it is cold to pick up first thing.
The book
Balance is the fitness measure most people never train — and one of the first things to go. 150 pages on getting it back.
27 exercises across standing balance, spine and rotation, hips and legs, and floor and seated work. Each one the same clear way: what it is for, how to set up, the movement, an easier option and a harder one.
Plus a chapter on breathing, the history of the pole as humanity's oldest tool, the research behind why this pole is shaped the way it is, ready-made routines, a six-week plan, and how to look after it.
No gym. No gimmicks. Just a straight piece of wood and twenty-seven honest ways to use it.
Prices
Every price includes tracked UK delivery.
The Light Touch added to any pole order, delivered in the same parcel. On its own it is £18.
Two poles cost so much less than twice one for an honest reason: a pole is nearly six feet long, and the courier charges a fixed surcharge for the length of the parcel. That surcharge is charged once, whether there is one pole in the parcel or four. The more that go to one address, the less each one costs.
Physiotherapists, Pilates teachers, care settings
On orders of five or more, delivered. Fitting out a treatment room, a class or a day room? Tell me how many and where they are going and I will confirm the carriage before you commit to anything.
Order
Fill this in and it comes straight to me. I confirm the price, send an invoice, you pay by bank transfer and I post it. No card details go near this website and nothing is taken until you have the invoice in front of you.
One thing worth knowing. My bank details appear on the invoice and they never change. If you ever receive an email that looks like it is from me giving different account details, it is not from me — ring 07899 294169 before you send anything.
Would rather speak to someone? Ring or message 07899 294169. If I am in the workshop I will not always hear it — leave a message and I will come straight back to you.
The practical bits
Wrapped and packed so the ends cannot work loose. Out within two working days of the invoice being paid.
Can be arranged and costs nothing — the cheapest way to buy one.
Tell me and send a photograph. It is a long wooden pole going through a courier network, and couriers are couriers. It has happened before, and it gets put right.
You have 14 days from the day it arrives to tell me, and 14 days after that to send it back. Your full cancellation rights are here.
Before you use it
For light support and balance only. Never put your full body weight on it. It is not a walking aid, a step or a ladder.
Check the pole over for splits or splinters before each use. Stop if you feel dizzy, and sit down.
If you have a health condition or a recent injury, speak to your GP or physiotherapist before starting.
Cancelling, returns and refunds
You have a legal right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. You do not have to give a reason.
You can cancel at any time from the moment your order is confirmed, up to 14 days after the day you receive the poles. If your order arrives in more than one parcel, the 14 days run from the day the last one arrives.
Tell me in writing before the 14 days are up — email craighalls@googlemail.com or write to the address at the bottom of this page. A clear statement is enough. You can use the form below if you prefer, but you do not have to.
Send the poles back without undue delay and in any event within 14 days of telling me you are cancelling. You pay the return postage. A pole is nearly six feet long and couriers charge a surcharge for the length, so please ask me for the cheapest sensible way to send it before you book anything. Please pack it as it arrived, so it is protected on the way back.
I refund everything you paid, including the delivery built into the price. You get it within 14 days of the poles reaching me, or within 14 days of you sending me proof of postage, whichever comes first. It goes back by bank transfer to the account you paid from. There is no fee.
You can handle a pole as you would in a shop — take it out, look at it, check the finish, feel the weight. If it comes back with damage or wear beyond that, I may reduce the refund by the amount its value has dropped, up to the price you paid.
A pole cut to a length you have specified is made to your specification, so the 14-day cancellation right does not apply to it. It is still covered if it is faulty or not as described. I will remind you of this before I make one.
If a pole is faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose, you have separate rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including a 30-day right to reject for a full refund. Cancelling is for changing your mind. Faulty is different — and if it is faulty, I pay the postage both ways.
Tell me and I will put it right. If we cannot settle it between us, I will write to you confirming that and tell you which certified alternative dispute resolution body could look at it, and whether I am willing to take part.
To: Craig Hallsworth trading as Hallsworth Poles, First Floor, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JW — craighalls@googlemail.com
I hereby give notice that I cancel my contract of sale of the following goods:
Ordered on / received on:
Name:
Address:
Signature (only if sending this on paper):
Date:
Privacy
Who I am. I am Craig Hallsworth, a sole trader, trading as Hallsworth Poles, and I am the data controller. You can reach me at the address at the bottom of this page, on 07899 294169, or at craighalls@googlemail.com. I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, registration number ZC252957.
What I collect. When you use the order form: your name, email address, phone number, delivery address, what you have ordered, and anything you write in the notes box. When you pay, your bank reference — and, if I ever need to refund you, the account details to send it back to. If you ring, email or message me, whatever you tell me.
Why I have it. To price your order, invoice you, answer your questions and post your poles — that is performance of a contract with you, or steps you have asked me to take before one (Article 6(1)(b) UK GDPR). To keep proper business records, which is a legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)). And to deal with a complaint or a dispute if one ever arises (Article 6(1)(f)).
Who else sees it. The order form is delivered by Web3Forms, who process it on my behalf. Your name and delivery address go to the courier who brings the parcel. My accountant and HMRC see the invoice records. My insurer would see the details if there were ever a claim. Nobody else. I do not sell, rent or share your details, and I do not use them for advertising.
How long I keep it. I delete the raw form submission once I have invoiced you. I keep the invoice and order record for six years from the end of the tax year it falls in, because HMRC and the six-year limitation period require it. Refund bank details are deleted as soon as the refund has cleared.
Your rights. You can ask me for a copy of what I hold about you, to have it corrected if it is wrong, to have it deleted where I no longer need it, to restrict or object to how I use it, or to receive it in a portable format. Email me and I will deal with it within one month, free of charge.
Complaints. If you are unhappy with how I have handled your information, please tell me first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
Do you have to give me this? To buy poles, yes — I cannot price, invoice or post an order without a name, a way to contact you and an address. The notes box is optional.
Cookies. This site sets no analytics, advertising or tracking cookies. The only ones that may be set are strictly necessary security cookies that protect the site from automated abuse. That is why there is no cookie banner: there is nothing for you to consent to.
Who makes them
“I have made these for years, and I use one myself. Mine is twenty-two years old and still as good as the day I made it.”
My name is Craig Hallsworth. I am a joiner by trade and have spent around twenty years in construction and site management. The poles are made in small batches, by me, in Stockport — shaped, sanded, varnished and checked before each one is packed.
If something is not right when it turns up, you are dealing with the person who made it, not a call centre.