Walking Aids

As you get older, you may find it more and more difficult to get around. Whether this is due to stiffness, injuries or if you are just extra careful because you're worried about serious injuries stemming from osteoporosis, it can be frustrating and even depressing to be limited in your mobility. There are a variety of walking aids available for seniors though, and figuring out which one works for you can be positively liberating.

Walkers and canes have for a long time been the standard walking aids. If all you need is a little support sometimes while standing and sitting or a little extra balance while walking, a good lightweight cane might be your best bet. So-called “quad canes,” which have a platform at their base resting on four smaller legs can give you extra support and will ensure that it doesn't slip out from underneath you or buckle if you start to lose your balance. Wooden stick canes can be attractive and dignified, but be sure that if you use one it's sturdy and that it's all you need in terms of support.

Rollator walkers offer the best support you can get while walking and are particularly nifty because they come with a seat and plenty of handy storage space beneath the seat. Rollators look a lot like a standard walker except they have wheels at the base of each leg. Locking hand brakes ensure that the device doesn't slip out from underneath you as you walk, stand, or sit down.

Nearly 50,000 seniors are injured each year from falls involving walking aids and crutches, so it's very important to learn how to use them and to get comfortable with the best ways to stand up and sit down before and after use. Ask your doctor or physical therapist to show you the safest ways to do this, and be sure that if you have a rollator, you know how to deploy the break and test it before you stand up or sit down just to be sure that it's on.

As a senior citizen, walking can be your best source of exercise so don't relinquish it if you don't have to. There are plenty of alternatives to wheelchairs and electric mobility devices and in some cases you may want to use both— even if you can't take long walks anymore you may be able to still use a rollator or walker for shorter distances.