Are upright walkers safe for elderly?

Many readers have asked me: how safe are upright walkers? So, I decided to investigate this question in detail.

When you reach old age, your muscles get tight, and your joints get stiff. The resilience of your wrists, ankles, knees, and other joints weakens over time. Arthritis or joint pain is common in different parts of your body. You start to need support while walking or standing. 

It’s not always possible for others to help you in your daily tasks. That’s why you should consider various walking mobility devices which will act as support while walking.

You should choose a good walker which can help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. An upright walker will help you in maintaining an active life both in indoor and outdoor conditions. But a lot of people are unsure about how safe upright walkers are. Well, it’s an important question, and I am going to discuss it in detail.

Normal Walkers

Mobility devices are devices that help people who cannot independently walk or stand-alone. People who are physically disabled or adults above 65 years old and have high chances of falling use such devices. You will find various mobility devices in the market like a walking stick or canes, rollator, crutches, wheelchair, upright walker, and numerous others, out of which walker is quite common.

Walkers are mobility aids or devices built for those who cannot move around independently and enjoy their freedom. In the United States, approximately 4.6 percent of people who are above 65 years old take the help of a walker.

The walker frame usually consists of metal, and it has four legs to provide support to the body. In a basic walker, you will find three frames that will surround you, and each time, you need to lift the walker to step forward.

People found it difficult to lift each time. Again each time, you have to hunch while walking, which affects your body posture. Your body should remain straight while walking or standing.

But when you walk with the help of walkers, then your body remains in a hump position which can cause severe back pain. So, in my opinion, a basic walker can never give you a healthy lifestyle.

How Safe Are Upright Walkers?

If you have already brought an up walker or intend to buy an up walker, you must consider how safe is up walkers. But let me tell you that the up walkers are 100 percent safe to use and reliable.

First, I want to talk about the framework. The framework in an up walker surrounds you from all the sides so that if you stumble on the road, you have a support that will protect you and don’t let you fall on the road.

Again roads are not always smooth. You may come across humps somewhere. The upright walkers are just like a minibike. They have handlebars and brakes, and when you come across a hump, you can slow down your walker by hand. It is pretty easy and will protect you from not falling on uneven surfaces. The rubber wheels smoothly glide on bumps and rough surfaces. So, you will not face any problem with uneven pavement.

You can even elevate your handles to such a height where you can feel comfortable while walking. In up walkers, you can see straight on the pavement than down. So you can better see the obstacles and protect yourself. Again by walking in an upright position, your spinal cord will remain straight. As a result, you will not suffer from back pain or any other joint pain. Another thing I want to say is that you consume less oxygen while walking through your walker.

But please make sure that you need to choose the correct handle height for your upright walker, and while setting your adjustment tube, make sure that your forearms will have complete support while walking.

Anyways, I will say the upright walkers are safe, secure, reliable, and can boost your confidence back. You can lead a normal and independent life.

In the next section, let me talk about some of the benefits of an Upright Walker.