7 Ways a Walker Can Help You Stay Independent

Article written by Gwen M Ray,

The profound value of independent mobility first became clear to me as a young child. My mother was the director of a preschool for both disabled and non-disabled children.

One of my earliest memories is of a little girl, Marie (not her real name) at the preschool. She had muscular dystrophy. She could crawl around in the classroom on the carpet, but she had to be carried or pushed in a stroller everywhere else.

One day Marie arrived at school with a shiny metal contraption and braces on her legs with tan leather straps and silver buckles. It was the first time I saw walker.

Pushing her walker ahead of her, Marie was able to get around on her own. She could move about the classroom without the help of an adult. She could decide where she wanted to go and get there without having to ask someone to carry her.

Marie could even access much of the playground. Before she got her walker, she spent most of the outdoor playtime in the sandbox.

Marie’s walker gave her independence and allowed her to experience the world in ways she never had before.

But adults with new mobility challenges may feel like their world is closing in around them.

Losing mobility can mean a loss of independence. This can be devastating to a once active adult, especially if the cause is progressive and/or permanent.

Feeling isolated is common for adults facing new mobility challenges. You may stay home rather than go out with friends and family.

Feeling weak and burdensome is also common. You may need to ask others for help with things you used to be able to do on your own.

You are also likely to become a lot less active. Inactive muscles grow weaker. If your condition is progressive, not using your muscles may lead to total loss of independent mobility very quickly.

A walker can give you back some independence.

1. Maintain muscles for longer

Muscles need regular work to maintain strength. Although many conditions are progressive, it is often possible to slow the decline with appropriate exercise.

Walking is generally a great form of exercise for most people. I tire quickly if I walk unaided, and I also may fall. A rollator gives me the stability and support I need to go longer distances. It also provides me with a seat to take a rest when needed.

I have adult-onset muscular dystrophy. With regular exercise that includes walking, I have not only slowed the progression of my muscle loss, but I have also regained a little strength. Because of this, I can still walk unaided for shorter distances around my home. I am safe to stay at home by myself as well as go out wherever I need to unaccompanied.

2. Do your own shopping (and avoid germs)

I don’t feel safe walking around a store on my own unless I have my walker with me. I could lose my balance and fall or become fatigued and need to sit down.

I can put quite a few grocery items in the basket of my walker. This is usually all I need if I have pick something up when I happen to be in town on my own. If I’m with my husband on the weekend, we can divide the shopping list and meet back up at checkout.

I much prefer using my walker over one of those electric carts available in many stores. I like to see people’s faces or the backs of their heads as I go about my shopping, not midsections and butts.

Plus, I’m I lousy driver when it comes to those carts. When I do have to use one, people usually run in fear. There’s a lot of crashing, beeping, and colorful language as I attempt to navigate around produce and small children.

COVID also made me realize how nice it was to have my own mobility device out in public. I mean do you really think all those carts are being disinfected after each use? And do the little sanitary wipes actually work on the pitted and torn foam of the handlebars?

I feel much better using a device only myself and my family touch. I also carry hand sanitizer, spare masks and other small items in the handy zippered pocket.

3. Get around at home by yourself

I’ve done a good job of maintaining my muscles by walking and engaging in other exercise that my physical therapist has recommended for me. Because of this, I can move around within my home without a mobility device.

Outside my house I can use my walker for walks, getting the mail, or carrying packages up the driveway.

4. Hold hands walking only if you want to

Don’t get me wrong, I love to hold my husband’s hand for walks on the beach, moonlight strolls, and other mushy stuff like that.

Other times it’s nice to be able to walk by myself. Like when it’s hot and our hands are sweaty. Or after my husband fails to wolf down his dipped ice cream cone before it melts all over his hands (I get my ice cream in a dish and eat it with a spoon like a civilized person).

I can even stomp off in a huff with the aid of my walker if the mood strikes me.

5. Outlast your significant other at the hardware store

I used to DREAD going to Home Depot with my husband.

I would stick close to him, afraid of losing my balance and falling. We would slowly meander up and down almost every aisle while he eyeballed bolts and contemplated light fixtures. Before I got my walker, I almost had to sit on the floor in the plumbing aisle once because my legs were so fatigued.

Now I could hang out there all day. I am not afraid to wander off by myself and look at houseplants or appliances. Hey, what’s up with a smart refrigerator anyhow?

Or I can find a nice place to park my walker and sit. I can watch people go by or pull out my tablet for a game of solitaire or to research smart refrigerators. So, it turns out some of them have cameras to look inside and see what you have while you’re at the grocery store.

Count me in! My husband does most of the grocery shopping on his way home from work, so I’m what looks inside the fridge to see what we need. On long grocery expeditions he may text or call me every five minutes asking me to go see if we have this or that.

6. Release your inner child

Remember getting a new bicycle when you were a kid? It was thrilling, right? Your new wheels gave you more independence, taking you places you couldn’t go before. Getting a shiny new walker feels much the same way:

Bike: Leading up to going to the bicycle shop to pick it up, I imagined all the adventures I would have with it. I would imagine the places I would ride with my friends and the accessories I would add – bell, basket, streamers.

Walker: Leading up to it being delivered by UPS, I imagined all the adventures I would have with it (especially when I got my all-terrain Trionic Veloped), the places I would hike with my family, and the accessories I would add – air horn (there be mountain lions in these woods), basket – wait it already has one, and it’s really big! I skipped the streamers because, well, I’m a bit more mature these days (although I did put Christmas lights on my Trionic Rollator this Christmas).

Bike: When I brought it home, I tested the speed (and brakes) by careening down a steep hill. I stuffed my neighbor between the handlebars to take her for a ride and took off down the road to go to the park.

Walker: When UPS dropped it off, I tested the brakes by walking down our driveway (my speed demon days ended after I did a faceplant off my first 10-speed at the age of 14). I stuffed my dog in the basket to take him for a ride (he jumped out before I could even release the brakes) and put it in the back of the car to take it up to the accessible trail on London Peak.

7. Maintain muscles for longer

Yes, I know this was number one, but it is so important it counts twice. Move it or lose it people – this cannot be stressed enough.

Many people with progressive conditions get electric mobility scooters or power wheelchairs way to soon. By doing so they lose years of independent ambulation and add years of dependence on others.

Mobility scooters and power chairs don’t allow you to use your muscles. They’re also big, heavy, and difficult to transport.

There are many places it is much easier and more convenient to take even a regular rollator. If you get an all-terrain walker such as the Trionic Rollator, the places you can go increases. With a Trionic Veloped the world opens to you even wider.

There are more than enough places my Veloped can go to satisfy my need to get out into the great outdoors.

If you find yourself staying at home to avoid walking, it might be time to consider a walker. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to make sure you choose the right device for your situation. It is also important to learn to use it properly so you can reap all the benefits of walking.

Many people may be afraid that if they start using a mobility device, they will become dependent on it and give up walking unaided. This is most likely NOT the case. Although again, it is important to seek the guidance of medical professionals for your condition.

I use a walker when I need to walk for extended periods, on rougher terrain where I could lose my balance, or when my body is very fatigued. Without them I would be much less mobile and would likely have lost more muscle and stamina. I would be very limited in where I could go.

I have maintained enough strength and stamina to go without a walker where it is inconvenient or impossible to use.

Walkers are tools to aid me in my quest to stay mobile for as long as possible.

I love feeling sand beneath my feet. I enjoy walking through snow. A favorite seasonal activity of mine is crunching dried leaves and madrone bark under my feet (bonus points if I can roll over them with the front Veloped wheel). And oh, how I love rumbling over wooden bridges (a walker is required to get the rumble effect).

Just as Marie’s walker did for her, my walkers give me independence and allow me to experience the world in ways I never have before.