vendredi 2 juin 2017

Enjoying The Outdoors With An All Terrain Walker

By Raymond Cole


Taking our elderly parents or grandparents on family trips can be a huge responsibility. Keeping them safe while expanding their horizons and allowing them to enjoy time with their people is the goal all families seek to accomplish. This ideal is more easily achieved with an all terrain walker.

Any physical therapist will tell you that walking is the most important activity to engage in when attempting to regain physical fitness after an injury. When a patient has lost their prior level of fitness, it can be difficult to get them back out. In the case of an elderly patient, family members are sometimes afraid to take the responsibility of getting them outside.

As we age it becomes more difficult to heal after surgeries or broken bones. To make matters worse, one may even be afraid of pursuing physical activity if they have been injured while on a walk. Even so, without walking, there is little hope for improvement, and even a small injury can become the catalyst for continued impairment that can result in premature death.

Depression can cause a patient to avoid physical activity, even without the presence of an injury. Having the support of friends and family is key to encouraging the individual to push themselves in a positive direction. Once a patient has established a daily habit of physical activity, they are more likely to continue being active and pursuing activities on their own that promote a sense of well being.

No matter the age of the individual, physical therapy is a key element in becoming well again. Traditional walkers were inadequate for the various environments that one may wish to explore on a hike. Without the right equipment, a simple afternoon stroll can be more difficult to accomplish, and potentially impossible for the patient to do on their own.

By providing support that takes pressure off the ankles, knees, and lower back, a person can travel further on foot. It is important to note, however, that as the patient improves, they are warned to not continue their dependence on walkers. When they are ready to be independently mobile, it is important for them to do so in order to regain the ability to support their own weight.

If a person resigns themselves to a motorized chair, they may miss the opportunity to regain the abilities they once took for granted. Motorized chairs are a good alternative for those who will never regain their ability to walk. However, for anyone who is on the cusp of total disability due to age or obesity, being drawn to the motorized chair can actually harm them in the long run.

Most patients wish to return to their independent lives, and these walkers can help them accomplish that goal. They fold easily into a back seat or the trunk of an automobile, allowing independent travel for patients of all ages. They may even be able to continue working while they work to return their bodies to the level of health and physical endurance that they once knew.




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