These are things that I have discovered that work for me. We are all so different so hopefully they might be useful for you too, or you might use them already. Extended walking poles for walking with instead of the normal short walking sticks.
To carry a mug of tea place it in a larger plastic jug and collect all the spills when you get there!
If you are having a wobbly day on the stairs, go slowly backwards.
I am sure you all have many more!
Hi Litty
I love your name by the way!!
I know that walking poles are not available on the NHS. I have heard of a number of other people using walking poles and finding them very helpful. I currently use a walking stick (a pretty one bought by myself!) but have been told by my physio that I should be walking with two crutches. I am using NHS crutches at the moment which are not the nicest things to look at to say the least! I am unsure whether to buy some more colourful crutches or invest in some walking poles instead.
Did you try crutches before using walking poles? Where did you get your walking poles from?
Harriet (HarryB)
Hello there
Thank you. I am normally Lit but I do use Litty too and I needed 5 letters! It is short for Elizabeth (which I don't like). My sister could not say Elizabeth and called me Litabeth and it got shortened.
My Dad used crutches, to help take out the wobble. If you want to jazz them up I got some wonderful stickers for my wheelchair off Hippy Motors. I tend to use a chair when we go out for the day, so I don't hold everyone up.
If you can get around with 2 sticks you can certainly manage walking poles. I used to use one pole and now I have 2. My neuro-physio got me onto poles. I was suffering from bad neck ache and she was right because I had just started using a walking stick, and it was causing the ache. Poles are excellent for core strength, making you look around more and getting your head up. You just need normal hiking poles, like they sell in camping shops. Some people have got bargains off Ebay and I bet Amazon stock them.
Fully extend the poles and do not hold the tops. Grip them anywhere along the length that is comfortable. That way they are always the perfect height whatever the terrain. Try to look up and stand upright as much as possible.
I pinched my Leki poles off my son when he came bcd from an adventure holiday!
This is a bit of a lecture but I hope it helps.
Litty
I use a trvel mug for my tea or coffee. It has a push-down lid on it with a thin rubber ring seal which holds it down easilly without worrying about spillage. It has a small plastic slide bit on the lid which opens and allows just enough room to drink out of. It has a silver outer coating which helps to keep the contents warm. It also has quite a large open-ended handle that I can easilly hook onto my rollator/walker handle. I can then wheel it into the living room without spilling a drop.
The best is that it only cost me £1:50 from Tesco
Excellent!
I like the cocoa mugs from Emma Bridgewater. They are expensive so I have bought 'seconds' in the sale. Because of their large size I only need to fill them half full. Also, the shape of the handle makes them easier to hold and carry. Not to mention they are pretty to look at!!
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