Before using your mobility aid for the first time, you must set the rollator height to promote good posture while walking. If the handles are not adjusted properly, your rollator will not provide adequate support, putting you at risk of injury or falling.
This is the first in a series of six lessons on how to correctly use a rollator indoors.
How to set the correct height of your rollator
We recommend adjusting the rollator height in front of a mirror or with a helpful companion to verify the handles are in the right position to support your posture.
- Stand upright as close to the rollator as possible without leaning.
- With your head up, relax your shoulders, engage your core muscles, and let your arms hang naturally by your side.
- Adjust the handles to align with your wrists and set both sides to the same height.
- As you stand straight and grip the handles, your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows, at an angle of about 20-30 degrees.
- When you determine the correct height, remember the position so you can easily set it again as needed.
The video below shows how to set the height of your rollator.
Do not set the handles too high or too low – set them “just right”
If the handles are too high, more strength is required to maintain balance, provoking muscle strain and fatigue. If the handles are too low, you’ll be forced to lean forward and risk falling. Take care to ensure the handles are in the optimal position to support walking comfortably and safely. Once they are in place, get ready to Rollz!
Do not set the handles too low
If the handles are too low, this may cause you to walk too far away from the rollator and therefore not have the needed walking support.
Tips from Rollz physio Anne-Wil Siegmund
“I often see people walking with a rollator that is set too high, even though it had been set at the right level in the store or by the physical therapist. People within the environment of the user, for example an overly enthusiastic son-in-law, think ‘the higher, the better, otherwise mom walks bent over the rollator’.
Undoubtedly it is well-intentioned, but with handles that are too high you get the opposite effect, and the person walks with an incorrect posture. Moreover, it is not safe. Handles should be set at the height of the wrists.”
Next lesson: Walking with a rollator.