Walking and movement

• Check your posture throughout the day; before setting off to walk, stand up as straight as possible and look ahead rather than at the ground
• Avoid crepe or rubber soles as these may ‘catch’ on the ground. Leather is usually recommended although it can be slippery on some surfaces
• Avoid loose fitting sandals
• Shoes with low heels and good arch support are recommended
• Concentrate on long strides, swing your arms and look up
• If freezing is a problem, avoid crossing busy roads, rough ground and crowded areas when unaccompanied
• Minimise distractions and focus just on walking. Don’t try to walk and talk at the same time. Do sight-seeing tours and shopping with a friend so you can walk arm in arm
• Turn in a large circle using long steps to avoid falls
• If using a walking stick or cane, add Velcro^® to the handle and on the front of chairs and furniture where you frequently rest it so that it is easily picked up again and does not fall
• A wrist strap may also be added to a stick or cane to hang from your wrist when climbing stairs
• Grab rails can be fitted to stairs or any other part of the house where stability and balance may be more tricky
• A stair lift could be fitted if climbing or descending stairs is a problem
• Use a chair that has good support, preferably with a straight back, high seat and arm rests. Make sure that it is a comfortable height for you and avoid loose cushions
• Avoid very low or soft chairs. A higher seat base is easier to get up from and chair raisers (special blocks under your chair) are available to lift the level
• If you can’t find a comfortable chair, see if a carpenter can make one to suit you and then use fixed semi-rigid foam
• Avoid cluttering rooms with unnecessary furniture as this makes it more difficult to safely move around
• Falls can be reduced by placing frequently used objects between knee and shoulder level so that they are easy to pick up or access
• As well as wheelchairs to aid mobility, cars can be modified to make it more disabled friendly – swivel seats are available to make it easier to get in and out
• For more information see sections on avoiding falls, gait and freezing.