Why do walkers have tennis balls

But, those days are long gone at this point. Back in the 70s and 80s, most people who used walkers were actually in nursing homes. And, the floors in most nursing homes were covered with linoleum or tile.

Unfortunately, when these rubber tips on the rear legs of walkers came in contact with those linoleum floors, they made such a racket skidding across the floors that therapists had to come up with a solution that would make working there bearable imagine a physical therapy room filled with seniors all using walkers trying to learn to walk again. I remember. Therapists came up with a simple solution: cut tennis balls to fit over the rear legs and voila! No more racket. Just the slight sliding sound or a felt covered tennis ball slipping across the floor.

And, these tennis balls worked great on solid smooth surfaces. Fast Forward 30 years. Things had come a long way. While front wheel walker makers still used rubber tips on most folding walkers, they moved to a different option. It comes down to a matter of preference, and some people like the idea of sliding. It takes slightly less effort if the walker is moving smoothly, which is always a good thing during a long day of going places.

They are also very useful for younger children, as it allows them to be a bit more active with their walker. It can still be used traditionally, but the glide factor definitely plays a role as well. This feels a bit more natural to them overall.

Younger kids also like making their walkers a bit sportier with this finishing touch. The walker moves around easier, and it allows them to even participate in sports.

It might not seem like much, but adding a little bit of color to a walker is a cool way to make it unique. The process might seem a little complicated at first, but once a person gets the hang of it, it only takes a few seconds to prepare a new set of tennis balls to attach to a walker. A ball can be cut properly with just a knife, but some people also use a device for added stability, or a hammer and nail to poke the initial hole.

Below are the full instructions to make a tennis ball ready for walker use. Stabilize the tennis ball so that it does not move around. Use the knife for an initial hole put into the ball, or the hammer and nail. This is just going to be a starting point for where the actual cuts need to be made. The size of the X should be about 2 inches in length with each cut to fit a standard walker.

This will leave four different openings on the tennis ball, which makes attaching it to a walker much easier. Make sure to cut away from the body when doing this. Go with something that is pretty sharp, and be prepared to experience a little bit of a struggle in the beginning. Open up the flaps just enough to put the leg of the walker into the ball. Push all the flaps up so that it has a secure fit.

Some people might opt for additional tape or even glue for a more secure fit, but this setup alone should be just fine.

Final Tip: There are certain tennis balls that are easier to attach than others, I listed some of the best tennis balls for walkers in this post. Since people attach these to the bottom of the walker, they should stay on fine thanks to gravity for the most part. If they slip off, they are easy to put back on.

The slipping facet should only be employed on surfaces that are specific. In the past couple of decades, there are some men and women that are really against using tennis balls around the walker, since there are now choices that assist with slipping more. Adding a set of tennis balls into the base of a walker may help equilibrium at first, but when a person wears down until another, it may be somewhat uneven.

In addition, there are individuals against a tennis ball around the floor due to the way that they accumulate a lot of distinct germs. This is something to think about, but at precisely the exact time, wheels and tips may get dirty quickly too.

Just be certain that you replace them regularly and everything ought to be OK on that front. Wash out the walker up to possible if bacteria are a significant problem since there is not a remedy available yet that does not collect germs. Tennis balls may be bought new for a inexpensive cost, or discovered in bulk by a local tennis center.

The majority of the time they are throwing balls out who are dead anyway, so that they will offer a good deal of tennis balls at no cost. This provides a man no justification to not replace them regularly. Not only for elderly people!

It bursts down to a matter of preference, and a few folks like the concept of slipping. It requires less attempt when the walker is moving easily, and it is almost always a fantastic thing during a very long day of moving places. It may nevertheless be used traditionally, however, the slide factor undoubtedly plays a role too. Children do not need to feel as they are limited in any way with their walkers. This seems somewhat more natural to the entire.

Younger kids also like creating the walker of theirs rather sportier with this particular finishing touch. The walker goes around easier, and also it enables them to get involved in sports. It might not are like very much, but including a little bit of color to some walker is a trendy approach making it exceptional.

The method may show up somewhat complicated in the beginning, but when a private receives the hang of it, it just involves a few of occasions to make a fresh set of tennis balls to connect to a walker. A ball could be trimmed properly with only a knife, but a few people use a device for extra firmness, or a hammer and nail to thrust the first hole. Below are the complete instructions to generate a tennis ball prepared for walker usage.

There are a number of small variations on the market to test if this does not work for a specific walker.