Redesigned walkers ditch the stigma, keeping older adults moving

Bob Baron is 91 and still editing letters between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Last spring he broke his hip, spent time in a wheelchair, and now uses a metal walker with green tennis balls on its legs to get to his office in suburban Denver. The walker doesn't stop him.

"I have so much joy in looking at the writers of the past and the writers of the present that the fact that I hobble a little bit to get to my chair is immaterial," Baron said.

But Baron is an exception. Around half of older adults who fall never tell their doctor about it — likely because they don't want to use a walker or cane. That reluctance carries real weight. Falls cost the U.S. healthcare system $80 billion annually and are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in people over 65.

Thomas Johnson, a geriatrician at the University of Colorado, sees the pattern in his practice. The shame people feel about needing mobility aids often outweighs their fear of falling again. "People want to look good. They want to feel good," he says — which is why a team at the university's Center for Innovative Design and Engineering decided to redesign the walker itself.

Cathy Bodine, who runs the lab, has developed two prototypes. One is an all-terrain walker with mountain bike-style tires and handlebar brakes — built for people who want to keep hiking or navigating rough ground. The other is an everyday walker that's adjustable, foldable, and features aeronautic-style wheels with stitched leather handles. Both look nothing like the institutional metal frame most people picture.

"When you say, hey, would you like this, or would you like a sexy walker? You know, the interest level goes right through the roof," Bodine said.

This isn't vanity masquerading as engineering. Johnson, who consulted on the project, is clear: a walker people actually want to use is one they'll reach for when they need it. And that matters. Regular use of a mobility aid improves balance, builds strength, and keeps older adults engaged with their communities — which means less isolation, fewer complications from falls, and more independence overall.

"Movement is medicine," Johnson said. "My hope is that through this project, we can help people get moving."

The lab aims to have the everyday walker available by 2027. Baron, for his part, hopes to graduate to a cane soon. His advice to others: "Don't let physical changes affect what you're doing." The redesigned walkers are built on the same logic — remove the barrier, and people keep moving.