Walking With a Rollator and the Level of Physical Intensity in Adults 75 Years of Age or Older

Eggermont LH, van Heuvelen MJ, van Keeken BL, Hollander AP, Scherder EJ. Walking with a rollator and the level of physical intensity in adults 75 years of age or older.ObjectiveTo determine whether walking with a rollator by persons 75 years of age or older is of sufficient intensity to improve aerobic fitness.DesignA cross-sectional cohort study.SettingUniversity movement laboratory.ParticipantsFifteen subjects 75 years of age or older (mean age, 83.7y) who could only walk by using a rollator.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresDuring 6 minutes of self-paced treadmill walking using a rollator at a mean walking speed of 0.6m/s, oxygen uptake (V̇o2), carbon dioxide production, and heart rate were determined. Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and energy expenditure were calculated. The energy expenditure was expressed as the number of metabolic equivalents (METS), the percentage of estimated maximal V̇o2 (V̇o2max), the percentage of estimated V̇o2max reserve, and the percentage of estimated maximal heart rate.ResultsMean V̇o2 was .718L/min. Mean RER was .93 (95% confidence interval [CI], .89−.97). Thirteen participants showed an RER below 1.0, which indicates a negligible contribution of anaerobic expenditure. Walking with a rollator required a mean of 2.8 (95% CI, 2.4−3.2) METS, 71.9% of V̇o2max (95% CI, 65.2%−78.6%), 50.5% (95% CI, 39.4%−61.5%) of V̇o2 reserve, and 75.2% (95% CI, 67.6%−82.8%) of estimated maximal heart rate.ConclusionsFor people 75 years of age or older, walking with a rollator is an activity of moderate to high level of intensity, with the capacity of improving aerobic fitness.