How to Use a Walking Staff

A walking staff can assist the motion of walking with an injury, provide support for a weak leg or be used for general safety. The staff acts like an anchor point on which a person's hand can grasp and facilitate in the navigation of terrain. A walking staff can be called by several names, including a walking stick and a walking cane. The principle of a walking aid remains the same regardless of its nomenclature.

Things You'll Need

• Walking staff

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Instructions

• 1

  Grasp the walking staff in one of your hands. If you have a weak or injured leg, grasp the staff with the opposing hand. When you walk, extend the staff and your week or injured leg forward and place equal weight on both as you extend your unaffected leg.

• 2

  Improve your balance. Use the staff as a guide when you walk. Place the staff in front of you before you advance to keep a straight line. If you encounter strong wind lean on your staff to counteract the wind.

• 3

  Save energy. Lean on the staff when you walk and let the staff and your arm take some of the load off of your legs.

• 4

  Probe for hidden obstructions in streams before crossing them. Lower the staff into the stream and probe about to identify any drops in elevation.

• 5

  Move poisonous plants and animals from your path as you walk. The walking staff cannot be harmed by poisonous plants and animals. Use caution when moving poisonous animals from your path.

• 6

  Rescue a fellow walker. Extend your walking staff to aid in the rescue of a fellow walker who has fallen into a stream, is stranded on the edge of a cliff or caught in quicksand.