Aging Edge: You study people’s gait as part of this. What goes wrong with it?
VanSwearingen: After people are 65, I wouldn’t be surprised if 50 percent of them have changed their walking, and at 75, maybe upward of two-thirds or three-quarters of people. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but people start to take slower steps and are more cautious. Once you lose that automaticity about walking, you put resources into something that doesn’t normally need it, and so if you happen to trip, those resources aren’t there available to help you. You actually expend a lot of energy when you contract your muscles in a cautious way.
Aging Edge: If that caution is harmful instead of helpful, how should people build up their confidence?
VanSwearingen: Get good practice where you feel safe. A treadmill is excellent, where you can hold on to something, set the pace where you want it, get comfortable when increasing the pace. It’s a good way to get the pattern up, forcing you to take steps at the appropriate time, while you can hang on and the ground’s not uneven.
Aging Edge: What about people without easy access to a treadmill?
VanSwearingen: You can clear your living room of some objects, say I’m going to walk over there, and practice taking bigger steps doing it. You can move the chairs away from your dining room table, put your hand lightly on the table and slide your hand along as you walk around the table. You’re creating a curved path for yourself, a safe place to practice. Or you can take walks with a friend who walks well, or a younger person.
