Led by researchers at Flinders University and the University of Canberra, the study found that aging is associated with a “safety-first” walking strategy. This approach emphasizes stability instead of speed and energy efficiency, helping explain why older adults may fatigue more quickly and also face a greater risk of falling.<\/p>\n
Researchers analyzed movement data from 107 healthy adults between the ages of 26 and 86. They found small but meaningful age-related differences in how the ankle and nearby muscles manage each step.<\/p>\n
How the Ankle Changes With Age<\/strong><\/p>\n Lead author and sport and exercise technology expert Dr. Cody Lindsay says the ankle is essential for maintaining balance while also helping propel the body forward.<\/p>\n “As we get older, the body starts to favor stability over efficiency,” says Dr. Lindsay, from the Flinders Caring Futures Institute.<\/p>\n “That helps keep us upright, but it also makes walking more of an effort.”<\/p>\n The researchers found that older adults are more likely to activate opposing muscles around the ankle at the same time. This pattern is known as co-contraction. It makes the ankle joint stiffer and can improve stability when the foot contacts the ground.<\/p>\n However, Dr. Lindsay says this comes at a cost.<\/p>\n “Stiffening the joint makes walking safer, but it also means the muscles are working harder without generating as much forward movement,” he says.<\/p>\n Older participants also generated less push-off power with each step. As a result, their strides were shorter, and their walking speeds were slower.<\/p>\n A Safety First Strategy for Walking<\/strong><\/p>\n Co-author Associate Professor Maarten Immink says the findings point to a wider change in the way the body manages movement as people grow older.<\/p>\n “The nervous system adopts a safety-first approach, compensating for age-related changes by favoring stability over performance,” says Associate Professor Immink, Lead of the Active Lives Research Program within the Caring Futures Institute at Flinders University.<\/p>\n “These changes can also increase fatigue and make walking longer distances more challenging, while reducing the ability to recover from trips or slips — a key factor in falls among older adults.”<\/p>\n “Even gradual changes can affect confidence and independence, and people may notice they tire more quickly or feel less steady, especially on uneven ground.”<\/p>\n Exercise May Help Preserve Mobility<\/p>\n The findings also suggest possible ways to help people maintain mobility as they age.<\/p>\n Rather than focusing only on building strength, the researchers say exercise programs should also emphasize balance and coordination while paying attention to how different muscles work together during each step.<\/p>\n “For older Australians, simple actions can make a difference, including regular physical activity, balance exercises such as tai chi, lower-leg strengthening and activities that challenge coordination,” says Dr. Lindsay, from Flinders’ College of Health and Enablement.<\/p>\n “Staying active is one of the most important things people can do, and small, consistent exercises can help you stay confident, mobile and independent for longer.”<\/p>\n The researchers hope these findings can contribute to improved prevention and rehabilitation strategies designed to reduce falls and support healthy aging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Led by researchers at Flinders University and the University of Canberra, the study found that aging is associated with a “safety-first” walking strategy. This approach emphasizes stability instead of speed and energy efficiency, helping explain why older adults may fatigue more quickly and also face a greater risk of falling. Researchers analyzed movement data from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105700"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=105700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=105700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=105700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adviews.info\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=105700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}