Older Folk Scared to Walk?

It’s all a matter of perception, apparently; we all know older people who seem to be afraid to step out at a brisk pace. Many older adults like this are unwilling to become active walkers, which means they miss the healthy benefits of exercise. Pittsburg researchers have published a study in the journal Physical Therapy that analyses this reluctance.

The data came from the Cardiovascular Health Study; it covered 2,250 community-dwelling adults aged 65 or more – their average age was 79. Possible links between walking activity and health and balance perception, fall history, and balance performance were sought.

The findings were clear-cut. Health and balance perception, as well as gait speed, were significantly linked with walking activity. Those participants who perceived both their health and balance to be good walked more blocks a week than those with a lesser perception. Walking at normal speed resulted in more blocks walked than those who walked more slowly.

“Fear of falling” is a real problem for some seniors, and probably plays a prominent role in this study. Indeed, gait speed and fall history were not related to the actual walking activity recorded amongst participants. It seems clear that, if false perceptions can be corrected, walking activity will normalize, with consequent improvements in overall health for these older citizens.