Article

Walking speed is a basic factor to consider when walking exercises are prescribed
as part of a training programme. Although associations between walking speed,
step length and falling risk have been identified, the relationship between
spontaneous walking pattern and falling risk remains unclear. The present study,
therefore, examined the stability of spontaneous walking at normal, fast and slow
speed among elderly (67.5+/-3.23) and young (21.4+/-1.31) individuals. In all, 55
participants undertook a test that involved walking on a plantar pressure
platform. Foot-ground contact data were used to calculate walking speed, step
length, pressure impulse along the plantar-impulse principal axis and pressure
record of time series along the plantar-impulse principal axis. A forward
dynamics method was used to calculate acceleration, velocity and displacement of
the centre of mass in the vertical direction. The results showed that when the
elderly walked at different speeds, their average step length was smaller than
that observed among the young (p=0.000), whereas their anterior/posterior
variability and lateral variability had no significant difference. When walking
was performed at normal or slow speed, no significant between-group difference in
cadence was found. When walking at a fast speed, the elderly increased their
stride length moderately and their cadence greatly (p=0.012). In summary, the
present study found no correlation between fast walking speed and instability
among the elderly, which indicates that healthy elderly individuals might safely
perform fast-speed walking exercises.
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Langue : ANGLAIS