12.5 Aging and Mobility

Question 1

At what age did men show significantly slower walking speeds compared to young adults?

Answer 1

After age 67.

Question 2

What gait characteristic declines especially during fast walking in older men?

Answer 2

Stride length becomes significantly shorter.

Question 3

At what age do stride width and toe-out angle increase?

Answer 3

Stride width ↑ over age 74; Toe-out ↑ over age 80.

Question 4

How do stance and swing phases change after age 65?

Answer 4

Stance phase becomes longer; swing phase becomes shorter.

Question 5

Are these gait patterns considered pathologic?

Answer 5

No—older adults use a more guarded gait strategy for stability.

Question 6

What environmental conditions do older adults’ gait patterns resemble?

Answer 6

Walking on a slippery surface or walking in darkness.

Question 7

How does head movement change with age during gait?

Answer 7

Vertical movement ↓; lateral (side-to-side) movement ↑.

Question 8

What happens to arm swing with aging?

Answer 8

It decreases.

Question 9

What happens to hip, knee, and ankle flexion in older adults?

Answer 9

All show reduced flexion compared to young adults.

Question 10

Which plane of balance becomes more vulnerable in ‘cautious gait’ older adults?

Answer 10

Medial–lateral balance.

Question 11

What change in muscle activation is commonly seen in older adults?

Answer 11

Increased muscle co-activation.

Question 12

What happens to power generation and absorption at push-off and heel strike?

Answer 12

Power generation ↓ at push-off; power absorption ↓ at heel strike.

Question 13

What gait characteristics predict future falls?

Answer 13

Measures of gait variability.

Question 14

What gait changes occur in older adults when walking down stairs?

Answer 14

Slower cadence, more posterior foot placement, larger foot clearance.

Question 15

What visual condition effect is noted when older adults descend stairs?

Answer 15

Gait patterns are significantly affected by visual conditions.

Question 16

What change occurs during the stair-to-floor transition?

Answer 16

Greater medial inclination angle, increasing fall risk.

Question 17

How do older adults adjust posture before lifting off during sit-to-stand?

Answer 17

They flex the trunk more to bring the center of mass closer to the base of support.

Question 18

What strategy do older adults use when rising without arm support?

Answer 18

More trunk and leg flexion; use higher momentum.

Question 19

What movement occurs after seat-off before rising fully erect?

Answer 19

Forward body rotation to position the center of mass over the base of support.

Question 20

How does standing-up speed in older adults compare to young adults?

Answer 20

They take longer to reach full upright posture.

Question 21

What pattern do adults aged 50–59 use when rising from bed?

Answer 21

A more synchronous leg-lowering pattern (both legs move together).

Question 22

What pattern do older adults use when going from supine to stand?

Answer 22

A more asymmetrical pattern.

Question 23

Why is asymmetrical movement helpful for older adults?

Answer 23

It compensates for reduced extensor strength.

Question 24

Why do older adults have slower reaching movements?

Answer 24

Central processing slows, increasing reliance on feedback processes.

Question 25

What happens to speed fluctuations during reaching?

Answer 25

They increase due to slower end-of-reach movement.

Question 26

How does task complexity affect reaching speed in older adults?

Answer 26

More complex tasks produce greater slowing.

Question 27

What causes movement slowing related to monitoring and memory?

Answer 27

Difficulty suppressing movement monitoring and challenges integrating movement subunits into memory chunks.

Question 28

How does aging affect grip–lift performance?

Answer 28

Older adults use higher grip forces, show more variability, and take longer to reach desired grip force.

Question 29

What happens to hand steadiness with age?

Answer 29

It decreases during reaching tasks.

Question 30

Can age-related reaching changes improve with training?

Answer 30

Yes—performance can significantly improve with practiced training.