“But I walk every day. I am active. How could I suddenly fall?”
This is a question many older people ask after an unexpected fall. Walking regularly is certainly good for health, but there is an important lesson about ageing: Walking endurance is not the same as the ability to react quickly when you lose your balance.
Our muscles contain different types of fibres, broadly classified as slow-twitch (Type I) and fast-twitch (Type II) fibres.
Slow-twitch fibres are particularly useful for endurance. They help us walk, stand and maintain our posture for long periods. Regular walking is an excellent way of maintaining this type of fitness.
Fast-twitch fibres, however, contribute more to producing force rapidly. They become especially important when something unexpected happens.
Imagine that you trip over a stone, slip on a wet floor or step awkwardly off a pavement. You may have only a fraction of a second to move your leg, straighten your body or take another step to prevent yourself from falling.
This requires not only strength but also muscle power the ability to produce force quickly.
With ageing, muscle strength and power can decline. Research involving older adults has linked lower-limb power and functional movements, such as rising from a chair, with physical performance and the risk of falls.
This helps explain why someone can walk several kilometres every day and still have difficulty recovering from a sudden loss of balance.
We should not stop walking. Walking remains an important part of healthy ageing.
However, it should be complemented by strength, balance and power exercises.
One simple exercise is the sit-to-stand. Sit on a stable chair and stand up in a controlled manner. Initially, perform the movement slowly. As your strength improves, and if it is safe for you, practise standing up somewhat faster while continuing to sit down in a controlled manner.
Calf raises, step-ups and other leg-strengthening exercises can also help.
Balance exercises are equally important. However, older adults with significant balance problems should perform them with appropriate support and, preferably, under professional guidance.
Fall prevention is not only about muscles. Poor vision, dizziness, certain medicines, unsuitable footwear, slippery floors, loose carpets and obstacles around the home can also increase the risk of falling.
The message is therefore simple:
Walk for endurance.
Strengthen your muscles.
Practise balance.
Maintain your ability to produce force quickly.
Healthy ageing is not simply about being able to walk a long distance. It is also about being able to stand, step, balance and react when something unexpected happens.
So, if you are an older person who walks every day, keep walking – but do not let walking be your only form of exercise.
Your food is your medicine. Your muscles are your movement insurance.
