Gait speed is an indicator of wellness
We’re in the movement business. And a person’s walking speed is one vital sign we monitor. A slow gait can indicate health concerns, such as Parkinson’s disease. But also, if you can improve a person’s gait speed, you can improve their wellness and health outcomes, whether mitigating Parkinson’s symptoms or heading off a broken hip.
A new program that merges art with physical therapy by attaching light sensors to seniors and photographing their movement patterns in a darkened room is happening at the University of Connecticut (UConn). It creates beautiful light patterns of human movement while enabling physical therapists to improve the subjects’ gait speed.
I love this. It merges art with my profession. More importantly, it’s another creative way to help people be mindful of their movement and improve their gait. I consider gait a vital sign. Studies suggest that improving speed improves health outcomes. That’s great news because it’s something anyone can do and it’s something that physical therapy can help with.
The UConn program primarily focuses on patients with Parkinson’s disease. Having a slow gait – considered to be less than one meter per second – is one of the indicators of Parkinson’s.
Monitoring gait is not just for Parkinson’s patients. It should be considered for any older adult.
A slow gait may not be a problem in itself, but it is an indicator of risks, including Parkinson’s, and falls. It’s a general sign of something that needs to be addressed.
People who walk slower than a meter per second tend to have more health-related problems. People who walk faster than that, tend to have fewer health-related problems.
The good news is that you can improve gait and doing so can improve your health and well-being. Beyond fall prevention, studies suggest increasing gait speed can help people live longer, healthier lives.
What we do in our interventions depends on what’s causing the patient’s gait to be impaired. It might be stiffness in the hip. In that case, I would first help them loosen their hips. Others might complain that their balance is so bad that if I try to walk faster, they’ll be unsteady. In that case, we can address and improve balance.
Once we get the walking obstacles sorted out, I can help fine-tune their movement, with emphasis on stride length and arm swinging to optimize their gait.
An intervention that helps a patient be able to walk faster definitely makes a positive difference. Patients who can speed up their gait, do better than slower walkers who do no intervention.
“Walk mindfully,” is one of my Three Things to Do Every Day. When you’re walking mindfully, check your speed. If more than one meter per second is difficult, come and we’ll help you speed up.