Walking speed and the significance of slowing down
Walking speed and the significance of slowing down
The slowing-down process of later life affects balance and also results in weaker muscles.
The three tests
This can be done by the patients themselves and measures, in seconds, how long it takes them to walk four metres. Taking longer than five seconds indicates that they are affected by the slowing-down process. Walking slowly may be due to other reasons, such as arthritis, but the test gives a good indication of general fitness.
This measures, in seconds, the time taken to stand up from a standard chair, walk a distance of three metres, turn, walk back to the chair and sit down. Research indicates that a score of 12-15 seconds or more has been shown to indicate high risk of falls in older people.
This asks the person to stand up and step around until they are facing the opposite direction. If the person takes more than four steps, further assessment should be considered.
Understanding frailty
‘Frailty’ refers to an older patient’s mental and physical resilience, and their capacity to recover and bounce back after illness or injury. A gradual decline in musculoskeletal and endocrine systems as well as immune system changes and longstanding inflammation are all thought to contribute to frailty leading it to be acknowledged as a health condition in its own right.
Around 10 per cent of people aged over 65 live with frailty, rising to 25-50 per cent for those aged 85 and over. Although many older people have multiple chronic health conditions, frailty can also be present in someone with no other diagnosed health conditions. Older people who are living with frailty may not perceive themselves to be “frail” but often acknowledge that they have “slowed down” and often feel very tired.
Key characteristics of frailty to bear in mind when an older person is asking for advice about symptoms are:
- Slow gait speed
- Weak grip strength and/or having some difficulty in getting up from sitting down and in standing
- Low physical activity level
- Fatigue
- Low weight (unintended weight loss).