Development in Late Adulthood

Development in Late Adulthood

• “The study of changes in motor behavior over the lifespan, the processes that underlie these changes, and the factors that affect them.” (p. 3)

• Falls outnumber all other accidents among the elderly population

• Falls are due to a deterioration of balance associated with walking

Walking Patterns in Older Adulthood

• Gait in older adulthood has been extensively investigated

• Results

– typically slumping head, shoulders, and trunk

– less ankle extension

– less pelvic rotation

– greater hip extension

– more time in double-support phase

– more out-toeing

Walking Patterns in Older Adulthood

• Similarities with early childhood locomotion

– less ankle extension

– longer double-support phase

– shorter stride length

– more out-toeing

• Changes in walking velocity

– young adults (1.4 m/s), 70+ men (1.2 m/s), 70+ women (1.1 m/s)

• Changes in step height

– step height decreases

– due to decreased hip flexibility, not leg strength

Walking Patterns in Older Adulthood

• Affects on Daily Living

– increased risk of falling

– decreased confidence

– Examples

• difficulty climbing or descending stairs

• tripping over electrical cords, low furniture

• fall on extra soft, uneven, or unstable surfaces

• trouble getting in and out of chairs

• when performing a simultaneous task, the risk of falling increases

• Disabilities (PD, MS, stroke, arthritis) have similar impacts on walking in the elderly

Walking Patterns in Older Adulthood

• Compensations

– clearing paths of obstacles

– lowering step heights

– canes, walkers, handrails

– proper footwear

– focused attention on the walking task

– awareness of side effects of drugs taken because of disabilities

– practice

Walking Patterns in Older Adulthood

• Affect of physical activity/practice on walking

– increased strength

– increased flexibility

– increased confidence & decreased fear of falling

– improvements specific to the activity performed

Flexibility

• The ability to move joints through a full range of motion

• Benefits maximal performance

• Limited flexibility is a factor in injuries

• One of the most obvious changes associated with advancing age is the loss of flexibility

Flexibility

• Myth

– young people are naturally supple and need no further flexibility training

• Fact

– flexibility begins to decline around 10 years of age

Flexibility

• Two types of flexibility

– Static

• range of motion achieved by a slow and steady stretch to the limits of the joints involved

– Dynamic

• range of motion achieved when rapidly moving a body part to its limits

Assessing Flexibility

• Flexibility is specific to each joint

• A battery of tests is best for assessment

• Most common test

– sit and reach

– measures hip and trunk flexibility

– important in prevention of low back pain in adults

– hip flexion declines 5 degrees each decade

Decreased Flexibility

• Associated with decreased physical activity

• Associated with disease

• Begins to decline around 10 years of age

• Greatest decline occurs after 50

• The decline is faster in males

Flexibility in Older Adulthood

• Decrease in range of motion is due to less resilient tendons, ligaments, & muscles

• Shoulder joint flexibility begins to mildly decrease at approximately 10 years of age

• Decline is more rapid after age 50

– this is due to prolonged inactivity, injury, or everyday wear and tear

• Osteoarthritis also contributes to loss of joint range of motion in 2/3 of adults between 55 and 65 years of age

Flexibility in Older Adulthood

• Affect on Activities of Daily Living

– difficulty getting in and out of cars

– difficulty getting clothes on and off

– difficulty with fine motor skills such as writing

– difficulty climbing and descending stairs

– difficulty turning to see objects that are behind

– difficulty getting in and out of chairs

Flexibility in Older Adulthood

• Positive Affect of Physical Activity

– Rikli & Busch, 1986

• active and inactive, young and old females

• older active subjects performed better than inactive counterparts of the same age

• older active displayed greater flexibility than the young inactive group

– Munns, 1981

• exercise and normal activity group

• exercising group better in all 6 flexibility measures (neck, hip, shoulder, wrist, knee, ankle, and back)

Flexibility in Older Adulthood

• Physical activity is necessary to maintain or improve joint flexibility

• The improvement in flexibility is specific to the joint/joints used during the activity

– in other words, flexibility will only improve if the joints used

• A comprehensive flexibility improvement plan requires a variety of flexibility exercises to improve the range of motion of the major joints in the body (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, trunk, hips, knees, and ankles)