A study of gait characteristics in young and elderly women

konferenční sborník (ne článek)

angličtina

Walking is basic skill of human. After finishing active period of age gradual process of quality gait usually starts to worsen. To keep up quality of gait is important precondition of quality of life. Our study is focused to the gait difference between young and elderly women. We suppose that sufficient physical activity of elderly people can help to slow down worsening of basic characteristics. We compared the group of very physically active elderly women (n=28) and the group of physically inactive young women (n = 28). Elderly women exercised in average 7.7 hours/week and young women exercised 1.3 hour/week. Three dynamic (vertical ground reaction forces) and seven kinematic parameters (velocity and cadence of gait, time of step, double support, width of gait, rate of stance, swing) were used for evaluation differences between both groups. Walkway was used for the gait analysis. Walkway consists of a 2,5-meter long board and a computer system which records and analyses the data. Each person repeated 6 trials of natural walk. For kinematic parameters we found out significant differences between both groups for most of these parameters, only width of step was very similar for both groups. All investigated person created during stance traditional course of vertical ground reaction force. Despite bigger weight of elder women lower vertical ground reaction forces were found out for both observed peaks, only value of decrease between both peaks was lower for younger women. Our results are in accord with authors who proved to worsen of quality gait after 60 years of life. In consequence of worse dynamic parameters there were found out also worse kinematic parameters. Despite of very high physically activity of elder women we found out in most observed parameters significantly worse results for this group. We cannot confirm the effect of high physical activity for maintaining quality of gait for our group of elderly women.

gait characteristics, dynamic parameters, kinematic parameters, young women, elderly women.

KORVAS, P.; KOŤOVÁ, M.

15. 11. 2016

Printing house University of Pitesti

Pitesti, Rumunsko

1453-1194

Scientific report physical education and sport, Proceedings of the 9th annual int. conf: Physical education, sport and health, Pitesti, 17th - 18th November 2016, Romania

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