New Australian research is shedding light on why walking often becomes slower and more tiring with age. The findings suggest that the body gradually gives up some movement efficiency in favor of staying stable and upright. Led by researchers at Flinders University and the University of Canberra, the study found that aging is associated with a "safety-first" walking strategy.
This approach emphasizes stability instead of speed and energy efficiency, helping explain why older adults may fatigue more quickly and also face a greater risk of falling. Researchers analyzed movement data from 107 healthy adults between the ages of 26 and 86. They found small but meaningful age-related differences in how the ankle and nearby muscles manage each step.
Lead author and sport and exercise technology expert Dr. Cody Lindsay says the ankle is essential for maintaining balance while also helping propel the body forward. "As we get older, the body starts to favor stability over efficiency," says Dr.
Lindsay, from the Flinders Caring Futures Institute. "That helps keep us upright, but it also makes walking more of an effort." The researchers found that older adults are more likely to activate opposing muscles around the ankle at the same time. This pattern is known as co-contraction.
It makes the ankle joint stiffer and can improve stability when the foot contacts the ground. Lindsay says this comes at a cost. "Stiffening the joint makes walking safer, but it also means the muscles are working harder without generating as much forward movement," he says.
Older participants also generated less push-off power with each step. As a result, their strides were shorter, and their walking speeds were slower. Co-author Associate Professor Maarten Immink says the findings point to a wider change in the way the body manages movement as people grow older.
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