[The validity of the gait training to prevent falls and fractures in the elderly]

To prevent falls and fractures in the elderly, improvement of their walking ability is considered to be important. In our Fall Prevention program, the walking ability of participants has improved in terms of walking speed and stride length. To perform a quantitative analysis of the gait, we measured the ground reaction force using a force plate and found that there were reductions in the vertical and forward floor reaction force at push off in elderly people over 70 years of age. Therefore, in gait training in the elderly, it is important to strengthen the triceps surae to increase the walking ability, although we must always consider the age of the subject and differences in individual ability. Furthermore, it is important to establish better gait training exercises that correspond to the age-dependent changes of the body.