Age-related differences in movement strategies and postural control during stooping and crouching tasks

While epidemiologic data suggests that one in four older adults have difficulty performing stooping and crouching (SC) tasks, little is known about how aging affects SC performance. This study investigated differences between young and older adults in lower limb kinematics and underfoot center of pressure (COP) measures when performing a series of SC tasks. Twelve healthy younger and twelve healthy older participants performed object-retrieval tasks varying in: (1) initial lift height, (2) precision demand, and (3) duration. Whole-body center of mass (COM), underfoot COP, and hip and knee angular kinematics (maximum angles and velocities) were analyzed. Compared to younger, older participants moved slower when transitioning into and out of pick-up postures that were characterized by less hip and knee flexion. Older participants also showed a diminished ability to adapt to the changing postural demands of each set of tasks. This was especially evident during longer tasks, whereby older individuals avoided high knee flexion crouching postures that were commonly used by younger participants. Older adults also tended to exhibit faster and more frequent COP trajectory adjustments in the anterior-posterior direction. It is likely that limitations in physical characteristics such as lower limb strength and range of motion contributed to these differences.