Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Age differences in using a rapid step to regain balance during a forward fall

D G Thelen1, L A Wojcik, A B Schultz

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
|January 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Healthy older adults struggle to regain balance after a forward fall due to slower movement speeds. This age-related decline in balance recovery highlights reduced execution speed as a key factor.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Enhancements in Laser-Direct-Drive Nuclear Performance with Target Radius.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Applications of a Rayleigh-Taylor model to direct-drive laser fusion.

Physical review. E·2024
Same author

Investigating the birth-related caudal maternal pelvic floor muscle injury: The consequences of low cycle fatigue damage.

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials·2020
Same author

The effect of distal femoral extension osteotomy on muscle lengths after surgery.

Journal of children's orthopaedics·2017
Same author

Relationship between intra-abdominal pressure and vaginal wall movements during Valsalva in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse: technique development and early observations.

International urogynecology journal·2014
Same author

Relaxation phenomenon in lumbar trunk muscles during lateral bending.

Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)·2013

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Healthy older adults exhibit reduced capacity for rapid joint torque development.
  • This age-related decline may impair the ability to recover balance during a forward fall.
  • The study investigates if aging reduces the capacity to regain balance via a rapid step after a forward lean.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the effect of aging on the ability to regain balance by taking a single, rapid step.
  • To compare balance recovery strategies between young and old healthy adults.

Main Methods:

  • Ten young and ten old healthy males participated.
  • Subjects were released from a forward lean and instructed to step forward to regain balance.
  • Lean angle was increased until balance recovery failed; lower extremity movements and foot-floor reactions were measured.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Older adults could regain balance from significantly smaller forward lean angles compared to young adults (23.9 vs 32.5 degrees).
  • At small lean angles, responses were similar between age groups.
  • Maximum lean angle correlated with weight transfer time and step velocity within each group.

Conclusions:

  • Significant age-related declines exist in regaining balance with a rapid step when recovery time is limited.
  • The primary cause appears to be a decrease in maximum response execution speed with age.
  • Sensory and motor programming for response initiation do not seem to be the main limiting factors.