Relation of agility to walking ability - Comparison of the young and the middle-aged

Abstract

The present study aimed to clarify the relationship between agility and walking ability, with the factor of aging. Eight healthy young subjects and 8 middle-aged subjects took part in the experiment. We measured agility index (maximum tapping and maximum stepping) and walk ability (step length, stride width displacement, walking velocity, step rate at maximum walking speed). We found no significant correlations between gait factors and agility in the young subjects, while the correlation in middle-aged subjects was remarkable: the correlation coefficient of maximum tapping and maximum walking speed was r= -0.71 (p<0.05), and that of maximum stepping and step length was r=0.75 (p<0.05). Maximum tapping, maximum stepping, step length, walking velocity, walking rate in middle-aged subjects were decreased. We found that the agility and walking ability in the young subjects were not correlated, but they were correlated in the middle-aged subjects.