Can Yoga Help Older Adults Maintain A Healthy Gait?

Gait patterns in yogis differed compared to walkers among older adults

Background

Gait is the technical word for the pattern associated with the way we walk. While walking might seem simple when we’re doing it, gait is actually a complex biomechanical series of actions that involve nearly our whole body. And, while it might be a complex process, walking is a fundamental activity. We walk to accomplish all kinds of things, from mundane daily tasks to challenging athletic activities.

As we age, our bodies change in many ways, and that can include changes to our gait. It can be harder for older folks to create the momentum to take a step without losing their balance. But, the more we can sustain a healthy, efficient, and balanced gait pattern, the more active we can stay throughout our older years. For that reason, researchers are interested in what activities support the muscle activation and coordination of a healthy walking pattern. The research team on the article we summarize here was interested in how yoga might affect gait initiation and muscle activation during gait.

Research question

Does yoga practice support maintaining a healthy balanced gait during aging when compared to only walking?

Study Participants (Sample)

Sample size: 23 total participants

• Age 68-78 years old
• Participants (11 people) in yoga treatment group did yoga for at least 1 hour per week and had at least 1 year of yoga experience
• Participants in the walking control group (12 people) walked at least 1 hour per week

Research methods

In this study, researchers recruited 11 yoga practitioners and 12 walkers for gait comparison. The study participants were healthy and fell in an older age group ranging from 68 to 78 years old. Each study participant completed five gait initiation trials in the laboratory.

During the gait trials, the research team measured leg muscle activity using electromyography (EMG) readings. Specifically, they measured muscle activity of tibialis anterior and the lateral side of the gastrocnemius. They also measured an aspect of our movement in three different phases of gait called the center of pressure displacement (COP). Our center of pressure displacement is the place where our foot is in contact with the ground. At that point, it creates a force that is equal to the force that the ground creates in response.

The first phase of gait that the researchers measured was a backward displacement that creates the forward momentum for us to step forward. The second aspect of gait they measured was the COP displacement when we transfer our weight from the leg we’re swinging forward to the opposite leg (called our stance leg). Finally, the third part of gait that they analyzed was the forward COP displacement.

Results

• Yoga practitioners and walkers were not significantly different in the first phase of gait initiation.
• In the second phase of gait initiation, the center of pressure excursion (our postural sway) was not different between yoga practitioners and walkers.
• In the second phase of gait initiation, yoga practice was correlated with two measurements, suggesting that yoga positively impacted gait initiation:
  • The center of pressure velocity (the change in speed and direction of our center of pressure) was significantly lower in yoga practitioners than in walkers.
  • Leg muscle coactivation between tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius was significantly lower in yoga practitioners than in walkers during gait initiation.

Why is this relevant to yoga practitioners?

Several aspects of gait were different between yoga practitioners and those who only did walking as exercise. Further research is needed to understand what mechanisms in yoga practice positively influence maintaining a balanced gait as described in the research study. However, the potential implications are relevant to yogis and non-yogis. Doing a consistent yoga practice over time was correlated with positive differences in gait compared to walkers in the older populations studied. The particular differences suggested that yoga might potentially contribute to better balance, proprioception, and/or more efficient functional movement in gait. Additional research is needed to interpret further what the link between yoga practice and gait indicates about yoga’s mechanisms of action.

Reference citation

Lelard, T., P-L. Doutrellot, A. Temfemo, and S. Ahmaidi. 2017. Electromyographic pattern during gait initiation differentiates yoga practitioners among physically active older subjects. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 11:300. 6pgs.