Why Moving Changes as We Get Older (and What We Can Do About It)
Introduction
As we age, the way we move naturally changes. These shifts can be subtle at first—a slower walking pace, feeling a bit less steady, or noticing that everyday tasks require more effort than they used to. While this is a normal part of getting older, many of the changes we experience aren’t inevitable. By understanding how aging affects our walking, strength, and balance, we can take practical steps to maintain confidence and independence for years to come.
Walking
Walking is one of our most fundamental and functional movements. It plays a vital role in maintaining independence, especially as we get older. With age, walking often becomes less efficient due to changes in balance and proprioception (our awareness of where we are in space). We may walk more slowly, take smaller steps, land more flat-footed, lean forward, and hold our arms stiffly at our sides.
Part of the challenge is that no one ever teaches us how to walk well. As a result, we rarely know how to adapt our technique as our bodies change. Learning a few simple cues can improve your walking now and help preserve function well into the future.
Strength
From midlife onward, our ability to maintain muscle mass declines at an accelerating rate. The older we get, the harder it becomes to build or retain muscle. While developing a strong foundation earlier in life offers long-term benefits, this advice may not feel helpful if you’re already noticing strength loss.
The good news is that resistance training remains highly valuable at any age. Even when it’s difficult to increase muscle size, strength isn’t determined by muscle mass alone. It also depends on neuromuscular recruitment, which is the ability to contract many muscle fibres simultaneously. Training this system can significantly improve functional movements such as sit to stand and climbing stairs, as well as reduce risk of falls.
Balance
Balance naturally declines with age due to reduced sensory feedback from our feet, vision, and the inner ear, affecting our proprioception. Our processing speed also slows, making it harder to react quickly when balance is disrupted. This loss of responsiveness can undermine confidence, which is often a major part of the problem.
When confidence drops, people tend to spend less time on their feet. This accelerates the decline of the very systems that support balance, creating a vicious cycle that can worsen after periods of illness or inactivity.
Principles of Training
"Use it or lose it" is a key principle for maintaining functional movement, longevity, and quality of life. The more active you remain, the easier it is to stay active.
Developing an efficient walking technique, and knowing which cues to focus on, can help you maintain speed and confidence. Resistance training preserves strength, and targeted balance exercises improve the sensory and neuromuscular systems that keep you steady. Together, these practices support your independence and mobility at any age.
If you’re looking for guidance or a structured approach, my ‘Walking, Strength, and Balance’ course can help you build confidence in your movement. Reach out anytime if you’d like to know more.