Walking Liability or.. Mobility?

Why everyone talking about their step count and what you should know.

When you visit your doctor, do you go for an annual checkup or only focus on specific needs? Do you get asked about your mobility or activity levels? Have you been concerned about how you or your loved ones will handle a fall? 

These are questions I’m personally concerned with, and thought we could raise hands and ask them together. First of all, if you have a primary care physician, it is important to do the annual check ins and blood work since the body sometimes hides what might be an underlying condition or precursor to a disease. Second, your mobility and activity levels, although similar, are not quite equivalent. I have found that many people who come to me for assisted stretch and bodywork sessions are active, healthy individuals, but they often display imbalances in their flexibility and mobility. When it comes to having a healthy, maturing (yes, aging) body, no one is immune to stiffness or less mobility. What we do about it in our lifetime is crucial leading up to the point where we no longer have the advantage of being youthful.

Interestingly, your body may not be the only contributor to your limits and abilities. The brain and nervous system play a significant role in determining how we will react, respond and regain control. One primary predictor of the central nervous system not communicating with the muscular system and so forth is generally seen in the way we walk. 

Since the mid 1900s steps were given thought by researchers and scientists alike, although it wasn't until 2004 Tudor Locke and Bassett contributed towards (propagandizing) step count by classifying the number of steps with how sedentary or very active a person was each day. And just 6 years later in 2010, the pedometer became popular. Some of the information collected with the help of these tools became widespread and well publicized, helping many populations set a goal and stick to it. However, counting your steps is not the end all be all. In fact, much more time and tools are needed to track mobility and walking patterns. So why is this so often talked about?

While the aforementioned pedometers and classification are widespread, they are outdated. There are variables not addressed, such as any additional activity not included in the data and the quality of a person’s walk. Oftentimes, clinicians have difficulty methodically and precisely analyzing someone’s walking pattern and speed. So does this deter you from walking more steps in a single day? I hope not. If anything, I hope that this will encourage you to find a number that suits your own body, even if that means decreasing your averages until you gain strength and/or stamina to boost those numbers. What I’ve felt in my body versus what influencers and viral content showed me was that a few steps beyond my minimum of 5000 felt great - and science proved it was. Sure, there is plenty of chatter around the magic number 10,000, but what no one understands is that benefits fall after 7,000. Lucky number 7 (read more at NPR)

Again, the data outside the pedometer capabilities include your effort and speed. Tracking this may not be as easy, but at least one of the tests can be done at home. Read on to find out how.

For Speed use the TUG Test:

• The one giving the test will grab a chair and make a mark 3 meters from it

• The one taking the test will walk that distance and back, completely sitting in the chair feet planted, hands on the armrests from start to stop

• The timer starts and stops from the action of “Go” to the action of sitting down again

For Effort use the 6MWT :

• The one taking this test will walk 6 minutes on flat, even ground

• The timer runs for six minutes no matter if they take a break or slow down

• The one giving the test can document if assistive devices were used, the number of breaks, total rest time, symptoms, breathing patterns, and BPMs

With everything that has been proven so far, what is the biggest reason to increase your step count? Is it to feel better in your body? Of course. Walking also significantly decreases diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and dementia (see more in this article). So of course, walking will be awarded so much hype and attention. However, the way we move our muscles and the many variables in between all help to determine our overall health and lifespan. Take time to understand your needs and abilities today - it's never too late to begin. If you would like a mobility assessment, ask your PT or send me a quick message. 

For those that don't know me or my practice, I am a big fan of spending two minutes a day to work on mobility. This is where you prioritize what you can. For those that don’t know where to begin, check out this 2 Minutes a Day YouTube Video Series and do what feels good in your body. 

Fun fact:

Did you know that your step count may be used to determine legal claims?