Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Why Do the Elderly Have Trouble Walking
• Inactivity and its Impact
• How To Help Seniors Walk
• How to Get an Older Person to Start Walking Again (or at Least Better)
• Exercise to Help the Elderly Walk

How To Help The Elderly Walk Better

The act of walking is the capstone of human independence. It’s what we strive for when we are first introduced to the world as infants. Once attained, watch out!! We are on our own, able to come and go as we please with the whole world in front of us. At least this is how I picture it when watching toddlers grow and develop.

As we mature into adulthood, the ability to walk is something that we begin to take for granted. Being so active in younger life, our thoughts are generally focused on “what I have to do/where I have to go today”, and rarely on “how am I going to do/go”.

It’s only when our abilities start to wane and the ability to ambulate becomes more challenging, that we start to pay more attention to what it is that we’ve lost. 

It’s common in the senior years that life has become more sedentary. This “sedentariness” can lead to a cascade of negative consequences that often show up without any warning. That lack of activity leads to a decline in our muscular strength and our flexibility which often combines with increased weight and poor endurance to make the act of moving around our homes a chore. 

In addition, many previous “lifestyle choices”people in their senior years tend to have more health challenges, and whether people want to admit it or not, thoughts of mortality and vulnerability become more frequent. 

All of this taken together can lead to a healthy fear of falling. Which helps to reinforce even more sedentary behavior and before you know it, the struggle to walk safely and confidently is real and doing simple things becomes a real effort.

Why Do the Elderly Have Trouble Walking

There could be several reasons why older folks have trouble walking. Medication issues, blood pressure issues, fear of falling, pain, “bad knees”, etc. But, in most of those cases, there’s not much individual control over them. 

There is another reason why a lot of seniors have a hard time walking that is directly under their control, which means that they and their caregivers can actually do something about it. To maintain good health it’s crucial for older folks to stay motivated and keep walking. Walking isn’t just a simple activity; it’s like a superpower that helps them maintain their independence and overall well-being.

Motivation plays a significant role with inspiring them to walk more. With some, it may be natural to feel a bit discouraged or less inclined to engage in physical activity. Maybe we worry about falling or becoming dependent on others. These concerns can dampen their spirits and make them hesitant to take those steps.

That’s where we come in as caregivers, family, or friends. We have the power to provide the support and encouragement that may be needed. By figuring out ways to show them how much we care about their well-being and emphasizing the positive impact walking can have on their daily lives, we can help reignite their motivation.

But, many times, it helps us to understand why they may have trouble walking in the first place and we’ll look at that now.

Inactivity or Sedentary Lifestyle and Walking

As we pointed out above, inactivity, even absent any health challenge or condition will make it harder for anyone to walk. But less obvious than its impact of making strong muscles weaker, sitting down or “living in a recliner” also causes our muscles and other “soft tissues” to shorten.

When our muscles, tendons, and “fascia” shorten, it makes it more difficult to move. Imagine trying to move around in a pair of pants, or skirt, or shirt, that is either too tight, not sewn correctly at the seams, or both. If a pair of pants don’t have enough “give” in them, it’s going to be hard to walk in them. This is what happens when our muscles/soft tissues get “short” and “tight”.

The dilemma with this particular scenario is this: The weaker muscles are too weak to overcome the “tightness” of the tighter muscles which hobbles all aspects of mobility. But, this predicament is easily addressed with a regular mobility or exercise program.

How To Help Seniors Walk 

If you’re trying to help an older person walk better, you first have to figure out why they have trouble walking in the first place. As was mentioned above, difficulty walking can be a result of many different factors. Many times, it’s a combination of factors working together and need to be sorted out as to which are more easily addressed than others.

If there is a medical component to their condition, getting a prescription for a home health nursing or physical therapy assessment should be done first before starting out on your own.

But, for this Ultimate Guide, let’s just assume that the main reason a person is having trouble walking is real muscle “weakness”.  Not the same type of weakness that comes with having a stroke, or with COPD or respiratory problems. No, this is a weakness from simple inactivity.

The first thing to do is to get someone “on their feet”. Not necessarily “walking”. But, get them in the upright position bearing their own weight and getting their legs used to holding up their body weight against gravity. In most cases an “assistive device” or folding walker will be needed. 

Having something to hold onto with two hands rather than one hand will lower the anxiety level, give them more control, and decrease the fear of falling. A folding walker is a better choice for someone who may need more support because of pain, weakness, or fear. A 4 wheel walker with a seat is usually not the best choice if you are unstable on your feet because it moves more freely than the 2 wheel folding walker.

How to Get an Older Person to Start Walking Again (or at Least Better)

Before starting the physical practice of walking, it is important to have a better understanding of what you’re actually trying to accomplish. Walking is something that the majority of us have done since early childhood but having really considered exactly “how” we walk. In order to “do” a thing, it’s a good idea of looking into “how” it’s done. Gait training by a physical therapist generally teaches the “how” part.

Below are a couple of pictures that will give you a better idea of what you’re trying to accomplish. And, although a “picture is worth a thousand words” and there are many concepts contained in them, I only want to point out 2. Namely, proper posture and the idea of “weight shifting”.

For folks that have been more sedentary, the quality of their posture and ability to weight shift have probably been affected significantly. Therefore, improving them will help a person feel more comfortable and confident when they are walking.

The above images demonstrate the positions our bodies take when we walk. The first shows our ideal and normal upright posture. The head above the shoulders, which are above the pelvis and hips, which are above the knees (in stance), which are above the ankles. Remember, this is the “ideal“. Most of us, especially those that are up in age, or have been sedentary for a while, may never reach the ideal, but it is “how” we are supposed to move. The closer we get to the ideal, the easier it will be to move.

The second animated image demonstrates the subtle weight shift in the pelvis that is needed in order for us to safely and smoothly walk. This weight shift is what is missing when most elderly are walking. Weight shifting allows us to lift our feet from the floor and take a step. Many elderly tend to shuffle, and take shorter strides. A lot of this is due to no or minimal weight shifting through the pelvis.

Keeping these 2 concepts in mind will help the elderly walk better.

Remember, when trying to get someone “started”, or “better” at doing something, they have to “practice”. One of the first things for people to do is to get comfortable standing up, bearing their own weight on their own two feet. Having a person start spending time in standing will increase strength in their postural muscles, and it will also help to stretch out those tissues that may be tight from prolonged sitting.

While in standing, they can also practice the other components that come along with walking. For instance, standing up as straight and tall as possible (and comfortable). Unfortunately, using a walker for walking will tend to make you lean forward over the walker. But, conscious effort to “stand up straight” will help reverse this tendency. I usually recommend that people “lead with their bellies”. This helps the person stand more erect without them having to contort or strain their neck and shoulders.

Side to side weight shifting (through the hips) is another component of walking that should be practiced. This ability usually gets limited with prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle.

Prolonged sitting and inactivity will lead to shortening of the hip muscles and tissue that allow this movement and  typically will go unnoticed but is evident when the elderly attempts to walk, by the tell-tale waddling and the shifting of shoulders side to side.

In addition to side to side weight shifting, forwards and backwards is another component that should be practiced. This movement is important because it activates the muscles of the feet and calves which help a person maintain balance while they are in the upright position or walking. Doing heel raises in a stationary position while holding onto the walker is an easy way to practice this movement. 

As an aside, many people who have trouble walking due to a fear of falling, may get a lot out of the heel raise exercise. With many who have a fear of falling, it’s the fear of “falling on their face” that frightens them most. The controlled forward weight shift should help them get over the fear of falling forward onto their face.

Exercise to Help the Elderly Walk

The last thing a senior needs to “practice” when learning to walk better is “marching in place”. And, not just any old marching in place will do. I saved this part for the last because it’s important to incorporate all the previous suggestions into this marching in place.

I am sure that you have seen people who “shuffle along” when trying to walk. They take shorter steps and their feet sometimes don’t even leave the ground. They do this, most of the time, unconsciously, because it gives them a sense of security. They don’t trust themselves enough to lift their feet off the ground and take an actual step.

By practicing the act of marching in place, the senior has to lift their feet off the ground and get used to having to stand on one leg for support. When the marching exercise is combined with upright posture, the emphasis on shifting their weight onto their supporting leg, and also emphasizing putting their weight through the front of their foot rather than the rear, they will be practicing all the components that will strengthen and stretch the muscles they need to use in order to walk with more confidence, endurance and safety.

Remember, to get better at doing something, you have to practice it. By breaking the activity or task down into its component parts will make it easier to understand and manage. 

This is a strategy that caregivers can use to help their elderly loved ones learn to walk better. Making this into a regular exercise program one or more times a day will also help get your loved one stronger and more confident in their abilities, thereby reducing the level of concern and burden of care that the caregiver may have.