Walking on Mild Slopes and Altering Arm Swing Each Induce Specific Strategies in Healthy Young Adults.

ABSTRACT: Slopes are present in everyday environments and require specific postural strategies for successful navigation; different arm strategies may be used to manage external perturbations while walking. It has yet to be determined what impact arm swing has on postural strategies and gait stability during sloped walking. We investigated the potentially interacting effects of surface slope and arm motion on gait stability and postural strategies in healthy young adults. We tested 15 healthy adults, using the CAREN-Extended system to simulate a rolling-hills environment which imparted both incline (uphill) and decline (downhill) slopes (± 3°). This protocol was completed under three imposed arm swing conditions: held, normal, active. Spatiotemporal gait parameters, mediolateral margin of stability,

SUBMITTER: MacDonald ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8821106 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature