Brains & Balance, 2018
(C) 2017, 2018 by Exercise ETC. Inc. All rights reserved. 1
Walking Tall: Mobility Drills for Seniors
What is “Functional” Mobility Training?
• Selecting exercises that improve the foundationfor movement
• Working in multiple planes
• Teaching reaction time, decision making and deceleration
Cardio Training 4 – 6 Times per Week
30 – 60 minutes per session
Improving MobilityImproving ROM in ankles, hips and shoulders/T‐spine
will enhance ambulation and decrease fall risk.
Step 1: The Joint‐By‐Joint Approach to Mobility
Joint Mobility Stability
Ankle X
Knee X
Hip X
Lumbar Spine X
Thoracic Spine X
Cervical Spine X
• Stability & mobility are different sides of the same coin.
• Increasing flexibility at joints that need mobility improves stability in adjacent joints
• Improving stability where it is essential increases flexibility in adjacent joints
Ankle Mobility Drills
Brains & Balance, 2018
(C) 2017, 2018 by Exercise ETC. Inc. All rights reserved. 2
Mobility Exercises For Seniors:Plantar Fascia Release
• Roll a tennis ball gently beneath arch of foot to improve ankle mobility.
• Roll the ball for 1 – 3 minutes.
• This will dramatically increase ROM in the ankle.
Hip Stretches:Pendulums & Hip flexor Stretch
Piriformis, Hamstring StretchesMobility Exercises For Seniors:
Shoulder & T‐spine
Practical Application:Understanding “How” We Walk
• Weight transfers from heel to ball of foot and then to the toes. Stride allows for full range of motion in the ankle.
• Foot does not lift until the big toe of the opposite foot has made contact with the ground.
• Pelvis is squared & spine is neutral, head is level.
• Toes point forward. Feet are 3 – 5” apart.
• The swing foot lands forward of the stance foot.
• Elbows are bent at 90 degrees, arms are close to the body and pump for momentum and balance
• Breathing is from the diaphragm
10 Suggested Drills to Improve GaitThese can all be done on unstable surfaces too!
• Heel & toe taps– Ankle strength & ROM
• Long steps– To improve stride
• Knee lifts with arm pumps– To improve swing arm
efficiency & leg turnover
• Stagger steps– To improve weight shifting
• Butt kicks– To improve hamstring
strength
• Tandem walks– To decrease step width &
improve stability
• Marching– To reduce shuffling
• Walk with head rotations– Improve balance
• Walk with U‐turns– To strengthen hip rotators
• Resisted walking– To increase total strength
Brains & Balance, 2018
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Cross Over Steps Retro Walk With Hamstring Stretch
With each stretch, keep spine neutral and execute a 30° hip-hinge.
Solo Musical Chair Lateral Step Jacks
Marching‐in‐Place With Contralateral Hand/Elbow Taps
Standing Balance Drill:Lateral Weight Shift With Arm Wave
Brains & Balance, 2018
(C) 2017, 2018 by Exercise ETC. Inc. All rights reserved. 4
Neutral Spine Walking Drill Multi‐directional Walking Drill
• 2 cones, 10 or 20 feet apart:
• Fast walk A to B
• Pivot and fast walk B to A
• Side shuffle A to B
• Side shuffle B to A
• Repeat
Walk … and Walk Fast• “The Grim Reaper Study” correlated walking speed to longevity.
• The faster older adults can walk, the lower their mortality rate.
• Goal: Try to walk 4.5 feet per second (3 mph pace)
• 135 feet in 30 secs.
The Grim Reaper’s maximal walking speed
is just under 3 mph.(British Medical
Journal, December, 2011.)
Trading PlacesArrange people in a circle, each standing on an unstable device. When signal is given they all cross to the exact other side of the
circle. Move one spot left or right & repeat.
Speed Walk Drills
Lines are 18’ apart. Goal is to cover the 18’ in 4 seconds or less. (3 mph)
Walking Balance DrillsWalk, turn, stop & start while balancing a ping
pong ball.
Brains & Balance, 2018
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Deceleration Drill
• Have two lines 5, 10 or 20 feet apart.
• When whistle blows fast walk from the start to finish as quickly as possible.
• Do NOT over‐run finish line.
Deceleration Drills
Speed walking while balancing ping pong ball on a spoon. When the whistle blows she must stopwithout dropping ball.
Speed walking while carrying a bucket of water. When the whistle blows she must stop without spilling any water.
Resisted Walking Complex
Exercise
Walk forward & back
March forward & back
Side shuffle left & right
Grapevine left & right
Lunge forward & backward
Try Any of These Drills on a “Ladder”
Tables create “lanes” for stability. Ladder drill with lateral resistance.
Lateral Acceleration/Deceleration
Clap once to stop; twice to start; three times to change direction.*
* Outside, use a whistle.
Stable / Unstable Challenges