Gait in the water: a comparison between young and elderly subjects

Purpose. To find differences, if any, between young and elderly people who walked in a pool.

Method. Twenty young subjects (mean age 23.8 years, SD 3.6) and 20 elderly subjects (mean age 66.8, SD 3.8) were enrolled in a cross-sectional design study. Gait parameters were assessed by means of underwater video recording. Analysis of the playback allowed the assessment of speed, stance and swing duration with the aid of a digital clock with a 0.04% resolution. Length of step was also measured. Two-tail Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were applied.

Results. The mean speed was 1482 meters per hour (SD 207) in the younger population and 1366 meters per hour (SD 336) in the elderly. The mean stance duration was 1.60 s (SD 0.26) in the younger population and 1.59 s (SD 0.34) in the elderly. The mean swing duration was 1.16 s (0.22) in the younger population and 1.02 s (SD 0.26) in the elderly. The mean step length was 0.41 m (SD 0.05) in the younger population and 0.37 (SD 0.09) in the elderly. None of the differences was statistically significant.

Conclusions. Gait in elderly people who walk in the water retains characteristics that are typical of younger participants. Hydrotherapy is therefore a suitable intervention for old people who are in a good state of fitness.