Do you know that feeling when you go to step down onto the first step of a staircase that is a different height from what you expected or remember? That feeling of either hitting the ground too soon, or worse, much later than expected, can be quite uncomfortable. Best case scenario is that this is just an uncomfortable experience and you simply take the next step down or forward with a little more or less drive. If you are lucky you might even remember the height difference for next time. Worst case, though, is that you are not able to recover and take a tumble. Unfortunately as we age, the likelihood of the worst case happening is quite a bit higher. Today’s blog is all about why that is and what we can do to avoid the worst case as described above or worse scenarios still, such as not being in the physical condition to climb or walk down a set of stairs at all.
Being able to recover from tripping or being in the necessary condition to produce the power needed for climbing stairs, scooping up little ones, lifting the shopping bags from the trolley across to the boot of your car or lifting the bag of potting mix onto the raised garden critically relies on a specific type of muscle fibre. This type of muscle fibre is a little different from the muscle fibre that provides force alone. Unfortunately the effect of (life)time on this type of muscle fibre is even more pronounced than the effect of time on the muscle fibre for force. In particular, there are fewer power (Type 2) muscle fibres as we grow older, and without good input, or stimulation, these muscle fibres also become smaller and less well-connected to the nerves that coordinate muscle action. And if you are thinking that I am talking about old age and that you might not need to think about this yet, think again. Firstly, loss, and shrinkage, of muscle fibres occurs typically from mid-50s and from the age of 60, the rate of loss increases even more, particularly for women. Secondly, preservation is usually a whole lot easier than having to start from scratch. From my experience, this counts for almost anything in life, but even more so for muscle. So, I suggest, every single person, regardless of age should be pricking up their ears at what comes next.
That is, fortunately there is good evidence that providing good input or stimulation to Type 2 (and other) muscle fibres allows us to preserve and build muscle and power. Good input comes from performing faster (high velocity) moderately intense resisted movements. What do we mean by moderate? Think about the highest intensity exercise you can maintain with good control at a slow pace. Moderate would be anything that is about 80% or more of that and done at a faster pace. You will also want to go through the three stages described in the first blog in this series (have a look here again if you like).
If all of this is new to you and/or you are not already doing anything in the realm of plyometric or power-type exercise to preserve your power, then here are a few quick starter points:
- Make the power movement similar to what your ultimate goal is: If your aim is to preserve, or build, power in the legs to be able to walk stairs (or hills) and, importantly, to avoid falls, then step ups can be a great movement to try.
- If you interested in whole body power, medicine (or slam) ball throws are great.
- Remember to introduce these types of movements very slowly into your usual routine. If your body is not used to the amount of force that goes through it when doing faster movements with some additional weight, there is a chance of injury.
- If you are new to this type of movement, or you have taken a break from it and are jumping back in, then there is a high chance that your muscles will be a little sore for 7-10 days after. This is a normal physiological response to the eccentric phase of power movement (see last blog), but will go away with time – and will be a nice reminder for a few days that you have done something for your future. Well done!
If you are keen to learn more about how you can develop power for your physical and mental activity, follow me or subscribe to the blogpost. To work with me one-on-one to apply some of these principles to your own life and movement, message me for a free call. I look forward to hearing from you.
References (for the extra keen)
Davies et al. (2015)
Freitas et al. (2024)
Steinbrink et al. (2024)