Competency and Capacity Assessment III

functional capacity

-reflects ability to meet physical demands of real-world activities

-practical expression of movement competency and physical capacity

-supports and promotes overall H&WB

walking gait speed

-objective measure associate with physical function, morbidity and mortality in older adults

-proposed as a vital sign

walking gait speed tests

-time to walk specified distance

-distance covered in specified time

effects of exercise on walking gait speed

-increases with various exercise types in healthy adults

-resistance, coordination and multi-modal training

observational assessment

-visually assess movement mechanics at critical events or during phases of the gait cycle to identify constraints on gait speed

walking movement-momentum driven

-smoothly executed limb movements with coordinated push-off from plantar flexors and hip extensors

-optimized energy transfer through momentum, elastic energy storage and return, and minimal compensatory requirements

-balanced step length and cadence to maintain efficient forward progression

-typically observed in apparently healthy young adults, as it relies on adequate movement competency and physical fitness

walking movement- trunk driven

-increased forward or lateral trunk flexion to compensate for reduced lower-limb strength or control

-shortened step length and reduced push off to minimize demand on hip, knee and ankle extensors

-higher metabolic cost due to reliance on trunk movement rather than lower limb power

-typically observed in older adults who have deficits in movement competency and/or physical fitness

walking movement- stability driven

-increased double support time to enhance postural stability and reduce fall risk

-reduced step length and slower gait speed, prioritizing safety over movement economy

-greater reliance on vision and vestibular feedback to compensate for proprioceptive decline

-typically observed in older adults who have deficits in movement competency and/ or physical fitness

sit to stand speed

objective measure of physical function associated with morbidity and predictive or mortality in older adults

sit to stand test

-repeat for a specified number of repetitions

-repeat continuously for specified time

effects of exercise on sit to stand speed

improves with various exercise types in community living older adults

sit to stand observational assessment

visually assess movement mechanics at critical events or during phases of STS to identify constraints on its execution and balance control

sit to stand momentum transfer

-trunk flexion at lift-off is smoothly executed, followed by well timed transition to simultaneous trunk and knee extension

-characterized by skilled manipulation of momentum, minimizing muscular effort in the transition of standing

-requires sufficient lower-limb strength and power to control declaration and initiate lower-limb and trunk extension without compensatory strategies

sit to stand- exaggerated trunk flexion

-pronounced trunk flexion before an during lift off, increasing reliance on upper body momentum to initiate movement

-shifts CoM forward over BoS, delaying trunk extension to simplify balance control during the transition to standing

sit to stand - domainant vertical rise

-prioritizes vertical movement with minimal forward trunk flexion, leading to a more upright posture at lift off

-emphasizes knee and hip extension, increasing reliance on force generation rather than skillfully manipulating momentum

timed up and go

objective measure of physical function associated with morbidity and mortality in older adults