How does a simulated trip or slip on ActiveStep compare to a trip or slip in the environment?
The way the body responds to trips or slips on ActiveStep is very much the same as in a situation that might occur at home or at the mall. The biomechanics of a recovery step following a large postural perturbation delivered from a standing position on a treadmill simulator like ActiveStep were highly correlated with the biomechanics of the stepping response when individuals are tripped during over-ground walking. Inducing trips and slips with ActiveStep from a static position rather than during walking allows for a more controlled environment for training the step recovery response. Most importantly, Dr. Grabiner’s research has demonstrated that stepping response training using ActiveStep reduced the likelihood of falling following a large postural perturbation in a simulated overground trip or slip situation. This means that training on ActiveStep is transferrable to real tripping and slipping events.
