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Older and unfit people may be at a higher risk of falling, which can cause injury. Here’s how to check how confident you are with the iPhone’s Walking Steadiness feature.
As time goes by, people get older and their bodies become more prone to problems. With joint wear and muscles exhausting, people can become less stable on their feet over time.
Age is not the only factor influencing a user’s stability, as lack of fitness or the onset of illness or ailments can have a similar effect.
With instability comes the increased risk of tipping over, an incident that can lead to injuries and long-term discomfort. For those with serious conditions, a fall can significantly worsen a person’s health.
People are faced with the problem that unless they consciously examine how they walk, they are unlikely to notice unsteadiness in their daily lives. They may not see it until they fall, and by then it’s too late.
Changes in a person’s stability can also be used as an indicator of other health conditions, such as arthritis or Parkinson’s disease. In some cases, noticing unsteadiness can prompt a person to seek medical attention early, which can be helpful for treatable conditions.
According to WHO data, an estimated 684 thousand people worldwide die from falls, with adults aged 60 and older having the highest rate of fatal falls. Approximately 32.3 million falls occur each year that are serious enough to require medical care, which can cost a person in the form of paying for medical care and potentially loss of income through disability.
Health walking stability
The Walking Steadiness feature of Apple’s Health app, part of iOS 15, can use the sensors on an iPhone to determine how well you’re walking. Using algorithms, it can assess your balance, stability, and coordination as you move around.
These stats include your running speed, stride length, double assist time, and gait asymmetry.
Once enabled, Walking Steadiness will collect new data and analyze existing data collected by other health functions.
While not enabled by default, you can enable Walking Steadiness notifications in iOS. Once enabled, you will receive periodic notifications when the iPhone detects a drop in stability.
The path to enable Walking Steadiness notifications in the Health app in iOS 15.
The feature classifies results into three levels: OK, Low, and Very Low.
OK means your walking stability is typical and you have no increased risk of falling in the next 12 months.
A low designation means that you have an increased risk of falling in the coming year. A very low level of stable walking means that the user is not stable when moving and therefore has a high risk of falling.
How to Enable Walking Steadiness Notifications in iOS 15
Open the Health app. On the Summary screen, scroll down to Gait Stability Notifications and tap Set. Tap Next. Confirm your date of birth, height and weight, which will be present if you have ever entered the details before. Correct or enter information as necessary, then tap Next. Tap Next. Tap Enable to enable the notifications. On the Installation Complete screen, you can choose to add Walking Steadiness to the Favorites list for easy access. Tap Done.
Understanding the data
You can access Walking Steadiness in the future by tapping Browse in the Health app, then selecting Mobility, followed by Walking Steadiness.
The screen shows graphs over time, including monthly, six-month, and year-long views. You can scroll through the times by swiping sideways.
An example of the data generated in Walking Steadiness.
Orange dots and blocks appear in the graph and appear in the OK, Low, or Very Low sections. The higher the block on the map, the better the user’s stability.
Further down the page, Apple offers articles to read about understanding walking stability and exercises to improve your stability. Even further down, you’ll see apps that report additional data to the feature, an option to add it to your favorites list, and the ability to view related data and data sources.
This post How to Enable Walking Steadiness Notifications in iOS 15
was original published at “https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/04/03/how-to-enable-walking-steadiness-notifications-in-ios-15?utm_medium=rss”