Walking Well

Improving older adults’ ability to ambulate

After decades confined to specialist research centres, devices and services that help older adults maintain and improve their walking ability are moving into the mainstream. Data-centric consumers and a wave of new devices are setting the landscape for a new era of walking in China.

Walking remains the primary form of mobility in China, with 55% of citizens walking daily15 as opposed to taking another form of transport. According to a 2013 study, walking is favoured by all age groups over 60 years old in China16 , indicating an opportunity to support this preference.

A growing body of research has also highlighted the positive health benefits of walking and its impact on longevity. A study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society17 found that even low levels of walking are linked with lower mortality, which means walking may help people live longer. These findings have been further supported by a study published in the November 2019 edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine18. It showed that runners who turn out more often, and who run faster in longer sessions, do not reduce their risk of dying early any more than those who run gently once a week. For older adults, protecting their ability to walk will become a priority, ensuring a low cost and effective method of exercise and wellbeing.

As well as for exercise, maintaining an ability to ambulate reduces the potential of short or long-term adverse health implications caused by falling. Over 40 million older Chinese adults experience a fall at least once annually19, with 20% of falls resulting in serious injuries, which can lead to long-term health issues. With insufficient care resources and delayed retirement, older adults and their families are motivated to find ways to maintain the ability to walk. Family members have already shown an interest in smart home technologies20 that allow them to monitor if their parents to see if they have fallen. Offered the opportunity, expect to see investment into preventative solutions gain popularity.

The increasing popularity of health monitoring devices can be seen in the growth of the wearable technology space. In China, 36% of citizens own a smart wearable fitness device21, and many more have access to fitness/health data through their smartphones. Becoming more literate in the use and interpretation of health and fitness data, an appetite for more detailed data is likely to emerge.

Affordable ‘at-home’ personal solutions are likely to gain further appeal as older adults looking to maintain a high-quality gait to reduce falls, injury, long-term health issues and maintain their independence.

© Zhang Kaiyv

MICRO TREND

CASE STUDY Apple brings gait tracking to the masses

At their 2021 World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple announced a new walking steadiness feature22 available to any iPhone user running the company’s latest iOS 15 software. The popularity of Apple’s iPhone remains strong in China, with the company achieving a record 23% market share23 in the fourth quarter of 2021, equating to a total of 42.9 million devices sold in 2021.

Using the iPhone’s built-in motion sensors, the device will monitor walking speed, step length, and the time both feet are in contact with the ground to monitor stability. Through the Apple Health app walking stability is captured daily, giving users a stability score of “OK”, “Low”, and “Very Low”. Using this data, users can take active measures to reduce their risk of falling. The system can give users notifications and guidance when their score is “low or “very low”, providing them with visual training programs to improve strength and balance.

This new feature continues off the back of Apple’s fall detection system24 launched in 2019, prompting users to call emergency services or automatically make a call if the user is immobile for around a minute. The feature has been credited in the news for saving several older adults’ lives25, and Apple has recently launched a marketing campaign26 that features three real-life emergency calls to illustrate how the Apple Watch can save an individual’s life.

These emotional stories are helping to build the brand’s reputation amongst the users and their families. Expect to see the walking steadiness feature become increasingly popular as older adults and their families opt for a preventative approach to their health and longevity in the years to come.

“We put people back together again if they fall and get hurt, but we don’t really do much to stop the fall. It would be exciting if we can.”

Jacob Sosnoff, Professor, Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training University of Kansas Medical Center

CASE STUDY Smart shoes give users detailed gait data

According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global smart shoe market accounted for $115.3 million in 2018 and is projected to be $223.4 million by 202627, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% from 2019 to 2026.

The use of smart shoes and insoles has captured the attention of Chinese consumers. Looking to improve their athletic performance, health and fitnessfocused citizens (of all ages) have taken to the connected devices that give them better running data.

Alongside this, location tracking footwear for children and older adults has become popular amongst citizens looking for peace of mind. Both domestic and foreign brands in China have invested in this space, Si.Nokia (Guangzhou Tangyuan Technology Co., Ltd)28 launched their location tracking footwear in autumn 2018, with more than RMB 1 million ($147,00) sales volume in the first six months. The modern-looking footwear has GPS sensors embedded in the left shoe, allowing families to track the location of their relatives. The company has noted plans to add more functionality to the product, including health monitoring and walking data.

Sportswear brand Li Ning filed a patent in August 202029 for smart shoes for older adults. The patent describes a smart shoe device that conveniently records the user’s exercise data and body parameters, helping the user understand and adjust their exercise activities and volume. The popularity of Li Ning - which has recently recorded a market valuation of $27.72 billion30 - is likely to draw further attention to the market for gait tracking smart shoes.

© Si.Nokia

$223.4 Million

The projected smart shoe market value by 2026

[Allied Market Research]

© Li Ning