The doctor is in

Dr. Rowe sent this in. Cerebral blood flow may be responsible for how fast you walk and less flow may increase probability of falling. They recommend exercise to increase the flow. Another reason to keep working out as you age. This is the last paragraph.

Impaired Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation Linked to Slow Gait Speed and Falls


Pauline Anderson


Prescribing Physical Exercise
Reached for a comment, David J. Thurman, MD, MPH, from the Centers for Disease Control National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Atlanta, Georgia, who coauthored the American Academy of Neurology Risk of Falls guidelines, said the study was carefully designed and conducted. However, he told Medscape Neurology in an email that it is uncertain what conclusions can be drawn from the study. "One possibility is that abnormal cerebral blood vessel function itself is a contributing cause of gait abnormalities that lead to falls," he pointed out. "However, there are other possibilities. In particular, reduced vascular reactivity as well as gait abnormalities may both be separate results of physical inactivity or deconditioning."
Further research, probably in the form of longitudinal or follow-up studies, is needed to better understand these relationships, said Dr. Thurman. Meanwhile, he said, it is clear from past research that physical inactivity is a major risk factor for falls in the elderly. "Clinicians can significantly reduce this risk factor in their older patients by prescribing physical exercise, gait training, and physical therapy as appropriate for each individual."