Kinesiology THURSDAY – 8 Hardest Moves After 60 – Turning

Most falls don’t happen while standing still. They happen during transitions: turning to answer someone, changing direction in the kitchen, pivoting too quickly or stepping around furniture. These moments seem small—but they are surprisingly demanding on the body. And for many older adults, turning becomes one of the first movements to feel uncertain.

You may notice you start taking many small steps to turn or you start to hold onto furniture while turning. You avoid quick movements or feel unstable when pivoting. You lose balance when changing direction.

These are important signals because difficulty turning is strongly linked to fall risk, reduced mobility and loss of confidence. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Kinesiology of Turning

Walking in a straight line is relatively predictable, but turning is different. It requires communication between the brain, inner ear, eyes, muscles and joints. That’s why unsteady turning often appears before people notice larger mobility problems. When you turn, the following must occur:

The body has to slow down (decelerate)
Rotation has to occur at the subtalar joint (ankles) and hips
Weight shift from one leg to the other
Coordination of the feet, sometimes in cross stepping and other times in a pivot
Hip stabilization
Quick reaction

Hands On Techniques to Improve Turning

If you want to help your patients turn more efficiently, perform the following:

Mobilize the subtalar joint and release trigger points in the tibialis posterior/anterior and medial gastrocnemius
Release trigger points in the vastus lateralis, posterior gluteus medius and quadratus lumborum.
Perform the Thoracic Sequence

Real World Exercise

Standing turn – Stand comfortably. Slowly turn in a full counterclockwise circle. Pause, if needed. Repeat in a clockwise direction. Perform 3-5 turns in each direction.
Figure-8 Walking – Set up two objects five feet apart. Walk a figure-8 pattern around them. The only rule is to not place one foot next to the other as you make the turns. Advance this exercise by putting the objects closer together to walk a tighter figure-8. Perform 6-10 repetitions.
Pivot-Step – Set up two objects ten feet apart. Walk towards one object, then plant your foot and pivot to walk back to the other object. Alternate planting your right and left foot. Perform 6-10 repetitions.
Carioca Step – Step sideways by crossing one foot in front and then crossing the same foot in back as you proceed laterally. Perform 6-10 repetitions.
Lateral reach – Stand next to a chair. Turn and reach both hands to touch the seat of the chair. You will need to shift your weight to the side you are reaching towards and bend your knee to squat down a little as you turn. Return to the standing position. Perform 6-10 reps and repeat on the other side.
Standing wall reach – Stand two feet away from a wall with your back to it. Turn to the right and touch your right hand to the wall as you shift your weight to your right foot. Return to the starting position and then turn to the left and touch your left hand to the wall as you shift your weight to your left foot.

Weekly Goal

Practice one of the above exercises each day of the week. That’s it. A minute of turning practice can make a huge difference.

Why does this matter?

Turning affects almost everything. Navigating in crowded spaces, moving around the kitchen, turning a corner, carrying objects safely and responding quickly when something happens all require you to be able to turn without thinking. Good turning ability means smoother movement, better balance and greater confidence in navigating around this world.

The ability to turn smoothly and confidently is one of the clearest signs the body still trusts itself. And maintaining that trust changes everything.

Next, we’ll cover a movement that seems minor—but quietly affects independence every single day: reaching overhead. The ability to place something on a shelf—or safely reach above your head—is about much more than shoulder flexibility.

I hope you join me next week.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…