Apple’s new fall-prevention feature in iOS 15 can save your life
The new Walking Steadiness Notification feature comes with the iOS 15 update
For example, your Walking Asymmetry is measured and this shows the percentage of times that the steps you take with one foot are faster or slower than the steps taken with the other foot. The lower the percentage of times that this occurs, the healthier your walking pattern is. Limping can be a sign of disease, injury, or other health issues.
The Health app can send out a Walking Steadiness Notification which can tell you via a notification when your Walking Steadiness score is low. A low score means that you are at risk of falling over the next year and could use some exercises to improve strength and balancing; Apple’s Health app offers videos of five such exercises. The Walking Steadiness metric is calculated using your walking speed, step length double support time, and walking asymmetry.
25% of Americans 65 years of age and older fall every year
As Apple points out, as steadiness goes down, the risk of falling goes up. And this is important because one out of every four Americans 65 and older falls each year resulting in broken hips and brain injuries. The CDC reports that the rate of death to older Americans from falls increased by 30% from 2007 to 2016. If that rate continues, the CDC predicts that by 2030 there will be seven deaths an hour from falls.
Dr. Schwartz adds that the walking data can help give doctors and therapists the explanation behind a person’s unsteady gait and help them to create specifically designed exercises and other solutions. She plans on telling her clients who have an iPhone to update to iOS 15, opt into the Walking Steadiness feature, and share the results with her. She says, “I often come in after there’s been an injury from a fall. I want to see people when they’re not already on the floor.”
To set up Walking Steadiness notifications, go to the Health app. Tap on Summary and scroll down until you see Walking Steadiness Notifications. Tap on Set Up and add some information like height, weight, and age. Make sure you turn on notifications. It will take a few days to collect enough information for a notification to be sent out. You can check your progress by selecting the Browse tab in the bottom right corner and select Mobility > Walking Steadiness.
