Age: 15, 28, 36, 40, 45, 52, 71

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‘ The Sound of Steps — How Walking Sounds Reveal Age ‘

• Introduction

Welcome to this exploration of an intriguing and often overlooked aspect of human life—our footsteps.

What if I told you that the sound of our steps, could reveal something about our age or generation?

Today, I’ll discuss how the sound of walking, specifically while going up and down stairs, differs across generations.

I’ve recorded the sounds of footsteps from people of various ages, and we’ll analyse how these sounds reflect the physical changes that occur over time. By examining these recordings, we can discern not only the age of the walker but also the generational differences that influence their gait.

• Overview

Footsteps are more than just sounds; they are a reflection of the body in motion.

Each step we take creates a sound wave that’s influenced by many factors—our health, age, physical condition, and even the shoes we wear. When it comes to the sound of footsteps, particularly on stairs, the physical effort required to ascend or descend amplifies certain aspects of the walk, like rhythm, impact, and pitch.

As people age, the story changes. Research by Dr. Emma Johnson (2018) highlights that the older adults have slower, heavier footsteps due to a decrease in muscle mass and joint stiffness. The force of the step increases as the body’s ability to absorb impact decreases, which results in a slower cadence and a more pronounced footfall sound.

This difference is not only physical but is also tied to the generational context—the way we walk is influenced by the culture, lifestyle, and technologies of the time we grew up in.

• Development

In the research The Aging Body and Gait written by Dr. Brian Harper discusses how different factors contribute to slower and heavier steps in older individuals. For example, as we age, the shock absorption capacity of our joints declines, which means more impact is transferred to the ground, resulting in louder, more forceful footsteps.

Muscle mass, which peaks in early adulthood, begins to decline in the 30s and continues through the 70s. This loss of muscle tissue, particularly in the legs, contributes to a more deliberate, slower gait in older adults. Additionally, joint conditions affect the way the elderly walk, often making them more cautious and less flexible in their movements, these physical changes are clearly heard in the sound of footsteps.

Also, the footwear we wear also plays a role. The footwear older generation and younger generation wear are tending to different styles.

As Dr. Lucy Fernandez (2021) explains in her book Footsteps Through Time, that as society has become more focused on comfort, younger generations prefer shoes that are softer and more shock-absorbent, which is reflected in their quieter, lighter steps.

• Case Study

Let’s now turn to a case study based on the recordings I’ve made of people from different generations walking up and down stairs.

(These footsteps are rapid and relatively soft. The high-pitched sound suggests a light, quick stride—characteristic of a younger, more agile person.

Notice the slower pace and the heavier impact with each step. There’s a noticeable delay between each footfall, and the sound is lower in pitch.)

These recordings are a direct reflection of the physical changes that happen as we age. The older person’s steps are more deliberate, reflecting not only the loss of muscle strength but also the fact that they may be using more energy to climb the stairs, taking slower steps as a result. The sound of their footsteps is louder and lower, indicative of increased pressure with each step.

Then there’re 2 interesting research results about footstep between different generations.

In fact, Dr. Robert Green (2020) conducted a study where he measured footfall frequencies in various age groups while walking upstairs. He found that the younger group averaged a footfall every 0.6 seconds, while the older group had an average of 0.9 seconds between steps.

Additionally, Dr. Clara Moore (2019) found that individuals over 65 often produce steps that are 50% louder than those of younger adults, especially when walking on hard surfaces like stairs.

• Summary

The sound of footsteps, particularly when walking up and down stairs, can reveal a great deal about a person’s age and physical condition. Through the recordings I’ve shared, we’ve seen how the frequency, impact, and pitch of footsteps change with age. Younger people’s footsteps tend to be quicker, lighter, and higher in pitch, while older adults produce slower, heavier, and lower-pitched footfalls. These differences arise from the natural physical changes that occur as we age, including the loss of muscle strength and joint flexibility.

So, next time you hear footsteps on the stairs, just have a try, you might just be able to guess the person’s generation—and maybe even their story—just by the sound of their steps.”

From the wild animal to the human

The topic I originally planned to do was about how to identify the different ages of turtles by the different sounds of their movements. But after I looked for places in London or the UK that breed turtles, I found that this idea was a bit difficult to put into practice, especially finding and collecting turtles of different ages.

Then after I thought about it,

• I thought that humans are also a kind of animal?

Can I analyze the relationship with people of different ages through the sounds produced by a certain behavior in our daily lives

• Walking!

We walk every day, we all walk, and we all walk. Then I thought about whether it is possible to identify the age of people of different ages by recording the sounds of them going up and down the stairs, and to analyze the reasons for this result.

— How Walking Sounds Reveal Age ‘

Secondary Research

‘ Due to joint stiffness and a loss of muscular mass, older persons walk more slowly and with more weight. As the body’s capacity to absorb contact diminishes, the force of the step increases, causing a slower cadence and a more noticeable footfall sound. ‘

Age-Related Changes in Gait: Footsteps and Footfall Frequencies Across the Lifespan, Emma Johnson, 2018

‘ The older group’s average interval between steps was 0.9 seconds, whereas the younger group’s was 0.6 seconds. The distinctive sound of older footfall is produced by a slower cadence and a greater impact. ‘

Footfall Frequencies and Age: A Comparative Study of Young and Older Adults, Robert Green, 2020

‘ Individuals over 65 often produce steps that are 50% louder than those of younger adults, especially when walking on hard surfaces like stairs. ‘

The Impact of Aging on Footstep Sounds: A Biomechanical Study of Elderly Gait, Clara Moore, 2019

Primary and secondary Research

• HUMAN Perspective, ‘Unheard’ frequencies ?
• subsonic (below 20 Hz)
• ultrasonic (above 20,000 Hz)

Sounds in these ranges are critical to the survival and communication of many species, but they are “unheard” by us unless we have the proper equipment to capture them.

Additionally, some natural events or processes also unfold in patterns that occur too slowly or too quickly for us to notice.

• The connection?

Sound recording in nature allows us to discover a deeper connection with the world around us. By tuning into the sounds that are typically beyond our reach, whether because they are outside the range of human hearing or are obscured by our own limited attention, we open ourselves to new ways of understanding and appreciating the natural environment.

In my opinion, the nature, the environment is in a more mindful, listening-centered way. I feel like there are lots of similarities between wild animals and human, we came from the same initial originally. It should be workable to read wild animals’ movements or actions as we can read human ourselves.

‘ As we capture the sounds of the wilderness, we become part of its rhythm. With each recording, we not only document but also contribute to the ongoing narrative of a living, breathing planet—a planet whose fate depends on our awareness and understanding. ‘

Recording Natural History Sounds, Richard Margoschis, 1977

Primary Research

• Field Recording, ANIMALS?
• Movements?

I‘ve always been attracted to nature and animals, also animals’ documentary is one of my favourite.

I’m always thinking about are there any ways or methods to recognise different ages of different animals thought their sounds while I’m watching those animal category documentaries.

Fortunately, I had a experience in Africa for 7 months. I was doing volunteer works in Tanzania and Kenya, during that period, I found out that different generations of animals’ movements frequencies are different. For instance, younger animals tend to have more irregular and scrambled movements and adults’ movement are more regular or on propose. Such as the leopard as same as us, the human, the new born leopard are still during the exploration stage, their bodies have lots of turnover and leapt out motions except the suckling outside the instinct. By contrast, the adults, they are used to laying on the ground and sleeping during a day except if they have to getting up and hunting.

• Vocalisations?

About vocalisation to wild animals, you can say it’s more similar to humans in some ways. No matter it’s the roar, the howl the chirp or whatever. The sounds made by the younger animals become more despicable and harsher, the adults have lower and threatening sound, and the elders usually make you feel powerless.