Fig. 1

Schematic illustration of the experimental set-ups. A Lean-and-release-task. Participants were released once from a forward-inclined position. Lean angles were normalized to the participants’ body weight (23% of body weight) ensuring to standardize the level of stability loss. B Tripping-task during treadmill walking. Participants were exposed to a trip while walking on a treadmill. The trip was induced using a manually monitored custom-built pneumatic brake-and-release system. In the event of a fall, an overhead safety harness prevented the participant’s body (except the feet) from touching the treadmill belt. White circles represent the five retroreflective markers attached to anatomical landmarks used to evaluate the spatiotemporal stepping characteristics during both tasks