A: Building your strength and working on your balance is an excellent way to reduce your risk of falling.
This is so important because the statistics about falls for older adults are very sobering. In fact, it is reported that every half hour an older adult dies as the result of a fall.
Simply being over the age of 65 increases your risk of having a fall. Other risk factors include having poor balance or strength, vision impairment, and environmental hazards. Being proactive to reduce the risk factors that are in your control can make a big difference.
To increase your balance and strength consider adding exercise into your daily routine. Adding in new exercises must be done carefully, and in a safe way depending on your abilities. You may want to start by talking to your doctor, or even taking an evidence-based class that can reduce your risk.
Several classes are offered in Ventura County that increase mobility and balance. These include a class called Bingocize, A Matter of Balance, and Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance.
If you are low risk and are comfortable incorporating new exercises, you can try doing squats. Squatting is the move where you slowly lower your body to a seated level and then stand back up. Every time you sit or get up from a seated position you are doing this move. It strengthens all the muscle groups in your legs. This is really the foundation for most of our daily activities.
I once heard a talk by a doctor who suggested you squat while brushing your teeth as an easy way to remember to incorporate this kind of exercise into your daily routine. When you strengthen your legs like this it helps you keep lifting your legs when you walk. If you have ever seen an older adult shuffling their feet when they walk, you can see why that increases your risk of tripping and falling. Keep your leg muscles strong with some squats every day. You can even do this move holding onto something, if needed.
Often the fear of falling can cause us to restrict our exercise in an effort to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, by moving less you are lowering your strength and increasing your risk for more falls. If you have this fear of falling, consider taking a class or attending a seminar to better understand how to stay safe while still staying active.
The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging is hosting a Fall Prevention Forum on Friday, September 27th at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. It runs from 7:30am to 12:30pm and includes a free lunch, Zumba, Tai Chi and nutrition demonstrations, as well as free health and balance screenings. They are featuring two prominent keynote speakers this year, Dr. Thomas Duncan and Dr. James Hornstein.
If you have had a recent fall, or feel your risk is high talk to your doctor. You want to check if medications or other health conditions may be contributing to your risk. If needed, they may prescribe physical therapy to work with you one on one to increase your strength and balance.
Building our strength at every age is important to staying healthy and happy at home. See what you can do today to reduce your risk and build your confidence. You can learn more about these classes online at https://vcaaa.org/falls or by calling 805-477-7300.
Martha Shapiro can be reached at Senior Concerns at 805-497-0189 or by email at mshapiro@seniorconcerns.org.
