Hello Everybody,
When out on a walking for fitness program or in the home it is known that as we get older there is more risk of falls. One in three adults over 65 will suffer from a fall this year. These can be serious, as bones become more brittle with age and there is a high chance of breakage.
The problem is often caused by lack of balance. Good balance is a result of three systems in the body: the inner ear, the eye and the proprioceptor nerves in muscles and joints. These let the person know the position of their body when they move. With age these systems can deteriorate and the result is lack of balance resulting in falls.
There is not a great deal of medical help available to maintain balance. Diseases of the inner ear can be addressed and diabetes, which affects balance, can be controlled. But a medical response to general age related deterioration is less easy.
However all is not lost. A way of improving balance is by exercise. There are a number of exercises which can help and anybody over 65 should consider trying them. I know it is one more round of exercise to add to a fitness walking program and maybe exercise to strengthen muscles. But the simplest balance exercise is so easy it is worth a try.
All you need to do is to stand on one leg for thirty seconds and then stand on the other one for thirty seconds. Make sure you have something strong to hold on to at first, as it may be more difficult than you expect. Once you can do this easily do it with your eyes closed. When you have achieved this do it standing on a pillow or a folded towel. That’s it! Just do it twice a day.
An exercise, which may prevent you having broken bones, for two minutes work a day seems a good deal to me.
In the home there are a few practical things you can do to make life safer. Remove scatter rugs, do not polish floors too highly, make sure you have good lighting on stairs and install grab rails in difficult areas. But if all else fails, indoors or out, a good sense of balance could save you from injury. It’s worth the effort improve it. You can then walk with confidence and feel safer in your home.
See you soon,
Peter Stockwell
20 September 2009
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