How to prevent falls as we age
While simple falls, such as slipping while walking off a curb, may seem relatively harmless, they can actually lead to severe injury and even death in elderly individuals. In my experience, people nowadays are falling at much younger ages, such as in their sixties and seventies.
Why do falls happen more often as we age?
The causes are varied but can include disease, e.g. dementia, Parkinson’s, vision problems, arthritis and medication that affects our balance. However, the primary cause of falls is a daily lack of the right kind of physical activity. Why? Because inactivity leads to the following:
- A lack of balance
- Being overweight
- Not having the ability to react swiftly
So how can we decrease the chance of falling? Here are a few recommendations:
- Speak with your doctor about any medication you are taking if you have balance issues
- Walk between six to eight kilometres every day
- Practise being aware of any surroundings and obstacles that you have when you walk, e.g. don’t be looking at your phone
- Don’t walk only on flat ground; find places to walk that carefully challenge your body, such as stepping up and over low walls, rocks and tree roots
- Enrol in a physical activity that not only makes your body strong but also helps your body to develop agility, speed reaction, vision and dynamic balance
- Enrol in a preventing falls course for seniors
- If you don’t have the motivation, discipline or skills to start a physical activity by yourself, find a coach to help you
Finding the right daily physical activity for you is one of the most important direct and indirect actions we can take to avoid falls and subsequently live healthier and happier and longer lives. To learn more, please watch this video “Why do we fall? How can we prevent them? And how can we avoid injury if we do fall?” on my Youtube account (Arlindo’s Way).
Arlindo’s Way provides Elite Healthy Ageing Movement Services with a studio in Portimão. We have dedicated clients who drive to us from Luz, Lagos, Albufeira and Silves!
Our motto is: We can’t avoid getting older, but we don’t need to get old!
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