Balance issues that are common in adults can cause them to trip over their own feet which can result in a fall. Regular exercise has proven to be effective for helping prevent falls since it helps improve one’s balance and therefore reduces the risk of tripping over one’s toes instead of making an effortless stride. Movement exercises are important for seniors because balance tends to diminish with age. However, maintaining the ability to move doesn’t have to fade away since our bodies are fully able to improve. Targeted exercises aimed at improving the physical ability of the individual, such as balance and strength training, are crucial for promoting functional independence and mobility and reducing the risk of falling in older adults. Easy Exercising also provides exercise programs tailored to reduce falls in older adults. In this blog we will help you with easy tips and exercises that will help you reduce the chances of falls.
Falls among older people.
We have many members in the community aged 65 or older who experience at least one incident of falling per year. Anyone can have a fall, but falls are a serious cause for concern among elderly people. After hitting 65 there is a heightened risk of falls. Even when you don’t hurt yourself during a fall, the fear of falling can leave you inhibited and lead to restrictions in activities that further increase your chances of getting injured.
Cause of falls among older adults.
Changes to the body.
Human body changes as we age. Older people experience greater risks of falling due to physiological changes in the body like eyesight issues, weakening of bones, diabetes, and blood pressure. Even some illness that may occur due to age can affect the balance issues leading to falls among older people.
Dangers in and around the home.
There are several dangers around one’s house that may pose a threat to older people like fencing, uneven surfaces, wet surfaces, electrical wiring on the floor, poor lighting around the house and even children playing around.
Neglecting general health and wellbeing.
Older people often neglect their wellbeing and health considerations. They often reduce their activities that may increase the incidences of fall.
Other risk factors.
There are other risk factors such as Spine problem, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer disease, arthritis etc. that may increase the incidence of falls among older people.
How to prevent falls
Improve safety inside
Home improvements inside the house like making the surface suitable for elderly, proper lighting inside and even proper electrical wiring inside to prevent tripping can help reduce incidence of fall.
Improve safety outside
Making the path outside even, removing garden tools that may cause older people, installing proper railing, making garden fencing proper can help reduce falls among older people.
Stay healthy
Staying healthy is one of the most significant ways to reduce balance among elderly. Get your physical checkup done at regular intervals to help you identify major health issues. Eat a balanced diet to stay healthy.
Physical activity
Remaining active is an important factor that can reduce the incidence of falls among older people. To become physically active, group exercises are very helpful. It helps you keep motivated to do exercises which are necessary to stay healthy.
Risks associated with falls
Falls are a burden to the person and family. They cost financial as well as physical damage to the person experiencing a fall. Apart from that, some people get severe injuries that can range from minor fractures to serious spine and brain injuries. This can also lead to emotional turmoil in the person who had a fall.
Things to do if you fall at home
If you fall at home, if there is someone around you can call that person for help. If there is no one around you when you fall, then probably it’s best to call for an ambulance or local doctor. If the emergency service is getting late, try to get up using healthy muscles of legs or hands.
Exercises to Prevent Falls
As we age, we are more susceptible to falling, but there are things that can be done to decrease the risks. Strength-training activities such as weight training or push-ups can improve balance and reduce the chance of falling. Weight training should be done when a trainer is present to ensure proper technique and good form. Furthermore, it’s advised for older adults, who may have difficulty squatting or standing up from a chair, to practice walking outside with caretakers and family members with them so as not to injure themselves in an event where they do slip and fall.
Easy Exercising and Fall Prevention
For the elderly, beginning an exercise routine can be frustrating due to injuries, lack of time, or anxiety among other reasons. Easy Exercising deals with this problem by offering easy-to-use machines that allow seniors to adjust the amount of physical activity they perform easily and on their own terms. Older adults have reported feeling more confident and strong after using these devices to perform even basic activities like cleaning. Older adults reported that they had more control over their body after doing exercises at Easy Exercising.
Conclusion
Falls can have a huge impact on older people and present a major burden to health care providers, health systems and to the wider community. Encouragingly though, there is now extensive evidence about effective exercise that plays a key role in maintaining balance and mobility and preventing falls among older aged people. More active people experience fewer falls, but it does not appear that we can prevent falls by simply encouraging older people to be more active.
Undertaking specific balance challenging exercise on a regular basis for a sustained period of time is essential to significantly reduce fall risk. Easy Exercising has helped several older adults to reduce the risks of falls. To find out more, visit the nearest easy exercising clinic or look at the success stories of patients.
Recent Comments