Active Aging Presented by Public Health Seattle-King County
Balance and strength can diminish as you age, putting you at higher risk for accidental falls. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that nearly one in four seniors falls annually; of those, about one in five causes serious injury, including potential traumatic brain injuries. The combination of your medications, overall physical fitness, vision problems, and environmental hazards can increase your risk of falling. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to mitigate these risks.
Why Prevention Is Key
Falling doesn’t always lead to severe injuries, but prevention should still be a priority. Research shows that falling once can double your risk of falling again. Even if you don’t sustain any injury, you may become weary of future falls. This concern may subconsciously cause you to decrease physical activity and movement and negatively impact your overall health.
Preventing falls with a consistent exercise routine is one of the best ways to stay healthy as you age. By following a program that includes both balance and strength exercises, you’ll avoid falling and be more likely to recover if you do take a spill.
Balance Exercises
To improve your balance, you must put yourself in situations where you feel a bit unstable. It’s essential, therefore, to practice these exercises at home with support so that you are safe if you begin to feel too wobbly. In the beginning, always have a chair or table close enough to reach. As you master these balance exercises, make them more challenging by completing everything with your eyes closed.
Corner Standing
For your first balance exercise, start small. Stand with your back against a corner, almost touching (but not quite). With your feet slightly apart, try to balance for 30 seconds. Work up to balancing for one minute with your eyes closed and feet together.
Leg Raises
After you can balance well with both feet on the ground, move on to balance exercises with one leg raised. Begin by taking one leg straight out to the side about six inches off the ground, and work up to balancing for 30 seconds. Next, bend your knee, lift your leg up and back towards your stomach, and then balance. Finally, extend your leg straight behind you while balancing. Try to complete three sets on each side of all three positions.
Tandem Stance and Walking
This balance exercise is sometimes referred to as a heel-toe walk. Begin by standing with one foot directly in front of the other, with your heel almost touching the toes of your back foot. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch feet—complete 10 reps. Next, use this same heel-toe position and walk across the room. Try to complete 25 steps.
Strength Training
The balance activities above will help with lower body strength, but additional exercises can help target specific muscles that feel weak. Aim to incorporate strength training three times a week, and make sure you have a partner or chair/table nearby in case you need support.
Sit to Stand
Start by sitting towards the front edge of a solid chair that won’t roll or move. Make sure your feet are both comfortably flat on the floor. Press down on both feet as you lean forward and stand up. Lower yourself back down slowly. The goal is to complete 10 of these without using your arms for support but work your way up as needed.
Step Ups
For more leg strength, step up onto a stair or stool with your right leg, then bring your left up to meet it. Keeping your right on the step, lower your left back down. Repeat 15-20 times on each side for three sets.
Heel Raises
Your calf muscles are crucial for walking, so incorporate heel raises to strengthen this area. Rest your hands on a counter or tabletop with your feet slightly apart. Roll up onto the balls of your feet simultaneously, then back down. Try doing three sets of 10 reps each.
Full Body Movement
Integrating balance and strength training into your daily routine doesn’t have to be mundane. In addition to the short exercises above, choose full-body activities that incorporate a lot of strength and balance work. Tai chi, swimming, and yoga are excellent fall-prevention workouts. You can find water aerobics and gentle yoga classes designed specifically for seniors; you’ll avoid high-impact movements, and the instructor will provide modifications if you have mobility limitations.
Adding just 15 minutes a day of balance and strength training to your routine can drastically lower your risk of falling and potentially sustaining an injury. This small investment of time will pay off for years to come.
Active Aging is presented by Public Health- Seattle & King County. Public Health- Seattle & King County recognizes the important and untold stories of innovation, service, and sacrifice by the Black community and supports efforts to improve equity and achieve social justice. We want everyone to get health insurance and access health care. Visitwww.kingcounty.gov/health for health insurance, flu and COVID-19 testing locations.
