Keeping Healthy
My friend and I were chatting the other day and the subject of falling came up. Neither of us is young any longer and I am so grateful that this is not something I normally have to worry about. Although to be honeest I did have a spectacular dive a few weeks ago. I had set off for my usual walk and decided to take a longer walk, so set off earlier that day to avoid the heat of the day. I was still in the brisk walk phase, confidently stepping our along a very familiar path, when CRASH; catching the toe of my shoe in a protruding root I landed full stretch, actually on my chest which was SO painful. But, a lovely gentleman was driving past and saw me on the ground, parked his car and hurried over to help. People can be so kind!
But back to the present, we were talking abut falling when we get older and so I, naturally, had to find out why this happens and what, if anything we can do about it.
?So much infrmation out there I had a wonderful time checking it all out.
For instance, things like Diabetes, heart disease, Thyroid problems among other things can affect your balance and lead to a fall. Having to rush to the bathroom, or a bus stop etc, may increase your chance of falling.Even mild cognitive impairment or certain types of dementia can increase the risk of falling. Some medications can increase the risk because they can cause side effects such as dizziness or confusion. Safety hazards in the home or community can also cause falls.
?Now, what can we do to minimise the risks?
?Well, first on the list is exercise. Groan. But, just a walk each day, which will improve your muscles and make you stronger, also helps keep your joints, tendons and ligaments flexible. Any stairs in your area? walking or climbing those may even slow bone loss caused by Osteoporosis. Another thing to try is balance and strength exercises. Yoga, Pilates and tai chi can all improve balance and muscle strength.
I can say in all honesty, that tai chi is VERY tiring, but once you stop being tired, makes you feel so good. I still have some weights from when I was younger and fitter, only 1 kg weights, but as one of the studies I read about reported, the positive effect is the same whether you use light or heavier weights. If lifting weights is not possible for you, use resistance bands, in some comparison studies it was found that for some, this was far more doable. They reported that you just need to work longer with light weights, but as long as you keep going till you can feel you can't go any further, then you will get really good results. This also applies to resistance band use.
In the home, make sure there are no odds and ends on the floor and so prevent yourself from falling over them. Also, wrinkles or creases in the rugs on the floor.
Something else to remember is that Vitamind D deficiency can be easily avoided by getting out in the sunlight for 15-20 minutes every day. depending on whether you naturally have light or dark skin. That latter fact really surprised me. Lack of Vitamin B12 can make you feel tired and weak, which can also lead to falls. Get your vitamin levels checked, especially if you have Diabetes or pre-diabetes as some medications to treat this problem can cause a drop in this essential nutrient.
Bottom line here I think, is that ?barring medical problems, you CAN work to prevent yourself from falling. Like for me, I now always check for roots sticking up out of the ground, certainly don't want to find myself flat on the ground again.
Well, that's it for now, but if you would like more information on this common problem, (about 25% of older adults suffer from falling and its effects), email me. Also, if you have anything you have found effective in your own life, please let us know and I will certainly pass it on to everyone, with many thanks.
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