Want to know how you can improve your balance and reduce your risk of falls? It might not be as complicated as you think.
We sat down with Lyn, one of our incredible Allied Health Care Team Leaders, for a quick Q&A – offering tips, advice and simple things you can do to stay active and independent!
Q – What can cause a person’s balance to decline, and their risk of falls to increase?
A – Many factors contribute to falls and loss of balance. These are some, but are not limited to:
- Medical conditions. E.g. Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, peripheral neuropathy (damage or disease affecting the nerves), cognition decline.
- Problems with the vestibular system (sensory system in the inner ear affecting balance and movement).
- Vision impairment.
- Reflexes and coordination slowing with age.
- Decreased muscle mass and muscle strength, which can be heightened by inactivity.
- Fear of falling making you less likely to move.
- Medications interfering with balance and increasing falls risk.
- Incorrect footwear choices.
Additionally, unsafe environments such as poor lighting, mats on the floor, uneven footpaths and rainy weather can contribute to falls.
Q – What are 5 exercises that can help maintain balance and prevent falls?
A – Before anyone starts a new exercise routine, they need to consult a health professional and find out what type of exercise is safe and suitable for their needs.
Scientific evidence suggests a combination of balance and strength exercises are required to improve balance.
10 reps, 3 sets per day is a basic guide, but input from a Physiotherapist is imperative to ensure you are exercising safely and progressing the exercises. Balance will not improve unless exercise remains challenging. Common exercises include:
- Sit to stand out of a chair
- Sideways walking at the kitchen bench
- Hip abduction
- Seated knee extension
- Heel-toe raises
Q – What are three non-exercise related things you can do to maintain balance and prevent falls?
A –
- Have regular eye checks
- Remove clutter from around the home
- Have regular check-ups at the GP, including a review of prescription medications
Q – What’s your best piece of falls prevention advice?
A – Falls don’t need to be an inevitable part of ageing. While your risk of falling does increase with age, you can help prevent falls by implementing some simple exercises and strategies. A falls prevention program, such as Stepping On, can be enormously useful to assist your understanding of falls and what steps you can to take to prevent them.
Want to know more?
A day in the life of a Suncare physiotherapist