Your body is like a stick of bubble gum
Your body is like a stick of bubble gum. When you first put it in your mouth it is juicy, and you can blow big bubbles. As you continue to chew it becomes less flexible and blowing bubbles is not as easy or as big. Your muscles are like bubble gum, the older you get the shorter and more rigid your muscles become.
Mobility and strength may decline if left unchecked. Then falls begin to happen. We lose our strength and mobility, not because of our age, but because it’s been left unchecked. (analogy courtesy of Vijay Vad, MD).
The average fall rate
Did you know the average fall rate for people 65+ is 25% or one in four? Did you know that of those taking my fitness class, the rate is 15%? So, if you think fitness training does not work, think again.
How often do you hear falls “just happen” because we get older? People assume that it is an inevitable progress of aging. Let’s change that narrative!
Picture this
Picture this: you’re going about your day, perhaps taking a stroll through the park with your dog or reaching for an item on a high shelf, when suddenly, gravity or a squirrel sighting gets the best of you and down you go. It may be a little tumble, or it may be more serious, and off to the hospital you go.
Why we fall
We fall for several reasons, and being aware of those may also help you course correct. Here are a few:
- Balance: Our sense of balance can diminish due to changes in vision, inner ear problems, and decreased muscle strength.
- Loss of Muscle Mass: Muscle mass naturally declines with age if left unchecked. Loss of strength can make it more challenging to maintain balance and stability.
- Bone Density: Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by a decrease in bone density, can increase the risk of fractures from falls.
- Vision: Age-related changes in vision, such as decreased depth perception or peripheral vision, can make it harder to detect obstacles and hazards in our environment. Many of us where progressive glasses, which also change the depth perception as we move our head.
- Environment: Throw rugs, slippery floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, and clutter all pose hazards that increase the risk of falls. Don’t forget our pets that love to trip us up.
- Alcohol or drugs: Alcohol or drug consumption can impair judgment, coordination, and balance.
The good news
Take matters into your own hands and muscles. Give yourself superpower and the ability to defy gravity and reclaim your strength and mobility through fitness training.
What you can do to minimize your chance of falling
- Check Your Environment: Throw /small area rugs can trip you up or cause you to slip. Send them marching. Are you looking ahead when you walk to be sure there are no cracked sidewalks or raised tree roots that may cause you to trip?
- Check Your Vision, Hearing, and Shoes: Have you gotten a good eye exam and hearing test recently? Don’t forget that progressive lenses can affect your balance and make steps appear closer than they are. If you get new glasses, get comfortable with them. Check your shoes, are your laces tied? Do they provide good support? It’s amazing how many people trip wearing slip-on shoes or slippers.
- Enhance Your Balance and Coordination: Engaging in exercises that challenge balance, such as standing on one leg, simple balance drills, or even joining me in my T60Fit Mobility and Stability class. The goal is to improve your proprioception (or where your body is in space) and coordination, reducing the likelihood of falls.
- Build Muscle Strength: Strength training exercises, including lifting weights or using resistance bands. These will help you preserve and increase your muscle strength. If you haven’t changed your weights or resistance bands, start today and go heavier! Staying the same will make you the same.
- Attend to Your Bone Health: Weight-bearing exercises like walking, dancing, or stair climbing will help you maintain bone density and reduce the risk of fractures by strengthening bones and supporting overall skeletal health. I love my weight vest and wear it during exercise or walking.
- Pay Attention to Your Surroundings: Look where you are going, put down the smartphone, and focus on navigating your surroundings. You never know what new things you may see when you look up.
- Adapt: Fitness can be tailored to accommodate various fitness levels and physical abilities. Pick an activity that you will do and stick with it. The best exercise is the one you will do!
Getting started
Incorporate Fitness into Your Daily Life and Routine:
- Start Small: Begin with simple exercises and gradually increase intensity and duration as your strength and confidence grow.
- Find Enjoyable Activities: Is it dancing, gardening, swimming, or joining a fitness class? Choose activities that you genuinely enjoy. The more enjoyment, the more you will do it. Grab a buddy and do it together
- Stay Consistent: Schedule workouts or activities into your weekly routine and make them a priority. As James Clear always says, ‘Don’t miss twice.’
- Safety First: Warm up before exercising, use proper form to prevent injury, and listen to your body. If an activity causes discomfort or pain, don’t do it. If you are exercising, is your area clear of clutter? Are you wearing good shoes? Is the surface you are using non-slip?
In conclusion, YOU have the opportunity to defy gravity (repeat after me… I will not fall) and maintain your independence. It doesn’t come easy and will need your dedication and dash of enthusiasm.
Here’s to staying active, healthy, and unstoppable!
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