Exercise Scientist Suggests This Practice Can Lower Your Chance of Falling as You Age
Getting older can make you feel a bit shaky on your feet. Your strength, mobility, and balance may decrease over time, increasing your chance of falls. And don't forget – according to the good ol' CDC, approximately 3 million people end up in emergency rooms each year due to falls among the elderly.
But fear not! Maintaining a fitness routine that strengthens and improves your body is an excellent method to decrease your risk of tumbling.
Enter strength and conditioning coach, Pete Williams, who touts a particular exercise on Instagram that helps maintain the powerfulness necessary to catch yourself from a fall. This exercise resembles the sensation of losing balance, helping you improve your steadiness on your feet.
To give the sprinter's fall exercise a whirl, stand on your toes, lean slightly forward, and then fall forward while quickly stepping your feet in front of you to regain balance. While you don't necessarily need equipment for this exercise, Williams suggests having someone around to provide assistance since there should be a bit of risk involved to create the necessary acceleration and forces for the exercise to be effective. Plus, it's always a good idea to consult a health pro before diving into new routines, especially with any pre-existing issues or injuries.
Now, here's the lowdown on how regular workouts can lower your fall risk.
A study with more than 8,000 seniors discovered that balanced and functional exercises could reduce fall rates by a whopping 24%. The sprinter's fall exercise goes hand in hand with activities that simulate day-to-day movements, making it perfect for keeping you on your feet.
If you want to ratchet up your balance game even further, give balance board exercises a shot. These can improve your dynamic balance, proprioception (your body's awareness of its position in space), and ankle stability.
Now, let's talk about a few additional exercises that will help keep you steady as she goes:
- Chair stands: These strengthen your legs and enhance your ability to get up from a seated position safely. Find a sturdy chair, cross your arms, and slowly stand up, then sit back down. Do this 5–10 times.
- Heel-to-toe walking: Walk in a straight line, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other for 10–20 steps. This improves coordination and balance.
- Side leg raises: Stand behind a chair for support and lift one leg out to the side, lowering it slowly. Do 10 reps on each side.
- Toe and heel raises: Build ankle and calf strength. Stand with hands on the back of a chair, rise onto your toes, then rock back onto your heels. Repeat 10–15 times.
- Seated marching: Great for those who prefer seated exercises. Sit upright and lift one knee at a time, alternating legs, for 10–20 reps.
With a mixture of strength and balance workouts and balance board exercises, you'll be well on your way to a fall-free life. Happy training, folks!
Implementing a health-and-wellness regimen that includes fitness-and-exercise routines, such as balance and functional exercises, can significantly decrease a senior's fall rate by 24%, as supported by science. Regular workouts not only incorporate the sprinter's fall exercise, which simulates losing balance and improves steadiness, but also include exercises like chair stands, heel-to-toe walking, side leg raises, toe and heel raises, and seated marching, which collectively contribute to strengthening one's legs, enhancing ankle and calf strength, and improving coordination and dynamic balance.
