The statistics on falling in the elderly are shocking. In an average year, nearly 40% of people over the age of 70 fall at least once, and one in 5 of these falls results in serious injury. The good news is that fall rates can be reduced with simple exercises! A large number of falls are directly related to declines in strength, balance, flexibility and the development of flat feet, bunions and hammer toes. Fortunately, it is easy to identify the specific factors that increase your fall risk and customize a treatment routine to decrease your risk of falling.
Young folks don’t stop reading!! Many of the exercises we will discuss can also be used to improve your jump distance, mobility and quickness in sporting activities; as well as, decrease your risk of injury. Unfortunately, after the age of 50, we begin to lose nearly 2% of our muscle fibers each year. However, the speed that muscles deteriorate is largely dependent upon our level of physical activity. In other words, get moving because we can alter our strength, balance and agility as we age! We strongly recommend starting an exercise program in your fifties and sixties to help prevent falls as you age.
Now that we are all motivated to exercise to prevent falls, what should we do? The first thing to look at is toe strength. Surprisingly, the best single predictor of a senior citizen falling is toe strength. Older adults have toe strength declines of more than 35%, which greatly increases the risk of falling. Your toes, especially your big toe, push down into the floor to protect you from falling forward when you reach for an item and when you initiate walking. Dr. Iodice is able to measure your toe strength, develop an exercise program for you and then retest strength as needed. Also, toe strengthening exercises improve sprint and single-leg long jump performance and significantly increase horizontal jump distance. Toe strengthening isn’t just beneficial for the elderly, it is a popular exercise in the NBA!
The second factor to address is calf, quadriceps and hip strength. Dr. Iodice can measure your leg strength and endurance. If you show weakness for your age, simple exercises can improve your strength and endurance within 2 months. Attention athletes, weak hip muscles greatly increase the risk of knee injuries and tearing your ACL. Addressing muscle imbalances and weakness is important for all ages and stages of life!
Third, good ankle flexibility is necessary to decrease our risk of falling. Flexible ankles allow us to accommodate different walking terrains; such as cobblestones and uneven surfaces. People with stiff ankles tend to walk with slower, shorter steps. Also, limited upward motion in your ankles can cause a fall going up the stairs. If you have limited motion in your ankles, you should add prolonged stretches for 60 seconds each to your exercise program.
Fourth, core strength is also important to address. It’s terrible to think about, but if you do fall, a strong core is incredibly important to help you get up from the ground. Balance and exercise programs can not only reduce the risk of falling, but they also help people with the ability to get up once they have fallen.
Fifth, balance is the next factor to look at in fall prevention. The ability to successfully balance on one foot with eyes open is strongly correlated with longevity. Balance exercises have been proven to have the greatest effect on reducing overall fall rates in older adults. Simple balance exercises can significantly improve your stability. Standing on one leg exercises also help prevent ankle sprains in athletes.
Sixth, it is important to address spinal mobility. Stretching your neck and back for a few minutes each day will make it easier to turn your head while walking without rotating your entire upper body (which increases your fall risk).
If you are concerned about falling as you get older, please contact Advanced Healthcare & Sports Injury for a full evaluation. Dr. Iodice can assess your risk factors for falling and help you implement a treatment program to address in muscles weakness, tightness or joint restrictions. Finding a way to exercise 2-3 hours per week will greatly reduce your risk of falling.
Reference: Michaud, Tom. The Human Locomotion Fall Prevention Protocol.
