Do you struggle with your balance?
Have you (or has someone you love) fallen recently?
Watch this recording and learn exercises you can do at home using minimal equipment to improve your balance.
In this workshop I’ll guide you through simple exercises to:
- Improve foot and ankle strength
- Boost your confidence walking on uneven ground
- improve big toe mobility (important for a healthy gait)
- Increase hip strength and mobility
According to the CDC, 30% of adults aged 65 and older fall each year. Falls can result in serious injuries, limited mobility, and loss of independence.
A fall can impact not only the injured person but their entire community.
One of my friends recently shared that a relative had a fall that resulted in a hip fracture. While not life threatening, her injury has impacted the entire family. She is the primary care giver for her husband who suffers from dementia. This injury temporarily impacted her ability to care for both herself and her husband. Friends and relatives have stepped in to provide care for both adults. She is already up and moving and will soon be living independently again. She’s a very active senior with good muscle tone and mobility and I’m sure that has played a part in her rapid recovery.
You can take steps, starting today, to help build muscular strength and coordination so that you do not become sidelined by a fall.
Fall prevention tips for inside your house:
- Remove all area rugs. These can be a tripping hazard.
- Plug in night lights (especially if you get up in the night to go to the bathroom).
- Wear grippy soled socks, or slippers that cover your whole foot (not slides).
- Slow down. Often when we fall, we are rushing, or not paying attention.
As we age our foot and ankle mobility can diminish. Calf raises, toe taps, calf stretches, and step ups/ step downs are all good exercises to build ankle strength and mobility.
A really simple awareness exercise is to notice your gait. Do you shuffle? Can you practice picking up your feet, and rolling forward from your heel to the front of your foot as you walk?
If you need help with your balance, please join us Saturday January 13th at noon!
Hope to see you on Zoom!
~Anne