Staying Strong and Preventing Falls
1:23 PM
Have you ever broken a bone?
Like the singer Howie Day said in one of his songs, "Even the best fall down sometimes." Having broken two bones at two different times within the past year due to falling, I want to make sure to prevent and/or lessen the chances of ever breaking a bone again!
Background Information and Statistics
The younger you are, the easier it is to rebound from a fall. As you get older, getting up is only the beginning. Most of us have had many falls needing only a band-aid or some ice, and life goes on as usual.
However, falling can cause serious suffering for people of all ages. From young to old ~ we're all at risk of falling due to accidents or carelessness. With falling, we have increased risk of getting hurt: be it cuts and bruises to broken bones to traumatic brain injury.
Unfortunately, fractures are very common. They are the fourth most common injury among children under age six. Falls cause most of the fractures in this age group. Overall, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for children ages 0 to 19. This adds up to almost 2.8 million children each year being treated for fall-related injuries.
Of course, we're all getting older every day, and with age, your risk increases dramatically. While doing my research, I learned that once you're 65 or older, you're at extremely high risk for falling and breaking a bone:
Falls account for 87% of all fractures among people aged 65 years or older.
The good news is: we all have time to prepare and prevent falls in the first place. Learning to prevent falls is a great way to safeguard ourselves and the people we care about from incurring injuries.
How to Prevent Falls in the First Place
Wow! Looking at those statistics makes me realize that we all have work to do to ensure our own safety. Here are some ideas:
1. Exercise as much as you can. Join a gym that offers classes. I am much more motivated to go to the gym for my spinning classes. Of course, yoga and tai chi are excellent for balance, but lifting weights is also very important to make your muscles strong. I'm a huge fan of spinning because it's challenging and I do love the music (of course, no spinning for me until after August 2nd).
2. Watch where you are going at all times and keep focused on your surroundings! This is how I broke my foot - I tripped on something on the ground while putting out my dog because I was more interested to see what she was doing. Once I fell she came over, licked my face, and went back to her browsing.
3. Wear shoes that support your feet and have little to no heel. Wear something with traction on your feet at all times ~ even in the house. My new habit ~ that I'm trying to adhere to ~ is to remove my shoes and put on my slippers as soon as I get in the door so that my house stays cleaner. Of course, I have a dog who strolls right into the house and brings in plenty of dirt, but at least, I'm doing my part.
4. If it's wet or raining, pay extra close attention to your surroundings. Hold the railing if you're going down outdoor stairs.
5. Keep your abdominal muscles strong. I actually hired a personal trainer to make an ab workout/routine for me. Keeping your stomach muscles strong helps to support your whole body and protects your back. At first, I used to do my ab workout every day, but now I'm down to three times a week.
Do you have any ideas to add to my list? Have you dealt with a broken bone before? I'd love to hear from you ~ please comment below!
Like the singer Howie Day said in one of his songs, "Even the best fall down sometimes." Having broken two bones at two different times within the past year due to falling, I want to make sure to prevent and/or lessen the chances of ever breaking a bone again!
Background Information and Statistics
The younger you are, the easier it is to rebound from a fall. As you get older, getting up is only the beginning. Most of us have had many falls needing only a band-aid or some ice, and life goes on as usual.
However, falling can cause serious suffering for people of all ages. From young to old ~ we're all at risk of falling due to accidents or carelessness. With falling, we have increased risk of getting hurt: be it cuts and bruises to broken bones to traumatic brain injury.
 |
| My first broken bone the week before school started: my left wrist! |
Unfortunately, fractures are very common. They are the fourth most common injury among children under age six. Falls cause most of the fractures in this age group. Overall, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for children ages 0 to 19. This adds up to almost 2.8 million children each year being treated for fall-related injuries.
Of course, we're all getting older every day, and with age, your risk increases dramatically. While doing my research, I learned that once you're 65 or older, you're at extremely high risk for falling and breaking a bone:
Falls account for 87% of all fractures among people aged 65 years or older.
The good news is: we all have time to prepare and prevent falls in the first place. Learning to prevent falls is a great way to safeguard ourselves and the people we care about from incurring injuries.
 |
| My second broken bone the week before school ended: my right foot! |
Wow! Looking at those statistics makes me realize that we all have work to do to ensure our own safety. Here are some ideas:
1. Exercise as much as you can. Join a gym that offers classes. I am much more motivated to go to the gym for my spinning classes. Of course, yoga and tai chi are excellent for balance, but lifting weights is also very important to make your muscles strong. I'm a huge fan of spinning because it's challenging and I do love the music (of course, no spinning for me until after August 2nd).
2. Watch where you are going at all times and keep focused on your surroundings! This is how I broke my foot - I tripped on something on the ground while putting out my dog because I was more interested to see what she was doing. Once I fell she came over, licked my face, and went back to her browsing.
 |
| That's Gabi on the right with her friend, Barney. She has a serious case of FOMO and insists on being outside at as early as possible every day! |
3. Wear shoes that support your feet and have little to no heel. Wear something with traction on your feet at all times ~ even in the house. My new habit ~ that I'm trying to adhere to ~ is to remove my shoes and put on my slippers as soon as I get in the door so that my house stays cleaner. Of course, I have a dog who strolls right into the house and brings in plenty of dirt, but at least, I'm doing my part.
4. If it's wet or raining, pay extra close attention to your surroundings. Hold the railing if you're going down outdoor stairs.
5. Keep your abdominal muscles strong. I actually hired a personal trainer to make an ab workout/routine for me. Keeping your stomach muscles strong helps to support your whole body and protects your back. At first, I used to do my ab workout every day, but now I'm down to three times a week.
Do you have any ideas to add to my list? Have you dealt with a broken bone before? I'd love to hear from you ~ please comment below!
by Susan K.
2 comments
What an important post. I know I'm guilty of standing on desks and counters in the classroom. Not wise. Thanks for the good advice. I hope your foot heals quickly.
ReplyDeleteJan
Laughter and Consistency
Hey, Jan! I know ~ I'm a serious climber myself. It's a hard habit to break, but I have no choice these days! August 2nd is the day I hope I get the OK to drive!
ReplyDelete