discovered, with some directed balance-specific routines. Many such exercises are available on the net, from books, or best, from people like those associated with public health clinics and osteoporosis clinics.
.....Then, equally important, I think, in preventing falls, is to increase your muscle strength (if you do nothing to slow down the process, all your muscles deteriorate steadily from middle-age on), so that if you do stumble, you have a much better chance of catching yourself before you fall over.
.....So that’s tip number two to minimize the risk of falling: no matter what age you are (studies have found that this applies even to people in their eighties and nineties), you have much to gain by starting to do some resistance or weight training under the supervision of an exercise expert or a similarly-trained individual because believe me, as I’ve learned from experience, it’s very easy to do weight-training exercises in a way that actually leads to more injury rather than less.
.....And finally, tip number three, and this one is nothing but plain old common sense: check your environment regularly – or have someone do this with you because, again, as I’ve learned from experience, two sets of eyes are better than one (why does my wife always find the keys I swore were lost forever?) - to remove as many hazards as you can that increase your likelihood of falling.
.....And for all of us, there are literally dozens of items around us that raise that risk: old, worn runners or equally inappropriate footwear for a jaunt to the store on an ice-slick sidewalk, for example, loose rugs in the hallway, a slippery, uncoated bathtub, loose bathmats, loose rugs, furniture you can trip over, electric cords and other loose stuff on the floor, no good night lights especially in the bedroom and bathrooms, medications that can cause dizziness (it’s always a very good idea to check with a pharmacist to find out if any new drugs you’re prescribed can cause dizziness and what precautions you should take if they do) and my particular irritant, shoes left on the stairway to stumble over when you come downstairs in the middle of the night.
.....Which allows me to end with this lament: what is it about women and shoes, anyway? I mean, a guy needs just two pairs, right? One for everyday use and one for bar mitzvahs, weddings, and funerals .
.....So why do women need several dozen pair? I just don’t get it.
Dr. Art Hister can be heard on CKNW and other Corus Radio Network stations on House Calls on Saturdays at 10 AM, as well as seen on Global TV news on Saturday mornings at 9:20. |
 |
|
