Once we hit the age of 65, at least one in four of us will experience a fall every year. As we get older, the risk increases. Hip fracture and injury to the head and neck are concerning complications of a fall. Following such an injury the risk of death and disability is alarmingly high, so let’s do the best we can to lower our risk of falling as we age. Strength and balance are two key factors to address. Today I will be covering strength and in my next blog, balance.
The loss of muscular strength, especially in the lower back, hips and legs can affect balance and the ability to recover and catch yourself when you do stumble. Unfortunately, muscular strength inevitably declines as we age. To minimise this, it is important to engage in strengthening exercises daily and avoid the temptation to become sedentary. Weight bearing exercise has the added benefit of increasing or at least maintaining bone density, potentially reducing the risk of fracture if a fall does occur. Working with a personal trainer is a great option and group fitness classes can be a supportive social atmosphere. A very simple exercise to get you started at home is the squat. This can be simply performed by sitting down onto a chair and then standing back up. Repeat this five to ten times, rest and repeat. Make yourself a daily goal for how many squats you aim to achieve.
Stay tuned for my next blog on balance!
To Your Best Health!
Dr James MacKay
Get to know Dr James:
” With the desire to dedicate myself to a career that would be fulfilling each and every day, I chose Chiropractic.
Chiropractic is about helping your body to run at its best so you can
heal and deal with everything life throws at you.”
Dr James’ passions are Chiropractic, motorbikes, power lifting and most importantly food!