Fall prevention: it’s one of the foremost concerns of healthy aging, considering the fact that falling is one of the top reasons for critical injuries and even mortality in older adults. At Grace Home Care, providers of the trusted respite care Topeka seniors need, we work tirelessly to ensure the home environment is free of fall risks and that modifications are made to help the older individuals in our care continue to be safe from senior falls.
However, there are some extra actions all older adults ought to take to decrease their risk of senior falls – specifically, stepping up their physical fitness routine to include some key strengthening and balance exercises that have been shown in a study conducted recently by the British Journal of Sports Medicine to lessen falls by roughly 21 – 39%, depending on how much time is invested. Just three hours every week spent in the activities below can make a significant improvement in the health and wellbeing of your older loved ones:
- Chair Lift: While seated in a sturdy chair with arms, hold onto the arms and push the body up, making use of the lower body muscles as little as possible and using upper arm strength. Stay in the position, and then slowly and gradually lower back to a sitting position. Repeat 10 times.
- Forward Lunge: Stand up straight with feet in line with the hips. Hold onto a sturdy chair situated to one side of the body, and then step ahead with one foot, trying to keep the rest of the body straight and tall. Bend the leg in front until the knee in the back is as near to the ground as possible. Then utilize the front leg to push the body back up to a standing position. Repeat 10 times with each leg.
- Leg Raise: While sitting, extend one leg straight out in front of you, and then bend the knee and draw it to your chest, while not moving the upper body. Stretch the leg back out straight once more, and then bring the foot back to the ground. Repeat ten times with both legs, and if possible, try with both legs at the same time.
- Weight Lift and Bend: With a stable chair beside you for balance, and a two-pound weight in the other hand, bend forward at the waistline, bend the arm holding the weight up to your chest (with the elbow remaining at waist level) and then extend the forearm behind you before returning the weight back to your waist. Repeat 10 times with each arm, increasing weight if desired.
- Toe Touch: Standing with feet placed together, slowly and gently roll your upper body down to your toes, reaching downward with the fingers, as far as possible. Keep legs straight throughout the bend. Then slowly and gently roll the upper body back up to a standing position, and repeat 10 times.
For even more fall prevention tips and exercises, or to schedule an in-home evaluation of your senior loved one’s home to reduce the risk of senior falls, contact Grace Home Care, the area’s top providers of the compassionate respite care Topeka seniors need, by calling us any time at 785.286.CARE.