With winter weather comes an increased risk for falling, impacting people of all ages.
The Healthy Living Team at the Y offers the following reminders to help all ages prevent falls.
- Anyone can fall. Not just older adults are susceptible. Young moms walking with babies and toddlers in their arms can be especially prone because their children can provide distractions and carrying a child on one side can throw off your balance.
- Watch where you park. What you think is a shadow where you’re walking may be black ice. Your garage floor at home may be especially slippery when it’s wet.
- Forget fashion. Wear flat shoes with good tread. You may get tired of your sturdy boots by late winter, but hold off on wearing your heels and lighter shoes during the winter months.
- Exercise regularly. Regular exercise and especially exercise that focuses on the back and core can help reduce the risk of falls and increase balance. Kathy also recommends leg exercise for older adults. Check out the video player below for fall prevention exercises.
- If you do fall, take your time. Fight your instinct to get up as quickly as possible. Take time to gather your thoughts, catch your breath and assess for injuries before you stand up. Watch the video below for tips on how to get up from a fall.
- Think ahead. It’s hard to think about the proper way to fall when you're slipping, but it’s worth some thought in advance—especially as you get older because injuries can mean long recoveries and can make daily activities challenging. When possible, brace your fall with the meaty parts of your body like your forearms and bottoms, not your head, wrist or palm. Try to avoid bracing your fall with just one side of your body, too, to more evenly distribute the impact.
Additional resources for fall prevention:
- YMCA Evidence-Based Exercise Programs: KansasCityYMCA.org/AOA
- Senior Falls Prevention Coalition of Clay and Platte County: seniorfallsprevention.org
- Modern Physical Therapy: modernPT.com
- Show Me Falls Free MO: health.mo.gov/seniors/showmefallsfreemissouri/
- National Council on Aging: ncoa.org