Sherry

Living a Fall Free Life…

Not the fall season…we all love autumn – the changing color of the leaves, the cooling temperatures, all the fun outdoor activities, and of course all the pumpkin spice goodies! HA!

A life free of the fear of falling down…does that really seem possible to you. If you read my last post, Essentrics Wellness Retreat, I challenged you to consider your recent falls…what happened and why you fell.

Let’s talk about how you can prevent future falls –

If you feel dizzy or unsteady on your feet, it may require a visit to your doctor. It could be a sign of an underlying medical condition or the side effect medication you are taking.
If you found yourself tripping in your home, it could be time to clean up or at least declutter, so you have clear floor to walk around on.
If you find that a raised sidewalk section or rough terrain brought your downfall, you may need to check your foundation…your feet.

Taking care of your feet improves your chances of staying on them.

Our feet support the weight of our bodies and allow us to stand, balance, and move through the world. Having full mobility in them is key for the health of our entire bodies.

How can we take care of our feet?

Pamper your feet. A nice foot soak, followed by a massage and a toenail trim is a good place to start.

Give your feet their freedom. At least while at home leave your shoes off for a few minutes (or for hours) each day letting your feet move freely as they were designed to do.

Exercise your feet every day. Work one foot at a time. You can be seated or standing. If you stand and need help with balance touch a nearby chair or wall.

If you are seated, have your feet flat and your back is straight.

With your feet flat on the floor, wiggle your toes, keeping the ball of your foot on the floor. Then transition to lifting and lowering one toe at a time (you can use your fingers to help out).
Lift and lower each heel (one at a time), pressing your toes into the floor, 4 times. Then lift and lower both heels at the same time, 4 times.
Next, lift each leg (one at a time) straight out, slowly point and flex your foot 4 times. Then flex your foot and circle your ankle 4 times each direction.

Now, before you put your clean, relaxed, and flexible feet back in those favorite shoes, stop and check them out. It could be that they are so cute but a little tight or worn and move your feet and ankles out of alignment. This could be why you get off balance or are unsteady as you walk. If that is the case, it is time to go shopping.

In my next post I will focus on the need for strong and flexible core to prevent falls. As well as, how we can strengthen our core, gain flexibility and mobility without joining a gym.

Essentrics Wellness Retreat

I hosted my second Saturday morning Essentrics Wellness Retreat. It included two Essentrics workouts and a one hour workshop (Better Balance to Prevent Falls) plus delicious snacks, great door prizes and sixteen awesome participants. Unfortunately, I can’t show you pictures of our amazing morning, because I and my husband (my super assistant) were so into each moment that we forgot to take pictures…not even one. Darn it all!

But then that motivates to write up a few blog posts to share what I learned from my research the impact on falls especially for people over 65, how falls can be prevented and the role balance plays in fall prevention.

For today I want to share some facts about falls from the CDC.

Falls are serious and costly

Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).4
One out of 10 falls results in an injury that causes the older adult to restrict their activities for a day or more or to seek attention from the healthcare system.1
Each year, there are about 3 million emergency department visits due to older people falls.2
Each year, there are about 1 million fall-related hospitalizations among older adults.2
In 2019, 83% percent of hip fracture deaths and 88% of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for hip fractures were caused by falls.3
Each year, nearly 319,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.3

Read these over a couple of times and consider what it would mean for you to have a serious fall.

Are you ready to start working on making some changes to have prevent falling?

Think about your life..

Have you fallen recently? What happened when you fell?

What led up to the fall…in other words, why did you fall? How could you have prevented that fall?

Don’t just think about it, write the answers to these questions down. Let this be your starting point to a safer, healthier life free of falls.

Don’t miss future posts on this subject-subscribe today.

Time for a Snack!

It is December, that means Christmas baking and candy making…and snack, snack, snacking!

I would like to challenge you to try a different kind of snack. One that might not “taste” so yummy, but will feel so, so good for our body. A movement snack.

Now I know you are thinking what is a “movement snack”. A regular snack is that little bit of something to hold us through until it is time for a large meal, a movement snack is the same, a little bit of movement that breaks up our sitting time, so we are not so stiff and are ready for a longer workout later.

Rules for movement snacks.

There are not rules, do what works for you, but just do it. Some suggestions are:

Keep it short, fun and relaxed (1-3 minutes)
Stand up and sit down, several times, (if possible, without using your hands).
Listen to music and dance.
Stand up and stretch, with arms high overhead, lower your arms and do a few shoulder rolls, arm circles and waving your fingers.
Try standing behind your chair and holding on to it, while lifts your heels, both feet at first, then one foot at a time; or wiggle your toes, circle your ankles
Repeat every hour or so.

As the cold, snowy winter season is coming, we are less likely to go for a long walk outside or work in the yard. Now is the time not to sit the winter away, but to get up and move, even if it is only for a few minutes at a time.

So snack away…