{"id":28197,"date":"2021-01-06T10:46:21","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T18:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/?p=28197"},"modified":"2021-05-14T09:40:01","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T16:40:01","slug":"stay-active-to-reduce-the-risk-of-falling-5-exercises-to-keep-you-fit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/stay-active-to-reduce-the-risk-of-falling-5-exercises-to-keep-you-fit\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay Active to Reduce the Risk of Falling: 5 Exercises to Keep You Fit"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Walking<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s no secret that walking is a great exercise. It makes this list for many obvious reasons, and maybe some that are less obvious. Consistent walking strengthens muscles and helps maintain a healthy weight. But, it can also reduce the risk of getting high blood pressure and high cholesterol.\u00a0 Scientists show that muscle weakness and blood pressure issues can increase the chance of falling, but fortunately, walking helps reduce these issues.<\/p>\n

Some other less known benefits of walking include an increase in Vitamin D, a vital component of bone health\u00b9, and social interaction. When the weather permits, walking gets you outside and supplies your body with sunlight, the largest source of Vitamin D.\u00a0 It also encourages social connection by inviting your neighbors or friends to go on walks with you.<\/p>\n

2. Tai Chi<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Tai Chi is an ancient martial arts practice that originated in China. But, it\u2019s not intense or physically demanding the way other forms of martial arts are. This exercise is often referred to as \u201cmeditation in motion.\u201d It means you mix slow physical movements, with conscious breathing, while maintaining a calm focused mind.<\/p>\n

Research shows that participating in tai chi classes or doing the movements at home improves balance, muscle strength, flexibility\u00b2, among others. All these physical gains lower the risk of having a fall. And the mental benefits of decreased stress and anxiety can help eliminate your fear of falling.<\/p>\n

3. Water aerobics<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"There\u2019s a reason water fitness classes are so popular among the senior population. It\u2019s a low-impact physical activity that increases cardiovascular health, builds muscles without straining them, and promotes weight loss. Also, there\u2019s no risk of falling while doing the actual water aerobic exercises.<\/p>\n

Plus, the classes themselves are a lot of fun and a great way to engage with your friends and community. Like walking and tai chi, water aerobics has mental health benefits that
\ncan lower stress, anxiety levels, and symptoms of depression\u00b3.<\/p>\n

4. Chair yoga<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Chair yoga is a safe and accessible way for seniors to access the benefits of yoga without having to get down on a mat. Yoga postures build muscle strength, protect joints, improve circulation, lower blood pressure, and increase range of motion and flexibility. All these health advantages are not only great for maintaining fitness for life but also in preventing injury from slipping, tripping, or falling.<\/p>\n

5. Strength training<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Strength training improves the way you move, your range of motion, and gives you the energy and strength to enjoy your favorite activities and everyday life. By following a customized training program from a professional, you learn essential tips and exercises that can assist you in fall prevention.<\/p>\n

Besides reducing your risk of falling, here are some other ways that strength training benefits you on the whole:
\n\u25cf Increases coordination
\n\u25cf Improves balance
\n\u25cf Increases confidence
\n\u25cf Reduces pain
\n\u25cf Improves metabolism
\n\u25cf Helps prevent osteoporosis<\/p>\n

Other Tips to Avoid Falling<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In addition to staying active as a way to prevent falls, there are several other tips that can also help.
\n\u25cf Talk to your doctor about any medications you\u2019re taking. Ask if the side effects cause dizziness, sedation, nausea, as these could increase your fall risk.
\n\u25cf Make an appointment to get an eye and ear check-up. Certain disorders with your eyes or ears can increase the odds of falling.
\n\u25cf Reduce alcohol consumption. An excess of toxins in your liver can affect your equilibrium and balance.
\n\u25cf Wear non-skid, rubber-soled shoes and avoid wearing socks and slippers around the house.<\/p>\n

\n

As the owner of Results Performance Training in Williamsburg, Virginia, Detric Smith helps people achieve their fitness goals through customized training and action-based coaching. Over the last two decades, Detric\u2019s made it his mission to study the habits, strategies, and techniques of personal trainers and coaches who are successful and, most importantly, happy. Also, during this time he\u2019s authored a book, mentored trainers through multiple organizations, and his own business. Finally, Detric\u2019s written for well-respected fitness websites, magazines, and journals. Find out more about Detric at: resultsperformancetraining.com<\/a> and\u00a0 www.detricsmith.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Vitamin D for Good Bone Health
\n2. The Health Benefits of Tai Chi
\n3. Aquatherapy: How Swimming Could be a Key to Better Mental Health<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that over 33 percent of people older than 65, fall each year? As people age, the risk of falling increases and so does the fear of having a fall-related accident. Part of that fear prevents many from engaging in physical activities.\u00a0 Rather than avoiding an active lifestyle, there are strategic, smart ways to stay active while decreasing your chances of falling. In this article, we\u2019ll discuss a few fall prevention exercises that can strengthen your body, while improving your coordination and balance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":355,"featured_media":25768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[293,198,193],"class_list":["post-28197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-mfn","tag-fall-prevention","tag-fitness-professionals","tag-healthy-aging"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/355"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28197"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28197\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}