When I was 42 years old, I broke both wrists horribly during a Sunday afternoon game of full court basketball with other women players. The fall didn’t kill me, however as we age, falls kill. According to AARP, falls that cause hip fractures are to blame for nearly 30 percent of fall deaths among adults 65 and older. These unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury and death for seniors.
In recently finishing Peter Attia’s book, “Outlive”, he spent a full chapter on stability. And I’ve been working on my stability with a variety of exercises. Why? Because during my 50’s, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. At 60 years old now, here’s my small and simple list of exercises that I do to help improve my balance and stability:
- One leg step ups, 12 on a side. Three sets.
- Squats, 15 reps, 3 sets. Add weights to each side, go slowly up to 15 reps, 3 sets.
- Brush your teeth standing on just one leg, then switch. Do it for 2 minutes in the morning and also in the evening while brushing your teeth.
- Lunges, with and without weights. Three sets of 18.
- Going up stairs with hand on rail, two steps at a time. Yes, two steps at a time. Think knee to chest or marching movements.
- Coming down the stairs with one hand on the rail, one step at a time. Keep your eyes on the step. Don’t multi-task and don’t carry too many items.
- Toe/ankle raises, as you floss your teeth and then again when using mouthwash. Every evening.
- Abs; many varieties, like crunches, bicycles, leg lifts, med ball turns, planks.
- Get on the floor and do three sets of bridges and birddogs, 15 reps, then get upright without using anything to pull you up. Yes, that’s right, stand up with zero help.
- Wear a watch or device, so that can call someone IF you do fall. (Ex: I wear an Apple watch, now that I’m 60, when I’m taking a shower, exercising and doing projects inside and outside of the home). Also wear identification. (Ex: I wear a RoadID bracelet; it identifies who I am, who to call, and what allergies that I have).
- Free extra tip: Buy some nightlights so that we can see in the evenings and early morning hours, when nature calls or you need something to drink. There is no reason to fall because you didn’t want to turn on the light.
The cost for some of the devices (Apple Watch + Road ID bracelet + night lights) are less than $1,000. However, the return on this investment could be life changing. And then doubled or tripled when you add in the stability and balance exercises mentioned above in #1-#9.
Being Fit and 60 takes some work, and it’s my goal to stay upright for as long as possible. And if I do fall, then I have a way to communicate/call someone and if I’m found, others have three names who to call.
Recommendation: Since falls kill, recommend that you start now and do a few things daily and weekly to help improve your balance and stability. This will help your body react, if you take a bad step off of a curve or a rail lets loose or a step breaks or you’re bumped in to by another person. You can also control many things, including wearing a watch with calling capability and an ID that will help people act quickly. Give me a ring or message if you’d like to chat further about your stability or balance goals.