Fall Prevention Strategies you don't want to miss!

The following statistics regarding falls are staggering, literally. (Shared from my recent continuing education course "Helping Patients Stay on their Feet")

    • In 2019, over 8 million older American had a fall-related injury 

    • Resulting in more than 34,000 deaths (93 older adults per day) 

    • More than 1 in 3-4 older adults (28%) fall each year 

    • Approximately 36 millions falls annually 

    • Falls in older adults cost healthcare system approximately $50 billion dollars in 2015 

Holy cow!! That is a LOT of money! Not to mention waaaay too many people affected by falls!  

The best Fall Prevention Strategy of them all is to work on your balance reactions and challenge yourself to improve your strength and stability regularly.  As you likely know by now, helping clients improve their balance has been a long-time passion of mine. Teaching the weekly Balance & Stability group fitness class at the Wisconsin Athletic Club has been an absolute joy, and it's already been over a year since I started teaching. During this time, I've had multiple class attendees, who are regulars, come up to me and share stories of how their commitment to our class and the strategies we practice regularly have positively impacted their life. 

"I was told that my blood pressure & cholesterol were in a range that required medication. I told the doctor to give me some time to make some lifestyle changes and then we would recheck. After 8 months of taking regular walks, taking this Balance Class, and doing a weekly yoga class, my numbers are now all in the healthy range!!"  -Mary (70 y.o.)

"I'm able to keep up with my grandkids and get up and down from the floor much better since we started this class!" -Kathy (68 y.o)

"I recently had my gall bladder removed. I was able to use my feet to pick things up off of the floor while I was recovering and couldn't bend forward. I wouldn't have been able to do that if it weren't for practicing doing that in our Balance Class!" -Karrie (53 y.o.)

"We went on vacation with another couple from class, and had to walk across a log to get to the other side of a creek, and we said, 'Emily would be proud of us that we all did it!'" -John (75 y.o.)

I just love hearing their success stories! I just wish the classroom was bigger and even more people could come and join us and enhance their balance too. 

I decided it would be fun to share some of my favorite balance exercises here with you. This is a document I created to share with the Humble Warrior Wellness and Yoga organization this summer at their annual retreat. These exercises can be incorporated weekly, even while doing other activities at home to "stack" your habits and be sure to get them in. 

Balance Exercises

Let me know how these go for you and which ones you like best. If you are interested in giving my Balance Class a try, reach out for a free pass to the WAC. I'd love to have you join me! 

My prayer for you is to stay active, vibrant, and functionally independent as long as you possibly can and stay away from becoming part of the above statistics! You can do this!! : )

Osteoporosis and Falls: Avoiding the Fracture

THREE THINGS TO DO TO AVOID A SERIOUS FALL AND THE CRITICAL COMPLICATIONS THAT COME WITH IT

I got a message from a long-time client saying she slipped and fell outside and fractured her wrist. She's lucky she didn't need surgery this time, as she had similar falls twice before that resulted in fractures and DID require surgery, due to osteoporosis. Because she lives independently, she is now having to adjust her daily routine as things take a little longer, even with her non-dominant arm being affected. Lifting, carrying, cooking, and dressing are all more difficult.  

Another client told me she was sitting on a folding chair without arms while doing some crafting projects later one evening. "I fell asleep and fell right out of my chair!" Thank goodness she did not injure herself. She also has osteoporosis and lives alone. Although this type of fall incident is very rare, a fracture would have really impacted her life. 

I'm on the other side of 50 now, and I don’t want to be one of the one in four adults (14 MILLION OF US SENIORS), falling every year. About 37% of those who fall reported an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day.  Surgery comes with it's own long list of unwanted complications (including death!!). If you’re like me, you want to do everything you can to NOT join this club and maintain your independence for as long as possible.

Here are some things I do as I am reaching the later years of my life:
1) I use Yak Tracks on my shoes in the winter when I'm walking on slippery surfaces. They fasten onto any shoe or boot and really help to grip the ground with their metal spikes. They saved me from falling many times when out walking with our former doggy in the winter. 
2) I walk every day for at least 20 minutes. This can reduce stress, boost your immunity, maintain strength, and build bone with the weight bearing activity.
3) I perform my "Treat Yourself Well" exercise regularly to prevent the rounded, forward flexed posture of a little old lady, and practice simple balance & stability challenges several times weekly. This helps to prevent the spinal compression fractures that often occur with osteoporosis. 

This last thing is REALLY IMPORTANT. Whether you have Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, or just want to prevent those issues, you can work with me to learn where your body is weak and how that is affecting your balance and your ability to avoid or survive a fall. I’ve helped some people with weak buttock muscles. With others, I’ve worked to correct foot issues. Other clients need assistance with getting their deep core muscles to activate and get stronger to support their ability to move around in bed, get up from a chair, and walk with more stability. 

Here’s what some of my current clients say:
"I was able to stand up so much taller after my session with Emily!" 
"My husband noticed I'm able to walk further before I need to sit down and rest." 
"My friend asked me what I've been doing to walk so well, as she has trouble keeping up with me now!"

Join my “NO FRACTURE CLUB” today. 
I have a few slots open in March for a 2025 Balance Assessment (just $79 for people on my list, $120 for everyone else). In this 30 minute session you’ll do a series of Functional Balance Tests to assess your risk of a fall. You’ll get 3 customized exercises to keep you stable and prevent fractures if you do fall. And, as a bonus, you’ll get a free pass to my Balance & Stability Class at the Brookfield WAC. And, I’ll put you on the list to get a free copy of my new book “The MAGIC of a Well Balanced Life” (Coming out on May 1).  Don’t wait. We might have a few more weeks of slippery ice and snow covered driveways, steps and sidewalks. You need to protect yourself. Email (1212bodyworks@gmail.com) or call (414-405-3956) today!

Dedicated to your stability, 
-Emily-