Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
As we get older the risk of falling massively increases and surveys show us that it is one of the main concerns for older people. Too many of us know someone who has fallen resulting in dire circumstances that can be life-threatening. A broken hip results in you being off your feet for a long time which, when we are older, can result in a rapid decline in muscle strength and vital blood circulation.
Rosemary has shown that even though she is well-exercised we can still fall and so it is all about reducing the risk. That means being very aware of what we are doing and asking ourselves if we are putting ourselves in potential danger of having a fall.
None of us, at whatever age, should fall into the trap of carrying too much at once, particularly up the stairs. When we walk on uneven terrain we must take extra care too. A friend of mine fell on a coastal path whilst on a walking holiday. It was just a small trip on an uneven surface which resulted in a broken femur (thigh bone) and a helicopter rescue off the cliff top! She has recovered brilliantly because she has worked hard to get her fitness back but on a recent walk together, I had to point out how her posture had changed as she is constantly looking at the ground, terrified of falling again. This is a very common problem with anyone who has suffered a fall and an inevitable loss of confidence.
I take my youngest grandson to Tumbletots once a week and they have a whole section in the circuit devoted to balance training for toddlers, showing how important it is for them to learn to control their balance. I am proud to say that he is now reaching the point where he shouts out 'No Grandma, don't hold my hand now!' Bless!
Young adults have virtually no problem with their balance as they have plenty of functional awareness and a quick reaction time, which sadly we lose as we get older. We find it harder to make the necessary adjustments to prevent a fall as our balance mechanisms have naturally become less efficient as we age.
So, all this comes down to how much we work on training our balance to reduce our risk of falling. Yes... our balance can be improved with specific exercises designed to target all those elements that improve balance. Honestly, balance needs to be high on the list of must-do exercises for older people!
Our brain normally uses a combination of faculties around our body to help us to balance. Our eyes, our sensory receptors in our inner ear (our vestibular system) and our proprioceptors in our muscles, joints, tendons, and even our skin works in unison to keep us upright. Proprioception is a remarkable sensory system that we never even think about. Our proprioceptors allow us to reach for objects without needing to look at them, change gear when driving a car without looking down, and put food in our mouths without needing to constantly watch our hands. They allow us to walk and go upstairs without the need to look at our feet. So how does it all work?
There are 3 strategies that our brain uses to keep us upright:
The Ankle Strategy. We use our ankles to keep our balance when we stand on firm ground where we might have only a slight disruption to balance. A sway occurs around the ankles, flexing the muscles to keep us balanced, for instance when we are standing in a queue.
- Exercise: Postural Sway. We can keep this strategy working well for us by practising the postural sway. Simply stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart and transfer all your weight to the front of your feet, then to the right side, then to the back and then out to the left side. Go to the furthest point without losing your balance and without any part of your foot leaving the floor. Do this rotation three times then reverse the direction for three rotations. (An ideal exercise to practise whilst waiting for the kettle to boil!)
The Hip Strategy. More considerable balance challenges need the hip strategy in which we generate most muscles around the hip and trunk to stop us falling over. Imagine walking up a rugged footpath with rocks around or walking over any uneven surface. Such an action will force this reaction.
- Exercise: Standing on one leg. Standing on one leg is valuable practise for walking on an uneven surface. Try to build up to 30 seconds balancing on each leg. Standing on a 'balance cushion’ regularly will significantly simulate and improve your sense of balance. Try cleaning your teeth whilst standing on it with both feet!
The Step Strategy. If balance mechanisms become too difficult for each of the strategies above then the body's last resort to regain balance is to take a step in the direction of the potential fall. The problem is that whilst this response works well for younger people, older adults have often lost the reflex, mobility and leg strength needed to do this leaving us at greater risk.
- Exercise: Directional Stepping. With hands on hips take a big step forward with the right leg and then step swiftly back again, then step out to the side and back in, and finally behind you and back in, before changing to the other leg. Do alternate circuits x 4.
Whilst this can all sound a bit depressing, remember, we have an enormous capacity for re-wiring our brains at any age and physically adapting our ability to balance better and reduce our risk of falling.
Strength training
You have heard me mention many times about the importance of doing strength exercises. Well, here is another reason:
If our muscles are weak, we are more vulnerable to falling. The loss of muscle strength as we age (called Sarcopenia) is when the muscle fibres have not only reduced in number but also in size (making them weaker). If we suddenly lose our balance, even from something as simple as stepping on or off a kerb, we may not have enough quick and powerful muscle response to 'catch' ourselves.
Every week we recommend you do strength training and approach it with the whole body in mind. Upper body strength is vital for example, in that if we were to fall, we definitely need the strength in our chest, arms and shoulder muscles to be able to get up again. It just makes complete sense, so if you have lapsed a bit with your strength sessions try to pick them up again knowing what you have now learned!
In response to the many requests we have received, you can now download and print a copy of our recipes. Just scroll to the bottom of the recipe page and click on the download button. This is available on all new recipes and is gradually being added to all the existing recipes on the site.
The Queen's birthday was usually kept as a private, family event with the Sovereign's "official" birthday being held later in the year. This dates back to Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910 and whose birthday was on 9th November. He moved his official birthday to summer, in the hope of better weather for the celebrations. Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday was usually held on the second Saturday in June.
