In collaboration with Rachel Ridgeway, Ridge Senior Fitness, Owner
Rachel is a Certified Personal Trainer, who specializes in Osteoporosis and Senior Fitness. She started her business in 2020, focusing on improving the health and wellness of aging adults. While working with the senior population, she realized there was a huge lack of emphasis on bone health, so she received certifications as a Certified Osteoporosis Fitness Specialist and a BoneFit Specialist. She now works with women of all ages who are looking to improve their bone health and maintain independence.
For older adults, falls can be extremely debilitating or even deadly. Many falls can be prevented with appropriate exercise programming and household modifications. In this post, we will focus on ways to modify your current fitness routine to help decrease your risk of falling. While there are many different factors at play as to why we are more likely to fall as we age, some of the most common are:
With all of these physical changes occurring, a progressive exercise program becomes much more important. So, what are some exercises that should be incorporated to decrease the risk of falling?
Balance Training
Balance training is one of the most obvious (and most often overlooked) types of exercise for fall prevention. The great thing about this type of training is that there are endless ways to keep it challenging and interesting. There are two main balance training categories:
Postural & Mobility Training
Postural deviations and lack of mobility can be another major fall predictor. Many older adults will develop hyper-kyphosis (excessive rounding of the upper back) and a forward head position. This positioning can offset your center of gravity, making falls much more likely. Two ways to combat these common deviations are to:
Resistance Training
Resistance training increases muscle size, improves overall strength, and can help maintain or increase bone density. All of these factors are incredibly important when it comes to fall prevention programming. Resistance training should be done at least 2-3 times per week and cover all of the major muscle groups. It’s important to allow at least one day of rest if you are going to work the same muscle group twice in one week. While fall prevention is the goal, sometimes falls will still happen. If you regularly strength train, here are some ways that the impact of the fall could be minimized:
While we cannot prevent every single fall, there are so many exercises that can be done to dramatically lower your risk. Having a training program that incorporates balance, mobility, and strength training is one of the best ways to do this. As with any new exercise program, talk to your doctor first to ensure there are not certain exercises that you should avoid. If you are unsure of where to begin, working with a physical therapist or a personal trainer can be helpful in establishing an appropriate baseline.
Rachel is a Certified Personal Trainer, who specializes in Osteoporosis and Senior Fitness. She started her business in 2020, focusing on improving the health and wellness of aging adults. While working with the senior population, she realized there was a huge lack of emphasis on both health, so she received certifications as a Certified Osteoporosis Fitness Specialist and a BoneFit Specialist. She now works with women of all ages who are looking to improve their bone health and maintain independence.
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