Activities and Your Feet

We all know about the obvious ways to prevent falls such as keeping the floor clear of obstacles like cords from heaters and making sure steps and stairs have safe rails to hang on to. But most people wouldn’t think that a ten minute walk or an afternoon spend gardening would do much to help prevent a fall – in fact many people would think physical activity is more likely to cause a fall.

But being active helps keep your muscles strong – this helps to improve your balance so you’re less likely to fall over in the first place. However, if you do happen to fall over, stronger muscles mean you can react faster to either grab hold of something or put out your hands to save yourself.

Staying active to keep on your feet is good advice for people of all ages – but it’s especially important for older people because around 40 per cent of injuries resulting in hospital admission for people over 65, happen because of to falls – and many of these admissions are for a fracture of the hip. Here are some other ways to reduce the risk of falls.

Remember that Medication may affect balance ask your doctor or pharmacist if your medication could make you unsteady on your feet – sleeping pills and tranquillisers ,for instance, may have this effect.Alcohol can affect balance too.

Wear the Right Shoes.

Although it’s tempting to walk around in comfy slippers, especially in winter, you’re less likely to fall over in shoes that fit properly, have low heels and a sole with a texture that “grips” the ground. Poor fitting slippers or shoes can make you shuffle and upset your balance.A shoe fits properly if there’s enough room for the toes (at least 1.2cm) between the longest toe and front of the shoe) and a snug grip at the heel. Shoes that covers the foot well such as a lace-up or high cut court shoe give good support, but slip-on shoes, thongs or scuffs can cause you to turn your ankle. Leather soles may be too slippery but a shoe repairer can give them more “grip” by attaching a rubber half sole.

Take Care If You Wear Bi-focals

Leave them off to walk up or downstairs – they can make you misjudge where the steps are.

Light Up Your House and Garden

There are many ways light can help make your house safer. Brighter (75 watt lights) make it easier to see.Useful lights available from hardware and lighting stores include sensor lights which come on automatically when it gets darker, and touchlights, which you turn on by touching any part of the lamp.Touchlights are good to have beside the bed – you don’t have to fumble in the dark to find the switch. Always switch on a light if you have to get up in the night – it’s easy to fall over in the dark. Alternatively, buy night lights which you can fit into a socket – these switch on automatically when you move close to them.

Consider a Cordless Phone

A cordless phone – one you can carry with you around the house – has some real advantages for older people. You don’t need to rush to answer it, and if you do fall for some reason, you can use the phone to call for help.

Climb Safely

Invest in a set of stable steps for reaching high objects, rather than standing on furniture which may be unstable.

But don’t forget the importance of exercise.

If you’d like to try something new, contact your local community health centre to find out what activities are available in your area.