Seniors receive tips on preventing falls, staying active

Every year, one in every three Americans over the age of 65 fall, and the likelihood of having a fall increases with every year. In addition, after the first fall, there is a 66 percent chance of having a second fall within a year. Exercising is a quick and easy way of helping to prevent falls and avoiding becoming another statistic.

 

Three University of Mary Hardin Baylor students taught seniors at the Copperas Cove Senior Center the importance of exercising as a form of fall prevention. Stacy Alzona, Rocio Martinez, and Lindi McCallum focused on simple exercises with an emphasis on posture, balance, flexibility, and strengthening.

 

The students, supervised by licensed physical therapist Sergio Martinez, walked the seniors through exercises like the seated reach, seated chest stretch, single leg stance, standing toe and heel raises, and seated hip abductions.

 

“Moving is important,” said Lindi McCallum. “Exercise is the one “pill” you can take that can help everything—high blood pressure, bone loss, you name it… And it’s the most effective way to reduce falls.”

 

Exercising improves the health of bones and joints and can increase mobility. It can also increase bone density, prevent diseases, and help manage stress and improve mood.

 

The class emphasized staying safe while doing the exercises and knowing your own limitations. For example, on the single leg stance, which worked on balance, the seniors could lift their leg and use a chair to hold their balance. To make the exercise more difficult, participants were given the option of using no hands or only one hand for balance.

 

“Balance is important for everything,” said Stacy Alzona. “The good thing about balance exercises is you can do them basically anytime and anywhere.”

 

Not only was the class informative, it was fun. The UMHB students and the seniors joked and laughed throughout the class.

 

“I liked it. I think it’s cool,” said Monika Murphy who participated in the class. “Balance is my big problem. I fell and broke my ankle years ago, and I’m scared to fall again.”

 

Murphy added that she hopes the exercises done in the class will help her out.

 

In addition to discussing how exercising will help reduce the likelihood of having a fall, they also discussed other fall prevention techniques. Some of these included using night lights, being aware of the side effects of your medications, getting your vision checked and corrected if needed, and reducing tripping hazards.