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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FALLS PREVENTION FOR SENIORS - PART 3
This next part is essential for everyone and could be the most important section of this article, so please take your time going through the content. All of it!
I say it’s most important because there is always a chance that a fall could happen to anyone, and that means you or someone you know.
The outcomes of a fall when older are usually much more severe with an increased risk of more serious injury, and getting up off the floor usually isn’t so simple and quick. It can be difficult if the physical capabilities required are not there.
Getting off the floor incorrectly can cause more injury, and those who may be around to assist may also put themselves at risk of injury or falling and risk being stuck on the floor also.
So it’s essential to be prepared by having a plan to avoid falls the best you can and get help if you fall.
It’s also important to know what to do if you fall and how to get up off the floor most efficiently and safely. And also how to help someone who has fallen.
BE PREPARED - WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL
In Parts 1 and 2, we covered all required to decrease your falls risk to a large extent.
This next part is essential for everyone and could be the most important section of this article, so please take your time going through the content. All of it!
I say it’s most important because there is always a chance anyone could fall, which means YOU or someone you know!
The outcomes of a fall when older are usually much more severe, with an increased risk of serious injury. Additionally, getting up off the floor usually isn’t so simple if the physical capabilities required are not there, potentially leading to further issues.
Furthermore, those who may be around to assist you and do so incorrectly may also put themselves at risk of injury or falling, ending up in the same predicament.
So it’s essential to know how to be prepared for a fall if one was to happen, know what to do if you fall, how to get up off the floor safely, and how to help someone who has fallen.
In this part, we are going to cover all of this.
CONTENTS OF PART 3:
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL
Below is a flow chart on what to do if you fall and find yourself on the ground.
I have made it so you can print this to have a copy you can refer to.
Click on the diagram below, download and print it, and familiarise yourself with it.
SHARE THIS SECTION with anyone who could benefit from it. It may save a life!
Steps to Take Following a Fall - Click to download and print
As you can see from the diagram, many scenarios can occur following a fall.
The best possible outcome of falling is not having any injuries and getting up safely. In this scenario, you should still tell your doctor just to make sure there is no injury you may have missed.
It's also important in all cases to understand why you had your fall, which your doctor will help uncover.
Take note of the red section on the right in the diagram above. This is a situation following a fall in which you are on the ground, injured or not, unable to get up, with no way to summon help.
This is where many problems following a fall arise, and it's a situation WE MUST AVOID BY HAVING APPROPRIATE MEASURES IN PLACE.
HOW TO REDUCE HARM AND SUMMON HELP IF YOU FALL
This step aims to ensure that if a fall occurs, you can get help as quickly as possible to minimise any secondary consequences.
We will go through some questions to ensure you're covered for most situations if you fall.
CAN YOU GET UP OFF THE FLOOR?
If you were to fall in your home (assuming no injuries), do you feel you could safely get back up off the floor?
You want to ensure you have the physical capabilities to get up off the floor if you were to have a fall. The best way to do this is through exercise and a healthy diet to improve your strength, balance and fitness.
We will cover how to get up off the floor safely below.
For various reasons, some of you reading this may have difficulty getting up off the floor, or if you were injured, you want to stay where you are until help arrives - to avoid further injury.
In these situations, it is VERY IMPORTANT to be prepared and able to summon help effectively.
IDENTIFYING SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE PUTTING YOU AT RISK
Are there walks or activities you undertake where it might be challenging to get up from the ground if you fall?
(An example could be: walking on your own through an open field, a sports oval or a walking track. In these places, there is nothing to hold onto).
If your answer was yes -
If you lack confidence in your physical capabilities to get up and you were to have a fall, in such a situation, the best thing you can do is find an alternate route to take to avoid this.
If you cannot recover in situations like this, you may be in a hazardous situation.
If this is a route that cannot be avoided, many actions can be taken to minimise the dangers, e.g.:
Do everything in this guide (all three parts).
Take your walking aid with you if you have one.
Tell a friend or family member where you are going.
Take your mobile phone with you and keep it handy.
In summary, if one of your activities or walking routes could put you in danger of falling, be prepared or, better still, change your activity (if possible) with a safer option.
HOW TO SUMMON HELP IF YOU FALL
If you were to fall and injure yourself, would you be able to get help in all situations?
Think of all areas of your house and the tasks you undertake, and determine how you would get help if you fell.
Here are ways to summon help in different situations:
a) In The House (Particularly the Bathroom):
Someone you live with (spouse, family member or roommate, neighbours, carers).
Telephone (cordless or mobile are best) - always kept charged and with you.
Pendant alarm.
c) Outside
Be sure there are people around; get to know your neighbours.
Mobile phone kept with you (pocket, bag or walking aid).
SUMMARY - WAYS TO SUMMON HELP:
People: Attract the attention of those around you (family, neighbours, friends etc.)
Landline Phone: Throughout your house in close reach, or always keep a cordless phone with you.
Mobile Phone: kept charged and with you, especially when outside.
A Pendant Alarm.
Note: Make sure phones are always within reach; cordless or mobile phones are best in the house or outside.
To safeguard yourself further, have a check-in system with a neighbour, friend or family member where you can check up with each other daily at a specific time.
BEING PREPARED: Creating A Falls Emergency Plan
At this stage, we've ensured there is a way to summon help if you fall.
This section will determine who to call if you fall and ways to quickly contact them.
WHO TO CALL
1. KNOW YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS OR NEIGHBOUR'S NUMBERS
The first step is to determine and know who you would call if you were to fall.
Right now, think of three people you would call if you were to have a fall.
You can put your answers in the action plan.
KEEP YOUR NUMBERS IN EASY ACCESS
1) If you have a landline phone, store the numbers of who you will call on the phone and know how to access the numbers quickly.
2) Keep a printout of your emergency contacts on or near each house phone.
3) Store emergency contact numbers on your mobile phone and know how to access and call them. If you don't know how to use your phone, take the time to do so.
2. KNOW YOUR EMERGENCY NUMBERS
I'm sure you know your local emergency numbers, but here are several, just to be certain!
Australia = 000
New Zealand = 111
The United States & Canada = 911
The United Kingdom = 999
From Any Mobile Phone - 112 (Anywhere in the World)
3. CONSIDER OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES
As previously mentioned, using your mobile phone or a pendant alarm are ways to call for help if fallen. Another way to quickly and easily summon help and stay safe is to use Smart Watches.
Apple Watch
Smartwatches, like the popular Apple Watch, track different components of your health and fitness. The features include step tracking, heart rate & oxygen saturation monitoring, sleep monitoring and much more.
Furthermore, the Apple Watch has inbuilt fall detection.
The Apple Watch fall detection is a life-saving feature that can help you if you fall. Using sensors, it can detect when you've fallen and automatically call for help to your nominated contact numbers if it detects that you're unresponsive.
Once enabled, the Apple Watch will continuously monitor your movement data to detect if you have fallen. If a fall is detected, the apple watch will vibrate and display an alert. You can choose to dismiss the alert or call emergency services.
Apple Watch - Fall Detection Screen
If you are unable to dismiss the alert or call emergency services, the apple watch will automatically call your emergency contacts and send them your location. The apple watch will also display your medical id so emergency responders can quickly get information about your medical conditions.
You can set up your medical ID in the health app of your iPhone. For further details on how to set up your medical ID on your Apple device, click here.
Apple Medical ID
Fall detection is on the watch automatically for people over 65 years old. If you're under 65 years old and want to turn on fall detection, you can do so in the settings app on your Apple Watch.
If you have an apple watch, click here for details on setting up the Apple Watch fall detection.
Another great feature of the apple watch is the voice control, where you can speak to your watch and call someone, e.g., "Hey Siri, call my daughter!" This feature could come in handy if you fall and want to call a family member or friend quickly. Click here for a link on how to use voice command.
If you're interested in purchasing an Apple Watch, click here to view them or head to your local Apple store. But note that the "Series 3" Apple watch does NOT have fall detection capabilities.
There are other smartwatches on the market with fall detection software.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL - HOW TO GET UP SAFELY AFTER A FALL
If you are on the ground after having a fall, how you react can cause more injuries than the fall itself. You want to make sure you know how to handle this situation!
The first step: DO NOT PANIC!
Your first instinct may be to get up as quickly as possible, especially if your fall is in public.
Avoid this instinct. STOP!... Take a deep breath…. Slow down! Relax.
It may also be the instinct of people around you to help you up immediately. Do not allow this.
Take another deep breath and assess your situation by asking these questions…
AM I HURT?
IF YES…
If you feel you could be hurt, other than minor cuts, scratches or bruises, DO NOT GET UP.
If there are people close by, call them for help or use your telephone, mobile phone or pendant alarm to summon help, as discussed in the previous sections.
Getting up from the ground when you are hurt (even with assistance) can cause further injury.
Ensure those who have come to your assistance have called for trained professionals (e.g. ambulance) and do not try to get you up.
The professionals are trained to deal with situations just like this.
WAIT FOR THE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS TO ARRIVE.
Wait for the ambulance - or in a nursing home, community setting, or similar - for the doctor, nurse or physiotherapist to assess you. Once you have summoned help, keep warm and comfortable the best you can.
[Continue on to step 2b]
IF NO…
If you do NOT have any injuries, ask yourself :
2) CAN I GET UP?
IF YES… Continue to 2A
IF NO… Continue to 2B
2A) I CAN GET UP: HOW TO SAFELY GET UP FROM THE FLOOR AFTER A FALL!
STEP 1:
Lying on your back. Relax, take another deep breath in and out.
Roll onto your side and tuck your elbow under.
Push into straight arms.
1. Lying on your back
2. Roll onto your side & tuck elbow under
3. Push into straight arms
STEP 2:
1. On straight arms, push your buttocks up and come onto your hands and knees into a crawl position.
2. In this position, you can crawl to furniture close by to assist you in getting up.
Push your buttocks up into crawl position.
STEP 3:
Crawl to furniture close by.
Use your hands to pull yourself up.
Slowly begin to rise, using your strongest leg first, one leg at a time,
Then your other leg.
Crawl to furniture close by and pull up into standing.
STEP 4:
Stand up.
Slowly twist around and sit on the chair.
Relax, settle and tell a friend or family member (and your doctor) that you have fallen.
Stand up and twist around into seated position.
VIDEO: HOW TO GET UP OFF THE FLOOR WHEN YOU HAVE FALLEN
How to get up off the floor after a fall
2B) I CAN'T GET UP: WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T GET UP
In a situation where you find you are unable to get up off the floor, ask yourself the following questions:
Can I Attract Attention?
The first thing to do is see if there may be anyone close by who may be able to come to your help.
Call out to someone near to assist you.
If you have your phone or pendant alarm on you, use it to get help.
If nobody is within close proximity and you don’t have your phone or pendant alarm on you, make loud noises in whatever way you can (e.g., if you use a walking stick, bang it on an object within reach), or call out as loud as you can to get the attention of those close by.
Attract the attention of someone for help.
CAN I GET COMFORTABLE?
If your calls for help go unanswered, it’s now time to make yourself comfortable (and warm) the best you can, as you may be in this position for some time until help arrives.
Use a nearby cushion, blanket, or a rolled-up piece of clothing and place it under your head as a pillow.
Can I Keep Warm?
You also want to keep yourself warm as best as you can.
Cover yourself with anything nearby - clothing, a blanket or a rug if possible.
Use items close by to get comfortable/warm.
Can I Keep Moving?
Change positions regularly to avoid pressure on certain areas and pressure sores (your skin breaking down).
Move all your joints to prevent stiffness and help with circulation.
If your bladder is to "let go," roll away from any wet areas.
Continue to keep making noise and yelling for help from time to time as someone may hear your calls.
Wait patiently and calm until help arrives. Help will arrive eventually. You will be ok!
Keep your body moving.
HOW TO ASSIST SOMEONE WHO HAS FALLEN
Here are some general guidelines that you can use to assist someone who has fallen get back on their feet.
Note before: NEVER attempt to pick the person up. This could lead to further injury to the person who has fallen, or yourself getting injured or being pulled to the floor with the person.
Your job is only to help guide them in getting up. It’s essential you allow the fallen person to do the work. Never at any moment lift the person’s weight.
Never try to get a person up if they are injured - call emergency services.
If the person is a resident in care, tell the staff immediately.
The first step is to relax and stay calm when a friend or loved one has fallen. Do not try and get the person up straight away. You can place a pillow or something soft under their head while you assess the situation.
Determine if the person is in pain. Ask them. If they have pain, determine where it is and the severity. Examine them for visible injuries like bleeding, bruises, broken bones or sprains.
If they are injured, call emergency services. While you wait, keep them comfortable and warm.
If they don’t have any pain or injuries, get them to move their arms and legs gently. If they still don’t report any pain and think they can get up, you will now guide them gently and slowly in getting up.
If they can’t perform any of the below steps at any time, get stuck, experience pain or become too tired - stop!
Gently prompt the person to roll onto their side into a side-lying position.
Now get two chairs which will be used to help get the person into a sitting position. Place one chair near their head and one chair near their feet.
Prompt the person to push up from the side-lying position onto their hand and forearm and then into a half-sitting position.
Now prompt the person to keep pushing up until they are in a crawl position, on all fours, facing the chair. If the person gets knee pain, you can place a cushion, towel or something soft under their knees to make this step more comfortable.
Direct the person to use the chair in front of them to help them get into a kneeling position on both knees. Only gently guide their movements.
Once on both knees, ask the person to bring one leg forward so they kneel on one leg with the other foot firmly on the floor. They should be in a kneeling lunge position with the chair in front of them and their hands on the chair, using it for support.
Now prompt them to push up with their arm and legs, using the chair in front of them to assist.
Once they are up, help guide them to sit on the chair behind them.
Examine again for injuries. Falls can be a scary experience and they will usually be in a heightened state. Encourage them to relax until they are feeling calmer before they try standing up and walking around.
Check the person can safely stand and walk before they are walking on their own.
Notify the person’s doctor of the fall and keep an eye out for any pain or signs of injury which may occur later.
SHOULD I TELL MY DOCTOR AFTER A FALL?
It is natural to want to downplay a fall after it has happened. It's common to think that a fall is an embarrassing indicator of decline or that it may now signal the need to rely on others for assistance. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
When you tell your doctor, they will check for any injuries you may have missed following the fall and assess your situation for the possible causes, which will help prevent future falls.
Yes, some changes may need to be made to ensure you prevent falls as much as possible. But all changes and measures taken by your doctor and other health professionals will be directed towards maintaining and improving your situation as best as possible for your ongoing independence.
Not telling your doctor may limit your independence in the long run as you may not get the appropriate support and interventions you require.
Don't just get up and shake it off… TELL YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ABOUT IT.
FINAL WORDS
And there we have it.
We have now covered everything required to decrease your risk of falling to a large extent and also prepare you if you were to fall.
If any new information comes up about falls, I will continue to update these pages so your falls prevention information is always up to date.
As you have seen in this guide, the thought of falling is scary, but many things can be done to prevent them. It does not have to affect your life. Do what needs to be done, and live your life as best you can.
For life is meant to be lived!
If you have any questions about falls, join the More Life Health Facebook Community. CLICK HERE to join.
For any updates and to ensure you are doing all you can to prevent falls, sign up to the More Life Health mailing list below. When you do, you'll be sent a free 4-week eBook to help you improve your health and fitness.
AND ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU GO: MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS FALLS PREVENTION SECTION.
Everyone over 60 should read this guide and be knowledgeable about falls. We all know falls are a huge problem.
Please share this article and the More Life Health website if you know anyone who would benefit from reading it.
It's now time to get out there and do everything that makes you happy.
Keep Active! Keep Happy! Keep Smiling!
- Mike
SOURCES
TO VIEW ALL SOURCES USED IN THIS ARTICLE AND FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, CLICK HERE.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FALLS PREVENTION FOR SENIORS - PART 1
Falls are NOT a normal part of ageing! They CAN be prevented!
Over my years working as a Physiotherapist specialising in seniors' health I have presented numerous times on falls prevention.
With falls being a huge problem facing everyone over the age of 65, I feel it's important to write this guide and get everything I know about preventing falls out to more seniors and do my bit in ending this problem.
THE GUIDE TO PREVENTING FALLS FOR OLDER ADULTS
As a Physiotherapist specialising in seniors' health, I have witnessed firsthand the harsh reality of falls.
Throughout my career, I have often been called upon as a first responder in aged care centres after someone has fallen, to assess for injuries, direct the appropriate response and help as needed.
I have also rehabilitated many patients following a fall-related injury, helping them improve their physical condition so they can return to independent functioning in their daily lives.
Furthermore, I have been heavily involved in falls prevention. This included implementing falls prevention plans and exercise programs in various settings while assessing thousands of patients' mobility, physical condition and falls risk.
Due to my expertise and experience, I have spoken numerous times at many nursing homes and community centres across Australia about how best to prevent falls.
With falls being a huge problem facing everyone over the age of 65, I felt it was important to write this guide about preventing falls and do my bit to further decrease this problem.
Before we get started and dive deep into how to prevent falls however, the first thing you must know is……. falls are NOT a normal or inevitable part of ageing!
I'll repeat... FALLS ARE NOT A NORMAL OR INEVITABLE PART OF AGEING!
Yes, falls ARE a huge problem facing older adults, but many things can be done to prevent them!
This doesn't mean avoiding everything you enjoy, everything fun, to ensure you don't fall…. NO!
Preventing falls simply means being aware and doing what's required to significantly reduce your risk of falling so you can go on living the life you want to.
Rather than ignoring this problem and putting it to the back of your mind in hopes that it won't happen to you or, in some cases, again, it's time to tackle this issue head-on, for good!
Once done, you can enjoy life as you wish in your golden years, without fear!
Now let’s get started preventing falls.
- Mike
[Note: To get the most out of this guide, make sure you spend the time to read it in its entirety. Once you have done this, you can skip through to any section by heading to the Falls Prevention main page and clicking on the appropriate links.
Also, please share this guide with anyone you feel would benefit from it, and make sure you sign up to the mailing list for a free exercise ebook, regular exercise videos for seniors, and more].
PART 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF FALLS PREVENTION
INTRODUCTION - HOW TO PREVENT FALLS
I like to think of preventing falls the same way we avoid a possible fire in our home or workplace.
We all have some risk of a fire occurring, especially when we cook, use electricity, iron, use the heater or get the fireplace going.
But what do we do to avoid a fire? We decrease our risk, and we decrease it A LOT!
Fire safety usually looks something like this:
STEP 1: We educate ourselves about the dangers of fire to ensure we remain aware.
STEP 2: We become aware of the risk factors of fire and eliminate them best we can, to prevent any fire from happening.
We prepare ourselves by undertaking proper fire safety. This includes keeping our house up to date with appropriate fire standards, e.g., installing smoke detectors, putting fire extinguishers or fire blankets around the place, familiarising ourselves with fire exits and knowing the emergency phone numbers.
We don't give up here; we take precautions to maintain fire safety to guard ourselves against a fire and put our minds at ease. This may include removing dry leaves from guttering during hot, dry periods, having the fire extinguishers checked as required or changing the battery on smoke alarms.
STEP 3: We still know there is always the chance of being caught in a fire even when we eliminate the risk. We make sure we know what to do if a fire breaks out. For example: get down low and GO, GO, GO! and call emergency!
We cover everything to decrease our risk of a fire happening and what to do to keep ourselves safe if one were to occur. We have done all we can.
We trust our plan. We trust our equipment. We trust ourselves and the fire service. We trust everything will be ok.
We don't sit around in a fireproof suit with a hose, waiting for a fire, all ready to go.
WE GO ON LIVING AND ENJOYING OUR LIVES WITHOUT WORRY!
This guide will take a similar approach to the fire prevention plan above to prevent falls. Carry on to the next section for the falls prevention plan.
THE FALLS PREVENTION PLAN
In PART 1 of this guide, we will go through the consequences of falls to ensure you remain aware and learn everything that could put you at risk of falling.
In PART 2: We will go through what changes to make and how to make these necessary changes to decrease your fall risk as much as possible. You will also work on becoming as healthy and in good physical condition as possible to help you prevent falls.
As it’s impossible to completely eliminate all risk of falling, there is always the chance that even if you have done everything you possibly could, you still fall. So we want to be prepared for this situation.
In PART 3, we cover how you can be prepared and what to do if you fall to handle the situation safely and effectively.
Once you have completed all parts of this guide, you will have peace of mind and confidence, knowing you have done everything possible to prevent falls, and be prepared.
Furthermore, you will get many added health benefits when you undertake what's set out in this guide. You will improve your physical abilities, you will be stronger, moving better, balancing better, you will be sleeping better, you will have decreased stress, you will feel better and much more!
WHY YOU SHOULD BEGIN PREVENTING FALLS TODAY
A FALL CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!
There was once a time I was walking through the dining room in a Residential Home, lost in thought about all the jobs I needed to get done before the day was out.
While rushing around the place deep in thought, I had failed to notice one of the cleaners had just mopped the floor.
I was also wearing shoes I shouldn't have been. The grips on the soles of my shoes were worn down. "I'll be right!" I thought to myself a few weeks earlier when I noticed the soles wearing thin. I liked these shoes, so I wasn't ready to replace them just yet.
It was lunchtime, and the room was packed with residents eating their lunch.
As I was walking through the room, suddenly I slipped. The next minute, I was down on the floor, on one knee in front of everyone.
I remember hearing one of the ladies shriek in fear, worried I'd been hurt and seeing other ladies jump when they saw it.
There was silence. Everyone was looking at me.
"Aren't you the guy that's meant to stop us from falling?" a man named Merv chimed in laughing, while I'm still down on one knee.
"I'm just stretching, Merv," I replied, jokingly, with a smirk on my face while faking a stretch.
Merv was right; I had fallen. The Physiotherapist, an expert on falls prevention, much younger than everyone else in the room, had fallen for all to see.
AND, this fall could have easily been prevented!
AND..... I knew my shoes were putting me at risk. It was not like these shoes were stopping me from replacing them or the slippery floor made me rush over it.
I just never thought it would happen to me.
A few of the ladies asked me if I was ok. I was fine, luckily. Not a scratch.
I got back up and got on with what I was doing.
Whoa, close call! That could have been much worse.
Luckily, I was young with good physical capabilities. If not, this could well have been a different story.
Most of us assume that an incident won't occur to us. We usually think, "that just happens to other people".
But, A FALL CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!
This story is to highlight the importance of falls prevention. Take falls prevention seriously, because you could fall too!
THE FACTS ABOUT FALLS
Roughly 30-50% of people over the age of 65 are at risk of falling; this risk increases to the higher end (50%) as we continue to age [1].
Once over 65 and having already fallen, this risk increases again [1].
Our falls risk increases for many reasons as we get older (covered below). Combine this with bones becoming weaker, our muscle mass decreasing and usually less fat covering our bones, the chances of a falls-related injury are increased and injuries sustained are usually more severe.
The most common injuries are fractures, with hip fractures being the most serious and occurring more commonly in women [2].
Furthermore, our recovery time following an injury increases as we get older, taking longer to get us back to where we once were.
Now, don't be too alarmed. The primary physical injuries - broken bones, cuts and knocks to the head occur in only a small percentage of falls. Most falls result in only minor cuts and bruises, if that.
But they can also be frightening and an unwanted fall cycle can be triggered, affecting life in other ways [See Diagram below].
From the above diagram, a fear of falling can develop after a fall.
Due to this fear of falling, physical activity is usually undertaken less (or in some cases avoided), leading to decreased physical abilities. Consequently, the risk of falling is further increased.
The cycle continues, and it becomes increasingly difficult to undertake the activities required for daily living.
As you can see, falls have both physical and mental effects. They can cause injury and disrupt quality of life in a big way.
You may have also read or heard the very scary statistics or some horror stories about falls and associated fractures, which can compound this fear of falling. I won't go into these statistics. A simple search will find them.
Yes, these statistics can be frightening, and we must do all that is possible to ensure we prevent falls, which is 100% possible. However, there is no need to get caught up in these statistics surrounding falls.
In my career as a Physiotherapist, I have helped rehabilitate hundreds, after a fall, and it is very rare someone does not make a full recovery. Those that don't are usually much older and/or frail and tend to have limited cognitive abilities.
Worrying about the dangers of falls is impractical for preventing them.
Any fears causing you to avoid movement or certain activities are holding you back from living life and making progress in preventing falls. These fears usually require more than just an understanding to overcome. However, they are possible to be overcome and you can make big progress.
Overcoming the fear of falls is complex, I have written an article covering it a little, and how to overcome it here: OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF FALLING
You can get to the bottom of why you are falling and improve these areas of your life causing your falls. These improvements will help prevent any more falls.
You want to be doing everything to ensure you're not avoiding any movement or activities in your life, but of course, taking precautions if/and where necessary.
It starts by changing your focus from avoiding falls to doing what's required each day, getting yourself in the best physical and mental shape to prevent falls and eliminating or minimising the factors putting you at risk (discussed next section).
This Falls Prevention article aims to help you to continue living your life the way YOU want to and doing what's required to prevent falls. This is the key to a good falls prevention plan and the key to overcoming falls.
From this point onward, we will stop focusing on the scary what-ifs of a fall. Instead, we will focus on the things within your power that CAN be changed to prevent falls, which we will cover in this article, and we will start putting these into action.
To do this, let’s now take a look at what could put you at risk of falling.
What’s Putting You at Risk of Falling - Risk Factors For Falls
To prevent falls, it's important to be aware of the different factors that could be putting you at risk of falling [1, 2, 3, 4].
Once identified, every risk should be eliminated or minimised, one by one. We will discuss all the risk factors in greater depth in the upcoming sections.
Factors that could be putting you at risk of falling are:
Physical Changes
Decreased physical abilities (e.g., decreased vision, decreased balance, strength, proprioception and gait issues)
Chronic health conditions (e.g., vertigo, arthritis, dementia, diabetes, incontinence, stroke)
Behaviours
Risk-taking behaviours out of one’s capabilities
Lack of awareness of one’s own risk of falls - cognitive decline
Fear of falling leading to avoidance behaviours
Habits
Lack of activity/exercise
Poor sleep patterns
Inadequate nutrition
Alcohol abuse
General lifelong habits which now pose a risk
The Environment Around You
Hazards around the home (indoors and outside)
Other indoor and outdoor risk factors
These hazards above include trip and slip hazards, uneven surfaces, poor lighting or glare and no handrails on stairs or grabrails in bathroom
Medications
Certain types of medication (and quantity of medication) pose a fall risk
Clothing/Equipment
Loose-fitting, long or baggy clothing
Footwear - worn, incorrectly fitted or not appropriate for the foot (e.g., heels)
Wrong or incorrectly fitted mobility aid
Not using mobility aid or other assistive equipment prescribed by Physiotherapist/Occupational Therapist
In the next chapters, we will look at eliminating or minimising these risk factors, so your falls risk decreases by a large extent.
Here is a diagram that sums up the risk factors of falling. Have a read and see if any could be putting you at risk of a fall.
Falls Risk Factors
Now we have identified the risk factors that could be putting you at risk of falling. It’s now time to start working on eliminating the risk factors to prevent falls.
We will cover all you can do to prevent falls, including exercise and more in the next section, PART 2: 10 STEPS TO PREVENT FALLS FOR GOOD
SOURCES
TO VIEW ALL SOURCES USED IN THIS ARTICLE AND FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, CLICK HERE.
THE STEADY SENIOR: The Complete Guide To Great Balance Over 60
Training balance is a great way to achieve your health and fitness goals, to prevent falls and keep you getting the most out of life. In this article you'll LEARN what is necessary to improve your balance (PART 1), How to test your balance in your own home (PART 2) and everything you need to improve your balance (PART 3) all in the comfort of your home.
FIRST PUBLISHED: 22/5/2017. LAST UPDATED: 10/2/2024
Good balance is essential to keep you steady on your feet, prevent falls and ensure you get the most out of life!
With good balance, you can go about your days effortlessly!
As we get older, however, it's common for our balance to worsen, which means life becomes harder (and not to mention more dangerous)!
But, BALANCE IS A SKILL! A SKILL THAT CAN BE RE-TRAINED AT ANY AGE!
And,
YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE, NO MATTER YOUR CURRENT CAPABILITIES!
In this guide, I will teach you all you need to improve your balance, show you how you can test your current balance and give you all that is required to begin balance training and keep you balancing well, for life!
All in the comfort of your own home!
You don't need special equipment, and you don't need to join a gym.
It's easy, and it can be enjoyable.
Oh, and by applying what's in this guide, not only will you build great balance, the same exercises help you get stronger, fitter, look better, feel better and increase your confidence!
We are going to make some real progress!
So let's get balancing well!
WHAT WE WILL COVER IN THIS GUIDE:
PART 1: ALL ABOUT BALANCE FOR SENIORS
1.2 HOW YOUR BODY KEEPS YOU UPRIGHT
1.3 WHY BALANCE WORSENS WITH AGE
PART 2: HOW TO TEST YOUR BALANCE
2.1 EQUIPMENT TO IMPROVE AND TEST YOUR BALANCE
2.3 HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR BALANCE
PART 3: HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE OVER 60
STEP 2: DO SPECIFIC BALANCE EXERCISES
THE BEST BALANCE EXERCISES FOR SENIORS
STEP 3: ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOURSELF
STEP 4: HOW TO BE MORE MINDFUL
Before we get started, remember, this guide will only help you if you apply these strategies. Just reading what's here and trying the exercises maybe once will not help you improve your balance.
If you want to improve your balance, read the article and undertake what's set out in this article.
Pledge to incorporate at least 5-10 minutes of balance work into your life a few times each week. Make it simple. Make it fun!
To make it easy for you; I create workouts for mailing list subscribers. So make sure you join up!
PART 1. ALL ABOUT BALANCE FOR SENIORS
1.1 WHAT IS BALANCE
If you had to guess what balance is, most would probably guess something along the lines of “being able to stand upright, without falling”.
Which is good, and all you need to know! However, a better definition is this:
“BALANCE is the ability to maintain the line of gravity of a body (vertical line from the centre of mass) within the base of support with minimal postural sway” [1].
Let’s break this definition down, so it’s easier to understand.
When you gain a better understanding of balance, you know why we do the exercises to improve balance and why we could, or do, fall.
Diagram 1: To lose balance my sway has to move past my limits of stability.
1) Centre of Mass – The easiest way to think of our centre of mass is the point where our weight is concentrated most (orange circle in diagram 1). The lower our centre of mass, the easier it is to stay balanced.
2) Base of Support (BOS) - The area beneath a person that includes every point of contact that the object or person makes with the supporting surface [2, 3].
In this photo (yellow line), my feet are together- a reduced base of support, which means less stability.
A wider base of support increases our stability.
Standing with our feet apart makes standing a whole lot easier because it increases our stability.
Using a cane or a walker makes us sturdier, why? Because we have increased our base of support by increasing the area within the support surface (that being the floor).
3) Sway - The horizontal movement (red arrows at the top of diagram 1) between each side of the centre of gravity (green line) even when a person is standing still [1].
What happens when we are trying to balance in challenging positions? We sway from side to side.
Here is another picture to help you understand everything a little better:
Diagram 2: By standing on one leg my base of support is decreased. Less sway is required for me to become unstable and lose balance.
By decreasing our base of support, (standing on one leg), we decrease stability. It is much easier to sway outside of the limits of stability (blue lines). It now becomes easier for us to lose balance and fall.
We can also decrease the base of support in exercises, to make them more challenging, which, over time, will help improve balance.
To increase our base of support, we can hold onto the chair in front of us to provide more stability and lessen our chance of falling.
There are two types of balance; static balance and dynamic balance.
1) Static Balance - The ability to balance while at rest, e.g., standing still on the spot. (The diagrams above are examples of static balance.)
2) Dynamic Balance - The ability to balance while moving, e.g., walking or reaching forward.
Both types of balance are equally important and both need to be practised to have great balance.
Your aim should be to become as stable as possible by doing balance exercises consistently, without having to rely on any assistive devices (walker, cane, etc.).
An aim that is entirely possible by putting in the work of doing the correct balance exercises.
[Note: Only stop using an assistive device if it is safe to do so. Always get a professional opinion to decide on this].
1.2. HOW OUR BODY KEEPS US UPRIGHT
So how does our body keep us upright? Notice I didn't say "how do we stay upright?"! That's because balance is usually an automatic process (unless compromised in some way).
For every task we undertake, our body automatically receives information from our senses. This information is from our muscles, joints, ligaments and other sensory receptors such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
Sensory information also comes from our visual system (our eyes) and our vestibular system (our ears).
This sensory information is sent to our Central Nervous System (CNS) to be processed.
The CNS then cues our musculoskeletal system (system for our muscles, bones, ligaments, joints) into action to perform the appropriate movement.
When we are walking (or undertaking any other tasks), our central nervous system continually sends signals to our musculoskeletal system.
If we were to come across uneven terrain or obstacles or were to trip, for example, during our walk, our musculoskeletal system will receive the information via our CNS and make the correct postural adjustments to maintain our balance and keep us from falling.
This is an automatic process that all happens very, very fast, but slows as we age!
As this process slows, combined with the loss of other factors, e.g., decreased leg strength or proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body), it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain balance.
When you train balance and improve balance, this process becomes more effective, ensuring you stay on your feet.
Decreased eyesight (or closing your eyes) or conditions of the inner ear (vertigo, Meniere's disease, ear infections, or prolonged dizziness), also affect balance.
Additionally, certain medications and hypotension (low blood pressure) - leading to dizziness and lightheadedness - can also affect our balance.
1.3 WHY BALANCE WORSENS WITH AGE
As I mentioned above, the process of maintaining our balance slows or deteriorates as we age.
There are factors out of our control that we must accept.
That is, changes in our body (physiological changes) do happen because of ageing itself. We will never be like our young 20, or 30-year-old selves.
However, the good news is, the primary contributor to these physiological changes is not due to ageing in itself, but because we do less as we age.
As we start reaching adulthood, the pressures of life take hold, and we find ourselves with more obligations.
We also get into some poor habits (e.g., sit more often in lousy postures), and we do less and less activity.
A lot of us put these physical changes we see (such as decreased balance, posture and strength, etc.) down to ourselves getting older.
However, the majority of the time, these changes occur because we do less activity throughout the years.
It’s simply because we sit more and move less, that we see a lot of these changes in our physical condition.
We are creatures of comfort designed to do what is most comfortable and, after time, it becomes increasingly difficult to do more activity.
These physical changes we see from lack of use include:
Generalised weakness throughout the body.
A generalised decrease in fitness (our whole body becoming less fit, leading to faster muscle fatigue and shortness of breath).
Decline in posture, changing our centre of mass.
Decreased reaction time.
Decreased balance.
It’s time to accept that the main reason staying active and upright has become tougher and you are not moving as well as you could be is not because of ageing itself but because we have progressively done less and less activity.
You must get it out of your head that decreased balance and, also falls, are a normal part of ageing. This is a myth.
Your BALANCE CAN BE IMPROVED, and FALLS CAN BE PREVENTED
Now that we know this, we should do everything in our power from now on to improve our balance and keep it that way for the many benefits it will bring us.
PART 2: TESTING YOUR BALANCE
You do not need to go to a Professional (e.g., a Physiotherapist) or join a gym to get your balance tested.
You DO, however, have to be careful and take the correct steps for safety reasons.
And... You can also get a more comprehensive test when getting your balance tested by a professional. It is also a good idea so you can rule out any vestibular or visual issues as the cause of any balance problems.
However, when done safely (with a helper and the correct equipment), testing your balance at home is a great way to take your health into your own hands and start making changes.
I've chosen some simple tests you can do to test your balance, and I'll show you how to do them as safely as possible, in the comfort of your own home.
2.1 HOW TO TEST YOUR BALANCE
There are many tests we can use to measure balance.
The aim of testing your balance is to get a rough guide on how well you can balance, and then use these measures as a guide of progress after doing balance training.
I have chosen four tests to give you a rough guide of your balance.
However, before we get into the tests, there is some basic equipment you will need:
EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED:
To test and train your balance sufficiently, I recommend the following:
· A tape measure
· Masking tape - Preferably coloured as it is easier to see.
· Timer - You can use the timer on your mobile phone.
· Chair – Standard chair with arms. Not a couch.
· Sturdy piece of furniture - (e.g., kitchen bench, rail, etc.).
· A Wall.
· A helper – grab a family member, friend, exercise partner, whoever to help take measures.
BALANCE TESTS
Now let's get into the testing.
TEST 1 - FOUR POINT BALANCE TEST
Equipment For Test: You will need a timer and a chair
Details of Test:
This first test is a test of our static balance (balance while stationary). This test will challenge your balance in four increasingly difficult foot positions.
How To Perform The Test (photos below):
1. Standing next to the back of a chair or a rail or sturdy piece of furniture, (e.g., kitchen bench) for safety reasons.
2. Starting by holding onto the chair and taking up the first foot position of the test (see below).
3. When you are ready, take your hands off the chair and start the timer.
Do this test without holding onto the chair.
4. During the test, you can move your arms to retain balance (holding onto the surface if required). Once your feet move out of position, the test is stopped and the time recorded in the chart below.
5. If you can safely manage the position for 30 seconds, you can continue on to the next challenging foot position and continue until the final (4th) foot position.
Alternate feet for the single feet stances.
6. Record your results in the table following this section.
NOTE: If you are unable to manage 30 seconds for this foot position, stop the test and record your time.
If you are unable to maintain 30 seconds for foot positions 1 and 2, keep practising these movements, train these movements each day, until you can safely manage 30 seconds for each before continuing.
If you are not improving, see your doctor or Physiotherapist for a more personalised program.
FOOT POSITION 1) Feet Side by Side:
Feet as close together as possible, side by side.
Chair or rail close by for safety reasons.
Hold for 30 seconds, or as long as possible.
If you can hold for 30 seconds, safely move on to the next position.
FOOT POSITION 2) Semi Tandem Stance:
Standing with the big toe of one foot in the arch of the other.
Toes facing forward.
Chair or rail close by for safety reasons.
Hold for 30 seconds, or as long as possible.
If you can hold for 30 seconds, safely move on to the next position.
Alternate Feet.
FOOT POSITION 3) Tandem Stance
Standing with heel on one foot touching toes on other.
Chair or rail close by for safety reasons
Hold for 30 seconds, or as long as possible.
If you can hold for 30 seconds, safely move on to the next position.
Alternate Feet.
FOOT POSITION 4) Single Leg Stance
Standing on one leg.
Chair or rail close by for safety reasons
Hold for 30 seconds, or as long as possible.
If you can hold for 30 seconds, safely move on to the next position.
Alternate Feet.
Understanding Your Results:
Scoring 30 seconds on each test means your balance is good for this test.
No matter your capabilities, you can always be improving. To do this, you must challenge your balance even further by making the balance training harder (discussed later).
There is always work we can do.
Scoring less than 30 seconds on any of the tests, do not be hard on yourself; it just means you need to be practising your balance more so.
Do not be concerned if you score less on one side compared to the other side (i.e., your left foot vs your right foot); this is common.
If you are over 60 and score less than 10 seconds on the tandem stand, you are at increased risk of falling.
No matter your results, write them down with an aim to improve them after your training period.
TEST 2 - STANDING REACH TEST
Equipment For Test: You will need a chair, a bare wall, a tape measure and a helper for safety reasons.
Note before: You can stick a tape measure on the wall to make this easier for you.
Details of Test:
The standing reach test is used to assess our balance when standing and reaching for objects [4].
How To Perform The Test:
1. Standing perpendicular to a wall, place a piece of tape on the wall at the level of your shoulder. This is to reference your start position.
2. Keep a chair within reach for safety reasons.
3. Now stand perpendicular to the piece of tape and roughly 15 cm from the wall, facing straight ahead and feet hip-width apart.
4. Now with the arm closest to the wall, lift your arm to 90 degrees, parallel to the floor. Keep your hand in a fist and stay relaxed, with your feet or torso not moving out of position.
Mark the position of your knuckle on the wall, with a piece of tape. This is the start position (position A).
5. Now reach out in front of you as far as safely possible, keeping your arm parallel to the floor.
Ensure you remain balanced without your feet coming out of position. This is the final reach position (position B).
6. When you have reached out as far as you can, have the person helping you mark where the knuckle of your fist is with a piece of tape.
Ensure you don't overreach and lose your balance.
A - B = Reach Distance
7. Using the tape measure, measure the distance from the two tape points and record the results in the table following this section.
8. Complete a practice run and then have three attempts of this test.
9. Average the results of the three tests and record your results for later use.
Understanding Your Results:
Scoring less than 18.5 cm indicates you have an increased risk of falling.
No matter your results, write them down with an aim to improve them after your balance training.
TEST 3 - TIMED UP AND GO (TUG TEST)
Equipment For Test: Chair, Tape Measure, Tape, Helper
Details of Test:
The TUG is another test of our balance and our mobility.
In this test, you will stand from a chair, walk 3 metres over a line, turn around, walk back to the chair and sit down.
How To Perform The Test (photos below):
1. Ensure you have a friend or family member with you to help you with this test.
A friend can take a more accurate reading of the time it takes you to do the test and, additionally, if your balance is not so good, it’s good to have them there for safety reasons.
As with all balance tests, ensure they do not assist you with any parts of the test, but it is a good idea to have them standing alongside you.
2. Place your chair in an open area of your house, on flat ground without any obstacles or trip hazards in the way.
3. Using your tape measure, mark 3 metres from the chair and place a piece of tape to mark this spot.
4. Start seated in the chair, with your hands on the armrests and back against the backrest.
5. Your helper will say “GO” and will start the timer. You are to stand from the chair, walk to the line, turn around, walk back to the chair and then sit back down. Walk at your normal pace.
6. Once your buttocks have touched the chair, the test is complete, and your helper will stop the timer.
7. Complete a practice run of the test to get the hang of the test but give adequate rest before the scoring test to ensure you are not tired.
8. Perform this test twice and average your results.
Note: If you usually use a walking aid of some sort (for example walking stick, walker), use this during the test.
Understanding Your Results:
Studies have shown that if your time is over 13.5 seconds, you may be at a greater risk of falling [5].
No matter your results, write them down with an aim to improve them with balance training.
TEST 4 - Sit to Stand For Five Test
Equipment Needed For Test: A Chair, A Timer, A Helper.
Details of Test:
This test is used to test our lower limb strength and power. It is a functional test as sitting and standing from a chair is something we do many times during the day.
This test measures how long it takes you to stand up and sit down five times.
How To Perform Test:
1. Have a helper to time you or hold the timer in your hand.
2. Start seated on the chair.
3. You’re going to time how long it takes you to stand up and sit down [You will start the test (and the timer) as soon as your buttocks leave the chair. And stop the timer (finish the test) when your buttocks are on the chair after the fifth stand].
4. Place your arms across your chest, not holding onto the armrests. Feet hip-width apart.
[If you need to hold onto the armrests, this is fine. However, note it down. You will most probably find after training and improving your balance and strength you will not need to hold on anymore.]
5. When standing up - ensure your knees and hips are straight, and the back of the knees aren’t touching the chair.
6. Ensure when you sit down it is in a controlled manner, not flopping down into the chair.
7. Practice one stand and sit before commencing the five attempts, to get the hang of the test, but do not tire yourself.
7. Perform this test and record all results for later use.
Understanding Your Results:
The normal measures for age ranges are as follows [6]:
60 to 69 years old: 11.4 seconds to complete the test.
70 to 79 years old: 12.6 seconds to complete the test.
80 to 89 years old: 14.8 seconds to complete the test.
No matter your results, even if you can’t perform one sit to stand. Write it down with an aim to improve them after training your balance.
2.3 TRACKING YOUR BALANCE
When you start performing balance exercises consistently, you will begin feeling the differences in many ways.
You'll be more confident going about your day and movement will be effortless.
However, if you are super keen and want to track how much you are improving with your balance, I have created a table to help you track your results. To download this table, click the button under the video below.
After training (next section), you can then retest and compare your results to see how you are progressing.
If you found you had some trouble with these tests, this is fine. These tests are only a guide to check your balance and track your progress.
On the other hand, some of you may find the tests very easy and scored quite well in them.
Great. It means your balance is at a level where you can function well in your day-to-day life. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't do balance exercises.
No matter what stage you are at with your balance, there are always ways to challenge yourself and be improving. With exercise comes many benefits.
For an easy to follow balance tracking video, watch the video below.
Also, you can track and record your balance by downloading the below.
Now we’ve got an idea of where your balance is at, let’s now start improving your balance!
PART 3: HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE FOR SENIORS
STEP 1 - GET MOVING
The first and most important step in improving our balance and our quality of life is to get active. You need to get off the couch and get your body moving.
Movement is health. Movement is medicine.
Being active or exercising doesn't have to be boring or a chore.
Do what you can to make it easy. Do what you can to make it fun. Do whatever it takes to ensure you'll stick to moving more. Consistency is what's most important.
Go for a walk in nature, go for a swim, try a new activity if you can (examples - Tai Chi, lawn bowls, ten pin bowling, aqua aerobics, golf, tennis) the ideas are limitless, just get moving, within your capabilities.
My recommendation is to go walking every day outdoors for at least 10 minutes.
Have fun with it. Mix it up. Go on different walks. Attempt different terrains. Walk up stairs. Down stairs. Walk on grass or in shallows, and sand of your local beach. Go bushwalking. Walk faster. Slower.
Have fun and find the inner child we all have inside of us. Get outdoors and enjoy what mother nature has to offer.
Don't get carried away and do too much too soon, however. Don't try anything out of your capabilities.
If you're walking up many stairs for the first time in a long time, take breaks, use the rail and ask a friend or family member to come along for safety and to have some company. Take your walking aid if you need to.
Hurting yourself or falling would make both of us unhappy.
So make sure you slowly progress your walks, mix it up and continue to challenge yourself each week.
Yes, you're at higher risk of falling by getting off the couch, but done safely and when you enjoy the activity, you stay consistent.
There are many reasons why staying active is essential for better balance and better physical health.
You are training your heart which will make you fitter; you are training all the muscles in your body which will make you stronger (even the little ones that help with balance), you are ensuring your joints don't stiffen up, you are training your body to respond to different terrains. You will be decreasing your falls risk and improving your balance.
START NOW!
Get the all-clear from your doctor and begin with at least 10 minutes a day of some physical activity that you enjoy. Only 10 minutes, you can do it!
Always be thinking of ways you can incorporate more activity, or exercise, into your life.
STEP 2 - DO SPECIFIC BALANCE EXERCISES
Now we are moving more; we are going to incorporate some balance exercises into our life to directly improve our balance.
When performing these exercises, ensure you focus on proper technique; this is the golden rule for any exercise.
Quality is more important than how many of the exercises you can do, how fast you do them or how much weight you lift (if doing some resistance training).
With that in mind, if you feel the exercises do not feel right, causing pain or at first sign of fatigue, stop them.
You want to ensure you are performing the exercises correctly, working within your capabilities and, at the same time, challenging yourself, so you are getting the most out of the exercises and hence, improving your abilities.
THE BEST BALANCE EXERCISES FOR SENIORS
Specific balance exercises are essential to improve your balance and you want to be performing the best exercises to make greater improvements in a shorter time.
CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST BALANCE EXERCISES FOR SENIORS
Make sure you have read this entire article, from the beginning, before progressing to these next steps.
Additionally, for videos you can follow along with to improve your balance, head to the balance section of this website (click here) and follow along with the balance videos.
STEP 3 - ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOURSELF
For some of you, performing these balance exercises may be too difficult. For others, they could be too easy.
A one size fits all program is not possible. We are all unique people with different capabilities.
The good news is, by understanding more about your balance and your base of support, you can modify the exercises to make them easier or more challenging depending on your capabilities.
Remember that if we increase our base of support, we are more stable. When we decrease our base of support, we are less stable.
If any of the exercises are too hard and you find yourself swaying too much, we can take it back a little and make it easier by increasing our base of support.
If you find the exercises are too easy, it’s time to make them harder, to challenge yourself.
Always take note of your support base for each exercise as it’s a good way to see how much we can progress and improve each week.
Here are some ways to vary our base of support to make it easier and harder.
Each variation starts at less challenging to more challenging:
Using Walking Aid: e.g. - Walker, Four Point Cane, Single Point Cane
Change Upper Body Supports: e.g. - Two Hands, One Hand, One Finger, No Hands
Change Feet Position: e.g. - Legs Wider Apart, Legs Closer Together, Semi Tandem, Tandem, Single Leg Stance
Change Surface: e.g. - Stable Ground, Foam Pad, Pillow, Cobble Surface, Wobble Board
Other ways we can challenge our exercises are by:
Challenging our hearing systems (vestibular) and visual systems.
Challenging Hearing System – Turn Head from side to side.
Challenging the Visual System – Close Eyes.
Add challenges/tasks: e.g., catching a ball, solving problems, holding a glass of water, turning your head, adding resistance bands or dumbbell, adding a foam board.
Examples:
If you find the single-leg stance too easy, you can close your eyes or turn your head to each side during the exercise. This will make it more challenging.
You can also add in a pillow or a foam board.
If you are finding the single-leg stance too hard, you can make the exercise easier by holding on with one hand and working up to the time required.
STEP 4 - HOW TO BE MORE MINDFUL
I want you to think for a second and tell me, are you one to lose things?
Are you easily forgetful? Have you been known to be clumsy? Bump into things?
If so, I hate to break it to you, but you have a busy mind.
When our minds are busy, we are less present, and we tend to do careless things.
We've always got bruises because we bump into things. We can never find our wallet or keys. We trip because we didn't see that garden hose in front of us.
We are away with the fairies and mindfulness is our tool to bring us back.
Mindfulness is not usually something thought of when trying to improve our balance.
However, it is something I want you to really think about and take seriously.
Mindfulness techniques are growing in popularity, and it's not just a modern trend. There is increasing evidence of the benefits of mindfulness to wellness and other areas of life. In short, it works.
As with everything else I've mentioned on your journey to good balance, you must ensure you are doing what you can to decrease stress and have a clear head/calm mind, every day.
Stress directly affects our balance.
Higher stress levels can cause a decrease in balance performance. Additionally, many patients report an increase in dizzy symptoms during periods of stress.
In a calmer mind, there is less resistance; we are stronger, everything feels easier. When we have a busy mind, everything is harder.
Calm the mind, and we become more aware of our body and our environment around us. Our balance improves and our chances of falling will decrease.
It took me a long time to get into meditation myself to decrease stress. Once I began, stayed consistent and noticed results, I got hooked.
Consistency is the key to any mindfulness practice and 10 minutes is the perfect place to start.
I recommend 10 minutes of meditation each day from now on. You will still get improvements in balance without the meditation and by just doing the exercises; but if you want to make improvements in all areas of your life, this is a great tool to improve your health.
MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES:
There are plenty of apps and guided meditations online.
Alternatively, here is a mindfulness technique you can use:
When alert, not sleepy, sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor. Get comfortable but do not lay down. You don't want to fall asleep.
Set a timer for 5-10 minutes of undistracted time. No distractions, whatsoever. Complete focus. I meditate for 20-minute sessions, but when I first started, I did 10 minutes for quite some time. When you start seeing the benefits and enjoying meditation, you will want to increase the time you sit down.
Play soothing music or sit in silence during your session. A simple YouTube search can help with this.
Ok, now you're ready to go. Start by taking a deep breath all the way in through the nose, and all the way out through the mouth. Repeat this five times with your eyes open
It's now time to close your eyes.
Now take slow controlled breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Nice and slow. Continue these slow, controlled breaths.
Continue to focus on the breath. Your mind will wander, this is ok. Do your best to bring your attention back to the body, focusing on relaxing all areas of your body and letting go of any tension or resistance.
Once you start to feel yourself relaxing, shift your focus to the top of the head and slowly move your attention all the way throughout the body, to your feet and back. Focus on relaxing each and every part of your body.
Repeat with the focus on your breath and relaxing all areas of your body for the time set.
Note: It does not need to be perfect. Don't worry if you are struggling. Sit in silence, relax and just enjoy the quiet time. Over time, you will get better.
If you are having a difficult time concentrating, spend the first couple of sessions (maybe a week) just sitting down in silence and processing your thoughts. Listen to them; let them go.
This whole process will get easier with consistency, so vow to make it a daily habit, and you WILL see the results.
ENDING NOTE
There we have it, the guide to improving your balance.
By incorporating all these strategies into your life, you'll begin seeing significant changes in your balance. Stay consistent with the exercises, and it won't be long before you have great balance and are doing more each day, getting more out of life and also decreasing your falls risk.
Good luck on your journey to better balance!
- Mike
SUMMARY TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE
To ensure you are on your way to great balance and to make sure you have covered everything, tick the boxes below when done.
🔲 Learn what's necessary to improve your balance.
🔲 Test your balance.
🔲 Include more physical activity in your daily life.
🔲 Perform balance exercises weekly (preferably daily) and make sure you follow along with my exercise videos.
🔲 Become more mindful daily.
🔲 Ensure you are eating and sleeping well.
🔲 Challenge yourself with your balance as you make progress, be patient and stay consistent.
Do you need to improve your balance?
Have you improved your balance by performing these exercises?
I’d love to hear from you.
Leave a comment below, or join the More Life Health Facebook Support Group.
SOURCES
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The Pain Series: Part 4 - Overcoming Pain
“Pain is an opinion on the organism's state of health rather than a mere reflexive response to injury. The brain gathers evidence from many sources before triggering pain”
~ Leading Neuroscientist - V.S. Ramachandran
In the last article of ‘The Pain Series' (Part 3: Managing Pain) we had a look at different ways to manage our pain.
We also identified that in chronic pain we must go beyond managing pain and look to overcome it.
In this article, we are going to do exactly that! I'm going to give you the tools to start overcoming your pain!
PART 4: OVERCOMING PAIN
"Pain is an opinion on the organism's state of health rather than a mere reflexive response to injury. The brain gathers evidence from many sources before triggering pain."
~ Leading Neuroscientist - V.S. Ramachandran
In the last article of 'The Pain Series' (Part 3: Managing Pain), we had a look at different ways to manage pain.
We also identified that in chronic pain, we must go beyond managing pain and look to overcome it.
In this part, we are going to do exactly that! I'm going to give you the tools to start overcoming your pain!
Now, in the majority of cases, pain can be overcome by stopping what is aggravating the area and by strengthening areas of your body that are weak and unstable, and improving mobility in areas that have tightened up.
However, sometimes improving your movement through strengthening and mobility work is not enough, and the pain still exists. This is when more is needed beyond exercises, which we will cover in this part.
Some of these tools presented here to start overcoming your pain may sound outlandish. You are probably going to be thinking, “how can something like this work?”.
It goes against everything you know about pain! And it really does take a new way of thinking.
But if you truly want to OVERCOME your pain, it’s time you put any scepticism aside and do what’s set out in this article.
We've seen in Part 1 and Part 2 of this email series that pain is different from what is traditionally believed, so it's time we take a different approach to overcome it!
From now on, your health becomes your priority, and it's up to you to make this happen!
Most of the steps to be healthy and overcome pain take an active approach. There is no magic pill, no cream, no heat pack, no new massage technique, or no new gadget.
No doctor or pill is going to make you get up and move more. No doctor or pill is going to put healthy food in your mouth and not let the bad stuff in. No doctor or pill can make the required changes in your life for the better.
If you really want to be pain-free, although a Doctor or another Health Professional can guide you, it's up to you to do the necessary work to be a happier, healthier you!
It does take some daily work, but it's work not only for overcoming pain but for better health and all the benefits that come with it. A stronger, healthier body. A less stressed, healthier mind. Moving better, looking better, feeling better and getting more out of each day!
When you start seeing improvements in all areas of your life, you'll see the worth in it.
Now, let’s get into it.
STEP 1: SHIFTING OUR VIEWS AND FOCUS
To do this, as we touched on earlier, we must shift our focus away from the pain and any 'abnormalities' we may have and shift it towards our health and wellness.
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL # 1: CHANGING VIEWS ON PAIN
The first step in overcoming pain is changing the way we view our pain.
Here are eight new beliefs to hold, which will help you see your pain in a different light and help overcome it.
EIGHT NEW BELIEFS ON PAIN
My pain CAN be overcome.
To be pain-free, It's up to me!
Pain is formulated in my brain, not where I'm hurting most.
What is seen in medical imaging is NOT the cause of my pain.
If I'm hurting, it does not necessarily mean I am doing damage to my body.
Avoidance of activity is not the answer.
Pain is NOT a normal symptom of ageing.
It's NOT the end of the road.
Thus far, in 'The Pain Series' Articles, we've learnt that we CAN be pain-free with osteoarthritis or other physical 'abnormalities'.
We've also learnt that to overcome our pain; it's up to ourselves to do this!
We've debunked the commonly held belief that when there is pain, it's due to some underlying physical injury or 'abnormality'.
We now know that pain comes from the brain, is NOT the result of what is seen on medical imaging and the underlying 'abnormality' is the weakest part of our body where the pain is showing up.
If we think our pain is coming from the site of 'abnormality' and there's not much that can be done about it, it makes sense to think the pain is always going to be there.
By knowing pain comes from the brain, we free ourselves from the fear of thoughts such as "I will always be in pain because my (insert abnormality) will always be there".
Another commonly held belief that keeps us stuck with our pain is that if we are in pain, we must be doing harm, or damage, to our body.
When pain comes from the brain and NOT the area of 'abnormality', we can safely say that when we are hurting, it does not necessarily mean we are doing damage to our body.
By viewing pain in this way, we can stop avoiding any activities due to pain and the associated fear of 'doing damage'. We can begin progressive activity and get ourselves moving the best we can, which is exactly what our body needs!
In chronic pain, avoidance of activity is NEVER the answer. (This will be discussed in a later section of this article).
And finally, we should never put anything down to 'ageing'.
There IS a large correlation between age and pain and many other physical ailments (I.E., decreased strength, decreased balance, falls, etc.), but 'ageing' is never the cause.
No matter how old you are, your pain can be overcome, and you can get in great physical shape. It is not the end of the road.
When we change our views on our pain by installing these eight new beliefs, we can then do what's required to start making progress with our pain and improve our health.
DAILY TASK: Write down the eight new beliefs of pain. Really think about, and feel, each belief when you are writing them down. (Time to complete = 5 minutes).
"Mary Fasano at age 89, earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard. David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, taught himself ancient Greek in old age to master the classics in the original. At ninety the architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum, at seventy-eight Benjamin Franklin invented bifocal spectacles. When Pablo Casals the cellist, was ninety-one years old, he was approached by a student who asked, "Master, why do you continue to practice?" Casals replied, "Because I am making progress." We might think "What for?" Who am I fooling? Am I at the end of the road? But that thinking is a self-fulfilling prophecy, which hastens the mental decline of the use-it-or-lose-it-brain."
~ 'The Brain That Changes Itself' - Norman Doidge
Pain is not something you "just have to live with". It's never too late to overcome your pain, get fit, get healthy and be excited about the future. Which is exactly what we will do in Overcoming Pain Tool # 2.
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL # 2: MOVING FOCUS AWAY FROM PAIN TOWARDS HEALTH, WELLNESS AND A FUTURE THAT EXCITES YOU.
It can be much easier to focus on what's wrong in our life or the health conditions that we have.
Especially when we are in pain, everything going well in our life takes a back seat.
We can be so affected by our pain that our daily life begins revolving around it.
We can have thoughts that arise, such as "this pain is only going to get worse", or "the condition is going to get worse", or "there is not much that can be done", or “This pain may end my ability to walk.
We may also have heard stories of someone going through suffering, or even worse seen a loved one, such as a parent, go through suffering. We then may fear the same will happen to us.
We start to see our future as looking grim.
We may lose motivation; we can become less happy, start moving less and stop doing what's required to be healthy. All recipes for pain getting even worse.
But, this all stops, NOW!
An important key to health is having a future that looks exciting to you, no matter your age or what condition you find yourself in. And the good news is... How your future can look is up to you!
In this step, we are going to start planning how you want your future to look and just by doing this; you set yourself in the right direction to make it happen!
Right now, no matter where you are, no matter how much pain you are in, or how your health currently is, start thinking about how you want your future to look.
Allow yourself to move your focus away from the pain you have and to think of what life could be like without pain.
Think about what would make you happiest, what you would like to do, how you would like to move, how you would like to feel. What activities you'd like to do or keep doing.
Allow yourself to let go of any fears you may have about your future and start getting excited about the things you want to be doing.
Last week a reader, Marilyn, wrote to me and said: "I am a very active grandmother of 5 very energetic grandchildren. I attend the majority of their sports events all year. I live in a two-story home with lots of stairs and continue to do all of my own yard work. It is all so much fun, and I want to be able to continue with this lifestyle for many years to come."
I love this! And Marilyn will be doing these things for many years to come.
These are the type of activities we want to be keeping our focus on, whilst keeping our focus away from any fear-based future.
We are changing our focus away from the pain and instead focusing on where we want to be.
We then do the work to keep us in good health and moving towards where we want to be!
No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can focus on a better future. If you’re stuck, start small and keep it up!
GRATITUDE
Another way of changing focus away from pain and to the good in life is to be grateful.
You can be grateful for anything. Your husband/wife. Your children. Your grandchildren. Your television. The computer you are reading this on. The glass of water you just drank. The chair you are sitting on. The sun. The air you just breathed. Just being alive. I could go on and on. Everyone has something to be grateful for, find them
Each day lets think about 3-5 things to be grateful for and write them down. When writing them down, make sure you feel the feeling of gratitude.
DAILY TASK: 1) Change your focus - Do your best to focus on the good in your life now and how you would like it to look in the future. Write down how you would like your life to look. What you would like to be doing. How you would like to feel. How you would like to move.
As you write it down, spend time feeling what it would feel like if this was to happen. Whenever your thoughts move to the negatives in your life, do your best to bring it back. (Time to complete = 5 Minutes)
2) Write down three-five things you are grateful for (Remember to feel the feeling when doing this). (Time to complete = 3 Minutes)
There we have the first two tools for overcoming pain for the first step in overcoming pain; we now move to step 2.
STEP 2: FREEING FROM STRESS
We have now established healthier beliefs about pain and have moved our focus towards living a life that would make us happier.
It's now time to analyse our current situation and decrease the stress in our life, which we know can intensify our pain symptoms.
Which leads us to...
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL # 3: CHANGING YOUR SITUATION
In Parts 1 and 2 of these Pain Series articles, we established that increased stress causes and intensifies, our pain experience.
Which means a necessary step to decreasing our pain, to eventually overcome it, is to remove stress in our life.
This could be physical. I.E. you continue to re-aggravate the area by doing too much physical activity of some sort on the area (for example too much golf), on an area which could already be weak. If you feel this is the case, it’s best to see a Physiotherapist in person. Or sign up for an online 1:1 consultation to get to the bottom of your pain.
Or it could be emotional stress.
There are many reasons why stress can show up, and because we have all lived, and are currently living, different lives to each other, it shows up for different reasons in each of us.
It's up to YOU to find the reasons for your stress and do what is necessary to change your situation.
There could be a certain someone bothering you. The place you live may be causing you stress. You may not be happy with your current state of health and/or fitness. Your hobbies, or work, could be causing you stress. The situation you have found yourself in could be bothering you, or the thought of just crossing a busy road could be making you feel uneasy.
These are all a handful of examples of stress we could be dealing with, and they are all stresses we technically can do something about.
If the stress is something physical, you can stop the activity causing you pain. This will allow the body tissues to heal and you can get yourself stronger and moving better before you get back into the activity.
If the stress is emotional, you can stop seeing that certain someone causing you stress. You can change locations. You can get healthier and fitter, you can change your job, change your hobbies or stop crossing that road.
Although it's never usually this easy, I'm highlighting the fact that certain actions can be taken in most situations.
To begin removing stress, one of the first things we should do is an audit of our life and find what it is that is bothering us.
Once we know this, we can then go about doing what is necessary to start freeing ourselves from this stress, which will help decrease any pain you have and help to live a happier life.
Sometimes the decisions we need to make to decrease our stress are NOT easy, but we must remember to put ourselves first always. When we begin putting ourselves first, we become much happier, more energised and can give more to others also. It is not selfish!
You'll notice that when you start the audit of your life to determine your stress, you'll find there will be certain parts of your life, causing you stress that you just cannot change. Change is just not an option for these parts.
We can't change the weather, we can't change the past, we can't change human nature, we can't change other people, we can't change our relatives, sometimes we can't change where we have to live.
We must recognise these parts of our life and make peace with them or how we see the situation. This is where the other forms of stress relief techniques come in.
We will get to these other stress relief techniques in the next overcoming pain tool, but for now, it's time to remove the stress in our life by changing that which we can.
DAILY TASK: Spend 20 minutes today (and 10 minutes on following days) writing down a list of things in your life that is causing you stress (both physical and emotional) and also come up with ways that you could change them. Each day start making the changes to begin living a happier life. (Time to complete each day = 10 minutes).
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL # 4: JOURNALING
So now we've begun changing our situation to decrease stress, it's now time we work on reducing our inner conflicts, which again... Is stress.
We all have so much going on in our lives: Our relationships, our health, our kids, our grandkids, the bills we have to pay, our money, our jobs, our hobbies, our worries, our triumphs, our joys. This list could go on.. And on!
Not all of these are bad, but having a lot of dis-ease going on can wear us down. It's not possible to remove all these stresses. Otherwise, we'd live a pretty dull life.
Having so much to deal with leads to a constant chatter in our minds that we usually just ignore and get on with it.
We have this extra mental weight without really even knowing it, living our life on autopilot.
One of the best ways I have found to silence the underlying buzz in our minds, with ease, is journaling.
Journaling can do wonders for decreasing stress in our daily life. It can shine a light on what it is that is bothering us and show us that whatever it is, really doesn't need to be a concern.
When we do this consistently, we decrease the amount of stress we hold onto and increase our ability to handle any new stress that comes our way.
HOW TO JOURNAL
Each day write down, in longhand, anything and everything that crosses your mind for a set amount of time. Do not overthink it; just do it for the set amount of time.
The only rule is to make sure ONLY YOU will see it!
You must be able to freely write about what's on your mind. Your honest and deep thoughts, without fear of judgment. As soon as we feel someone else may see what is written down, this task loses its effectiveness.
The thoughts are yours and for your eyes only.
When you create a safe space and can express your mind on the page freely, you'll be surprised at what you uncover about your current situation and yourself.
No matter how crazy it is, no matter how silly it may be, only you are going to see what you're writing... So get it out, get it down!
When you get in the routine each day of doing this, you will begin feeling the journaling as a healing tool and your stress levels decreasing — a way of expressing certain feelings and stresses that have been bothering you for some time.
If you're feeling sceptical about doing this, just give it a try for at least ten days and see the difference.
Like most health-related tasks, to get the benefits, consistency is the key.
DAILY TASK: Write down, in longhand, whatever is on your mind. Get into the habit of doing this daily. Keep your diary private, they are your thoughts and no one needs to see them. This will help you process thoughts and feelings that could be getting you down. (Time to complete = 10 minutes).
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL #5: MEDITATION/ MINDFULNESS
I've covered meditation and mindfulness before because I really do feel it is one of the most important tools in keeping ourselves healthy.
Although the thought of meditating may not sound very fun, it does not have to be a boring, very disciplined practice.
Think of meditation as spending a set amount of time, with intention, on doing something good for yourself, to help reduce stress. That's it! It's that simple.
Meditation/mindfulness plays a significant role in helping with pain for two reasons:
1. Meditation can help with the pain symptoms directly by increasing relaxation - which will help desensitise the nervous system increasing our resistance to stress and the way we deal with it which in turn will help decrease pain.
2. The majority of us tend to think negative about most situations or place high expectations on ourselves, causing our own stress. This may sound a little confusing, but the happier we feel about the world and ourselves, the less stress we are under.
By quietening the mind for a while, we can let go of troubling thoughts and even process suppressed emotions from our past, which may be currently troubling us.
These suppressed emotions and troubling thoughts add to the pain experience.
When we stay consistent with meditation, over time, we'll find ourselves getting more and more relaxed and able to deal with daily stress.
With this new sense of relaxation, you'll start feeling less and less pain.
Here is the meditation technique I recommend (click to see)
VISUALISATION
Similar to what we did in Tool #2 (Changing focus), when meditating spend a few minutes focusing on feeling how you would rather feel instead of being in. What it would feel like to be pain-free. What you would be doing if you weren’t in pain. Your mind is going to resist, but do your best to allow your mind to go there.
Our minds don't know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. So start training your brain to remember what it feels like to be pain-free, which will help to start changing your brain
DAILY TASK: Spend 10 minutes each day performing the meditation/mindfulness technique above with 2 minutes of that being visualisation. (Time to complete = 10 minutes).
Start adding all these tools into your life each day. When you are consistent with these tools, you will be on the right path to overcoming your pain.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
If you are having trouble with the tools above, or you are continually reliving painful memories that you just can’t seem to get over, it may be best to seek out professional psychological help. Do NOT feel any shame in this.
A trained professional can help you process these memories and emotions, and this will do wonders in helping you overcome pain. Speak to your doctor about a referral for this.
STEP 3: LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE
To finally overcome pain, one of the most useful things we can do for ourselves is to change our habit to more healthy ones
In today's modern society, it's quite easy to become a slave to all the new technology making it harder and harder to display the willpower to do more of what keeps us healthy.
What most of us seem to neglect is that some of these helpful tools we use nowadays can sometimes do more harm than good.
With a click of a button, we can have all sorts of different, often unhealthy foods delivered right to our doorsteps: not just foods, but appliances, furniture, clothes etc. We can binge-watch our favourite TV shows for hours without ever leaving the couch.
We can work from home, without actually ever leaving bed.
A vast majority of people get tangled in these enchanted routines that go on for a lifetime.
How many people do you know personally that start their day by having nothing but coffee, driving to work, sitting in front of the monitor for 9 hours straight, getting takeaway on their way back and staring at the TV before they head to bed?
And this can go on and on and on, until one day we realise that we've spent months, years and decades nurturing these unhealthy habits.
Scary, right?
Yes, a lot has changed in our lives since years ago. Not that I'm saying that we should go back to living in caves and hunting wild animals, but it's imperative to find a suitable balance that will allow us to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We've sacrificed a lot over the years: nutrition, physical health and perhaps most importantly - sleep. All habits that can cause more pain.
Which brings me to our next tool in overcoming pain.
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL #6: GETTING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF SLEEP.
First and foremost, let's get something settled - sleep is NOT for the weak.
Sleep is one of the most crucial and by far the most under-appreciated tools for living a healthy life. It affects not only our physical health but our mental and emotional health also.
Our body needs sleep to recover and regain its energy, and if we neglect it, which all of us are guilty of doing, the results can be frightening.
Not getting enough sleep can affect us in all kinds of different ways. Our hormones change. Our mood is affected, we become irritable and cranky and forgetful; our balance is off, so we have an increased risk of falling and causing an injury; our digestion suffers and not to mention that all of our pain symptoms intensify from a sensitised nervous system.
All people, regardless of their age, should aim to get 7-9 hours of good, quality sleep. The range differs from person to person, of course, and you need to figure out how much sleep you need to feel well and rested.
There are plenty of things you can do to improve your sleep WITHOUT using any kind of medication.
You can read my article on improving sleep for seniors right here to find out more.
We should never try to skimp on certain aspects of our life - sleep being one of them. (Unless we have to).
Start making good quality sleep a priority. Buy those quality pillows, invest your money in a good mattress, and why not treat yourself to top-notch linens? Invest in your health.
Once we get all the elements right (comfort, lighting, temperature, sound, etc.), we can finally experience the fruitful properties of sleep on our bodies and our pain levels.
Allow your body to heal and rejuvenate, and you'll notice the drastic changes it has on your overall health and your pain.
DAILY TASK: Don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Start making it a priority and do whatever it takes to start getting a good night’s sleep. Start by reading my sleep article here. Make your sleep environment the most comfortable it can be. Set a time you plan on going to bed and stick to it. (Time to complete = 7-9 Hours).
Now that you've learned how sleep can affect your pain, let's get onto the next step you should take in overcoming your pain.
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL #7: HEALTHY EATING
As I mentioned earlier, unhealthy, processed food is much more accessible than real, healthy food. Not to mention that in a lot of cases, it tastes better!
I'm not suggesting that you need to suppress the urge to eat some chocolate every now and then or refrain from a nice glass of wine when you want it.
However, eating a healthy diet plays a huge role in our pain experience; thus, we should aim to eat healthy each day.
Now, there are plenty of foods, herbs and spices that research has shown (and people swear by) for pain relief. They do contain some healthy and anti-inflammatory properties.
But it's not about finding a magic food or diet; it's about starting to eat in the healthiest way you possibly can, to get healthy and decrease your pain symptoms.
To get started learning about proper nutrition and eating healthy, check out the Healthy Eating section on this website which will help get you started.
You can also ask any questions in the More Life Health Facebook Support Community (click to join).
Everyone has different food requirements and needs. I recommend paying a visit to a dietician or good nutritionist so you can work together in creating a diet suitable for yourself.
DAILY TASK: Head to the Health Eating section of this website, and learn and do what’s required to start eating a healthier diet. Begin by throwing out any junk foods that are not good for your health and causing you pain. (Time to complete = 1 hour) and then start adding in the healthy foods.
Now onto the last step for overcoming pain:
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL #8: GET MOVING
Physical movement is a basic human need, and today we tend to overlook this
It's far too easy for us to stay inactive, and our comfortable lives are very hard to leave behind.
However, limiting our movement can have serious consequences. As a result, our muscles tend to get smaller and weaker, and we become less fit. What used to be an easy activity for us is now getting harder. We may become out of breath easier and feel our muscles fatiguing with less work.
Our joints start to stiffen up, and our body gets out of shape, placing more stress on our bodies.
It affects us both mentally and physically, and to combat pain, we must start moving more!
Movement is medicine.
The best way to implement more movement into our lives is by gradually increasing exercise but making sure we aren’t overdoing it.
Start with little amounts and gradually progress what you are doing over time.
Building a strong, healthy, fit body takes time, so it's important not to push yourself over the limits and to take it slow. Implementing a regular, slow-paced workout routine will do wonders for your body, and you can make improvements regardless of your age or current situation.
You will start getting stronger, and more flexible, and you will feel fitter, notice you are moving with greater ease, you will begin feeling a sense of confidence and power over your situation and….. you’ll feel your pain symptoms decreasing.
The trick is to focus on doing the activities we enjoy and remembering the healthy beliefs we formed way back in step 1.
"Just because we have pain doesn't necessarily mean we are doing damage".
and
"Resting is not the answer."
The answer lies in consistent exercise with slow, gradual progression while implementing all other steps and tools into your daily life.
Never push yourself into pain. If you're pushing into pain, you've done too much.
If you have trouble designing your own routine, you can always seek help by signing up for an online consult, or you can simply shoot me an email, and we'll work it out.
I also send out regular exercise videos to newsletter subscribers (join below), and there are plenty of exercise videos on the exercise section of this website and the YouTube page.
Making big improvements in pain to eventually overcoming it takes time. It is never usually a smooth road, and setbacks most probably will occur. But the goal is to always look forward, keep a positive frame of mind and, over time, do more and more exercise.
DAILY TASK: Spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour every day doing some form of physical activity. Do one of my exercise videos here. You don't have to join a gym to exercise! Take a stroll through a park, go for a swim or walk around the neighbourhood. Find what you enjoy!
Do something that you enjoy doing and start looking forward to an active future. (Time to complete = 30 minutes - 1 hour).
OVERCOMING PAIN TOOL #9: SPENDING MORE TIME WITH PEOPLE YOU ENjoy AND DOING THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY!
Another step I'd like to touch on is spending more time socialising.
As we grow older, we tend to become more self-oriented. We drift apart from certain people, lose connections, and lose our loved ones. All of this can lead to isolation and being less social.
This is why I'd like to take a few moments and talk about loneliness and the importance of socialising.
There are plenty of studies confirming that loneliness and pain are closely connected. Loneliness can affect your health in many areas.
Many people who tend to isolate themselves for prolonged periods of time can experience symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are known to cause further emotional and physical problems.
Other than that, it's reported that being less social can lead to muscle tension, inflammation, migraines, insomnia, digestive issues and an overall weaker immune system.
Humans are, by nature, social beings, and we thrive when surrounded by people we love.
And while it's perfectly normal to have some me time and to focus on our physical, mental and spiritual health, it's just as important to socialise every so often.
Of course, some people are introverted by nature and don't require the company of others as much as other extroverted individuals. Nevertheless, even introverts should make an effort to get involved in some social activities every now and then. It may be unnatural, but when you make the effort, you will feel much better for it.
Spending quality time with people you enjoy spending time with can do wonders for your pain - both emotional and physical.
Also, start doing more of the activities that you know make your heart happy! Just do it! These activities are what make you who you really are!
DAILY TASK: Each day, spend time interacting with others you really enjoy hanging around. Laugh. Have fun. Chat. Get things off your chest.
Reach out to your loved ones and spend time with the people whose company you enjoy. Start making a conscious effort to be more involved in social activities that fulfil you. Join the More Life Health Facebook Support Community (click to join).
Start filling your days with more activities that make you happiest. You know what those activities are, so do what it takes to get involved in more of them. (Time to complete - minimum 1 hour).
Make sure not to overdo this. Like exercise, make sure to start with small amounts of time and build on this.
CONCLUSION
These steps above are the roadmap to overcoming pain. Yes, they do take time, but your health is worth the time and effort.
By following these steps, you will create a routine that will set you on the path to ending your pain and better health.
There may be times when your pain increases in intensity, making completing many of these activities difficult.
If you do have one of these flare-ups in pain, it does not mean you have gone backwards. It could be for many reasons you have had the flare-up, but know this flare-up is only temporary.
During these times - rest, take pain medication as needed (as per your doctor) and utilise any other of the pain management techniques discussed in Part 3.
The pain WILL decrease eventually, and when the pain is manageable, you can get back into the tools mentioned in this article. Slow and steady!
When you continue doing all the steps in this article, eventually, you will reach your goals and finally be able to break the shackles of pain that have been tormenting you for some time now!
All the best on your journey to a pain-free, happier life- you will get there! :)
FURTHER READING
Here are some books I recommend on pain, which will allow you to see your pain in a different light and help you overcome it.
Using Body Weight Scales: Why You Shouldn't Get Caught Up
The bathroom scale, is a quick, easy and accessible way to measure our total body weight.
We kick out the scale from under our bathroom cabinet, press the button on, wait for it to zero, step on them and voila! We’ve got our measurement.
They are a great tool to let us know how much we weigh and give us an idea of any changes in our body weight over time.
But the benefits of the scale stop here! …
Body weight scales, are a quick, easy and accessible way to measure your total body weight.
You move the scale from under your bathroom cabinet, turn it on, wait for it to zero, step on it and voila! You’ve got your measurement.
They are a great tool to let you know how much you weigh and give an idea of any changes in your body weight over time.
But the benefits of these scales stop here!
Body weight scales will give you an accurate measure of our total body weight, but this is all it will give you.
Body weight scales are not a good tracking tool to determine if you are losing or gaining fat!
There are many factors, besides fat gain or loss, that can alter the reading.
From certain foods causing you to retain more, or less, water in your body and muscle building exercises causing you to gain more muscle! (We all know that muscle weighs more than fat).
Let’s look at an example of how a body weight scale reading can misguide us:
Betty is unhappy with the extra fat that has slowly accumulated around her waist. She also hasn’t been very active over the past 6 months, which means her legs are getting weaker.
She finds herself having a little more difficulty moving around and has noticed carrying shopping bags is harder than what it used to be.
Betty dusts off her scales, steps on them and is mortified with what she sees.
She is 4 kgs heavier than she has ever been in her life. She knew she had gained some weight, but 4kgs heavier than she has ever been? Where did this increase in weight come from?
Unhappy Betty decides to do something about her situation.
Betty has made the decision that she wants to get stronger and lose fat.
She begins exercises and increases her activity level.
She cuts out all the junk food she is eating, starts eating a little less and has added some healthier foods into her day.
Betty feels she is doing everything right. (And she is!)
Betty stays consistent and is starting to actually like exercising and weeks have now passed.
Betty is now feeling better. She feels she is moving about much easier and the shopping bags seem lighter again. Betty also feels she looks better.
Betty is happy!
Happy Betty decides to jump on the scales just to confirm what she is thinking is correct!
Uh oh! Betty was thinking the scale numbers were going to be down, but Betty weighs exactly the same. 😟How quickly Betty's mood can change!
How can this be?? All that hard work that Betty has put in over the past weeks and no weight loss to show for it.
Believe it or not, this is not an uncommon scenario! And this is where our motivation may decrease if we don't know better.
Little does Betty know she has lost fat and has re-gained that muscle in her body she once had.
When we start exercising more and eating healthy we lose fat and get stronger. Our muscles grow. Our body composition changes.
Yet the scale can shown no difference. It can even show that we have put on weight, when our goal is to lose it and we are doing the right things.
I see over and over again people getting too caught up in the number.
The scales only show our TOTAL weight. They do not indicate if you are actually losing fat. They do not indicate if you are gaining muscle.
Which is why the scale should NOT be used as the only indicator of results when attempting to lose fat.
Getting your body fat percentage tested by a Health Professional (using body calipers or technology) is a better guide of progress when attempting to lose weight. Even a tape measure can be a better guide of fat lost.
When not having the guidance of a Health Professional to accurately measure our body composition, we can also use other indicators, that usually can't be quantified, to help determine the effectiveness of our fat loss plan.
Other Indicators to Use:
Determine how much better you feel.
Determine how much easier you move around.
Determine if your clothes aren’t hugging your body as much as they used to.
Determine if you look better in your own eyes.
Notice the comments you are getting from other people.
Use these indicators with confidence. Don't let yourself slip into a negative headspace.
Feel good and continue that good feeling. Take a light hearted approach!
Don’t think you have to work really, really hard, doing exercises you don’t like.
Find exercises and physical activity you enjoy doing. When we enjoy the exercises/activity it's never a chore.
Combine this with healthy eating and you’ll start noticing the differences.
You'll start getting all those indicators mentioned above and your weekly body weight measurements will eventually reflect this.
Don’t get caught up in the scale readings!
Be happy, keep active, do the activities you enjoy, stay consistent and eat well.
And the rest will take care of itself.