Dear all,
Here's some great information for
sharing.
Do try the recommended
exercises. Measure your endurance time in balancing. In
any case, do not injure yourself if you find it troublesome.
Better
be safe than to be sorry.
Very important
information for some of us.
Increased
Risk of Fall Accident
Begins
at Age 40
By: Junji
Takano
One of the main
health concerns of elderly people is falling, which is often related to poor
balance. In fact, many studies show that people begin to have balance problems
starting at the age of 40 years. The older you get, the weaker your physical
body and sensory abilities will be, which are all factors in having poor
balance. ![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000062.gif?part=0.1)
In Japan , more than
7,000 people a year die from falling accidents, which already exceeds the number
of traffic accidents.
In this article,
we'll examine in more details the cause of falling and why you lose balance as
you age.
##
Test Your Balance by Standing on One Leg
You can determine how
good your balance is by measuring the length of time that you can stand on one
leg. ![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000077.jpg?part=0.2)
The following table
shows the average balance time by age group in a study conducted at a Japanese
health institute.
Average time with
eyes open
20-39 years old: 110
seconds
40-49: 64
seconds
50-59: 36
seconds
60-69: 25 seconds
Average time with
eyes closed
20-39 years old: 12 seconds
40-49: 7 seconds
50-59: 5
seconds
60-69: less than 3 seconds
If your
balance time is below average, then you'll have higher risk of falls, or
slipping and tripping accidents.
In the above study,
women tend to lose their balance more than men but only by a small margin
(1-2%). From this study, it is also evident that there's a sudden significant
decrease in the ability to maintain balance among middle-aged people (40 years
and above).
Please take note that
the numbers stated above are only average. There are people who were able to
maintain balance much longer, and there are also those who were only able to
maintain their balance at much shorter time regardless of age and gender. The
reason why they vary is explained further below.
##
The Soles of Your Feet Have Sensors
The skins all
throughout your body have significant amount of tiny pressure sensors or
mechanoreceptors. Some areas have few pressure sensors, while other areas have
thousands, like on the soles of your feet.![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000071.jpg?part=0.3)
The pressure sensors
on the foot soles provide information to your brain to help balance your body.
As you get older, the sensors will get weaker and your foot sole lose
sensitivity. But there are also other factors that can lead to weaker pressure
sensors.
## Poor Blood Circulation
Can Disrupt the Pressure Sensors
In our study, people are
almost twice as likely to be in a fall accident caused by poor blood
circulation.
This can be simulated by soaking your feet into ice cold water
for about 3 minutes. Because of the cold temperature, the pressure sensors on
the foot sole begin to lose sensitivity.
## Pay Attention to Your Forward-Moving
Foot
If your
forward-moving foot hit something, your body will be off-balance causing you to
fall or trip.
Well, it's a matter of common sense to always have your
eyes on path and watch where you are going. Remember the old adages -
"Prevention is better than cure", "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure", "Look before you leap", etc.?
But that's not the only problem. Here
are the other two major reasons why you stumble while walking.
1. Your
forward-moving foot is pointed down.
If your
foot is pointed down while making a step, then you are more prone to
falling. To avoid this, your forefoot or toes should be flexed upwards as shown
on the image below.![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000068.gif?part=0.4)
2. You walk like a
pendulum.
The height of your step can
greatly increase your risk of falling. To prevent this, your
forward-moving foot must be higher off the ground (at least 5 cm) while the knee
is raised high as shown on the image below.![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000065.jpg?part=0.5)
Actually, all the
mechanoreceptors located throughout your body as well as the soles of your feet
are sending information to the brain that include muscle contractions and joint
angles.
When this information
is not transmitted well to your brain, which happens as you get older, then the
movement will get weak or ineffective making it hard for you to maintain your
foot higher off the ground.
##
How to Prevent Yourself from a Fall, Trip, or Slip
1. Keep Your
House Clean
There are a lot of things in your house that can contribute to
clutters that can cause you to trip or fall. Always make sure to put away or
store properly all personal belongings and other unnecessary things even if it
is only a newspaper, remote control, and laundries scattered on the floor or
carpet.
2. Stretch Your
Feet and Ankles![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000074.jpg?part=0.6)
![[]](https://groups.google.com/group/parsnyoga/attach/a9105480cd6d80c6/Untitled%20attachment%2000059.jpg?part=0.7)
You might think
that your feet do not need exercise or stretching compared to other parts of
your body, but in reality, feet stretching exercise can really help your feet
maintain balance.
3. Keep Your House Warm and Ensure Adequate
Lighting
Cold muscles and pressure sensors work less well and are less
responsive to signals. A decreased temperature will also cause your muscles to
have less strength and less flexible, which can lead to accidents.
Always
try to keep your house warm or wear proper clothes and footwear, especially
during winter. Since most falls occur indoors, make sure your house has adequate
lighting.
Please share this with your
friends
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