How to fall-proof your body

Having good balance cuts your risk of falling and hurting yourself. Why? When your abdominal (core) and lower body muscles are strong and flexible, you’re sturdier on your feet. That gives you better overall balance, which means you’re less likely to take a tumble.

And that’s important, especially if you’re an older adult. Every year, 3 million older Americans are treated in the emergency room for falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The good news is that you don’t have to go to a gym to improve your balance. You can do simple exercises at home while you’re watching TV or listening to a podcast.

Here are some easy at-home exercises. You’ll want to do three or four of these moves a few times a week.

Before you get started, check with your doctor to see if it’s OK to do them. For example, if you’ve recently had foot surgery, it might not be the right time to try some of these exercises. Your annual wellness visit is a good time to talk to your doctor about your fall risk and learn helpful fall-prevention strategies.

Heel-to-toe walk

1. Position the heel of one foot just in front of the toes of the other foot. Your heel and toes should touch or almost touch. 
2. Look at a point in the distance ahead of you and focus on it to keep you steady as you walk. 
3. Take a step. Put your heel just in front of the toes of your other foot. 
4. Walk this way for 15 to 20 steps.

Toe raises

1. Stand straight and hold on to the back of a sturdy chair. Rise up on your toes and hold 10 seconds. Slowly lower your heels. You can also do this while standing on one leg.
2. Lift only your toes off the ground so that your weight is on your heels. Hold 10 seconds, then slowly lower your toes.

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Wall slide

1. Stand with your back against a wall and your feet shoulder-width apart. Position your arms against the wall like goalposts.
2. Slowly bend your knees, sliding down while keeping your back against the wall. Start with gradual knee bends but aim to bend them to a 45-degree angle. That’s about halfway between sitting and standing.
3. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly push back up. Gradually increase your hold time.
4. Repeat five times.

Ankle circles

1. Sit up straight in a chair, feet flat on the floor. Extend one leg straight out in front with your foot flexed and your toes pointing up. If you need more support, rest your calf on a sturdy chair or couch.
2. Slowly circle your foot in a clockwise direction. Repeat eight to 12 full circles. Then circle your foot counterclockwise eight to 12 times.
3. Switch feet.

One-leg stands

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair. Hold on for balance if necessary.
2. Slowly lift one foot 3 to 6 inches off the floor. Hold 10 seconds. Lower your foot and repeat 10 to 15 times.
3. Repeat 10 to 15 times with the opposite foot.

Tightrope walks

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms straight out to your sides, like a tightrope walker.
2. Look at a point ahead of you and focus on it to keep you steady as you walk.
3. Walk slowly in a straight line with one foot in front of the other as if you were stepping on an imaginary rope. Take 15 to 20 steps. Turn around and walk back to your starting point the same way.

Foot presses

1. Sit in a sturdy chair with an exercise strap or resistance band nearby. Loop the strap around the upper half of your foot. Sit up and plant your heels on the ground.
2. Pull the band gently up toward your chest so that your toes are lifted. Slowly push your foot against the band until your foot is flat on the floor. Hold two seconds.
3. Return to starting position. Repeat eight to 12 times, then switch feet.

Additional source:
Facts about falls: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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