Everyone has a risk of falling. Humans are vulnerable because we stand on our two legs rather than using the four legs of other mammals. Birds have two legs but their wings can be used to prevent falls. Our arms are not as effective. As we get older we become more likely to fall. There is a simple trick that can help, along with a few minor lifestyle changes.
Read more: An easy trick to keep from fallingThere are a few reasons that falls become more common with age. First, our muscles weaken steadily. Second, our feet gradually become less sensitive, so we can’t feel the ground as well or notice that it is slippery or rough. Third, the position sense in our joints can be impaired by surgery (knee and hip replacement, which remove the position sensors so you can’t tell easily how much the joint is bending or moving). Finally, our vision becomes less reliable—more blurry with less focus, especially if we walk around while using bifocals, or have glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration. This means we can’t detect subtle clues on the ground that warn us early enough to avoid tripping or falling off curbs.
Since we tend to weaken with age, the first step is to start walking as much as possible. This strengthens the muscles we need to balance. Taking balance training also helps. Sitting a long time every day makes you grow weaker, so you want to take walking breaks throughout the day.
The sensitivity of the feet usually won’t correct itself once it is impaired. This is common after age 60 and steadily progresses. The sense of position in the joints also doesn’t improve once it is lost. However, the problem is more severe in the feet and legs than in the hands. This means you can learn to use your hands to make up for this. That’s why rolling walkers are so helpful. You will be able to feel the ground transmitted to your hands from the wheels on the ground, just like you can feel some of the texture of the floor when pushing a grocery cart. A cane provides feedback like this also, just not as continuously. Trekking poles do the same, almost like turning into a four-legged creature. Another easy fix is to use shoes with wide, flat soles. High heels reduce your contact with the ground and increase instability, so favor better shoes for walking.
Vision losses should be treated by an ophthalmologist, but many of these are not reversible. An easy step to take is to avoid shade or dark areas, especially on stairs or ledges, and add light whenever possible. Nightlights with motion sensors can help greatly when moving around after dark. The flashlight on your phone can prevent a fall also.
There is one more trick, the 6-foot-rule. Without knowing it, you have always used this to help stay in balance. If you have two working eyes, your vision is 3-D. This doesn’t extend very far; it is strongest in the 6 feet around your head. In this 6-ft area, your vision can feel sway very easily.
Imagine standing facing a wall with a picture on it. As you lean forward, the picture looks bigger, and as you lean back it looks smaller. That’s a direct measure of sway that feeds into your brain. If you are standing, this sway feedback helps you stand still and in balance.
If you stand on the edge of a dropoff, you won’t have anything within 6 feet to use for your sway sense. Your body will automatically increase sway to try to pick up something nearby to use for balance. This increase in sway can make you feel like you are about to fall. It can be counter-productive in that situation.
The trick, when you have balance issues, is to always stick near things that are close, within 6 feet and at least waist height. You might choose a row of shrubs, trees, walls, counters—anything that you can walk along. Instead of walking across a wide-open space, go towards edges. As you walk, keep the edge in view. This will reduce your sway and help your balance.
This is especially important on stairs and escalators. Most people do fine going up but feel off balance going down. This is because when going downstairs, you will be looking out over vast open space. Instead of looking downward into space, focus on the railing. You will usually be within a couple of feet of the railing and can use this for sway-balance improvement. Touching the railing with your hands adds to your balance even more.
If you are prone to falls, using the 6-foot-rule can make you steadier when standing and walking, and no one around you will notice you are using this simple trick.
