Slip and Fall Prevention with Pilates
As we all know, winter in Toronto is slippery and the peak time for slip and falls. Icy sidewalks and driveways and the insidious hidden ice under a fresh layer of snow, are particular risks at this time of year.
These are the top 5 risk categories for Slip and Falls in order:
Previous falls
Decreased CORE Strength
Decreased Upper & Lower Body Strength
Walking Speed/Use of Assistive Devices
Balance Impairments
It’s clear that strength plays a huge part in prevention.
Fall Prevention
When thinking about fall prevention, an easy initial task is to check the weather forecast and be very clear about what you are stepping into when you step outside. Second, is to wear footwear traction devices (Such as Yaktrax) on your shoes or use a walking device such as a cane or nordic walking poles for balance and support.
However, your best line of defense against any kind of fall (slippery surface or not) is core strength and upper and lower body strength. Take a look at last month’s blog for foot and ankle strengthening ideas.
Even though we always think of our abdominals when we think of the core, we also need to include muscles of the back, hip and pelvic floor to get a full picture of core strength. And as we’ve mentioned numerous times before, your ability to move affects your daily functions. If you aren’t mobile or strong enough to do all the things you want to do, it can greatly affect your quality of life.
⅓ of community living adults over 65 fall each year and 10% of these falls result in significant injuries such as fractures or traumatic brain injuries. Injuries resulting from a fall rank as the 6th leading cause of death in this population. Elderly fallers or those with an injury that predisposes them to falling are more likely to lose confidence, restricting their t activity leading to a decline in functional activity and independence. (Citation: Balance, Core strength and Fall prevention: Sames Phd, Carole; Upstate Medical University)
Given this information, working on core strength exercises with clients to improve balance and coordination is an important part of avoiding falls, and applies at any age.
So this month on social media we will focus on exercises for dynamic balance, i.e stabilizing the body when the support surface is moving (like on a Pilates reformer for instance) or on a stable surface as in sit-to-stand, walking or taking stairs.
Tune in to our Instagram and Facebook pages for all of our go-to exercises to work on balance and to keep even the most deconditioned client safe from slips and falls during the winter months and beyond.