I am always striving for balance in my life, but today I am talking about physical balance. I often read that many people start to have problems with balance, seemingly as a consequence of aging. Falls and resulting injuries (like a broken hip) can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life and even sometimes are implicated in deaths due to injury.
I am in the demographic -- according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over a third of those 65 years or over false act year.
Actually, I am well ahead of the curve. I have been falling since I was two when I tumbled down the full flight of steep cellar steps and broke my nose. When I was a little older my mother actually had me practice leading with my bum as I fell so I would not break an arm. My mother had a dread fear of one of her children breaking an arm and she figured I was the most likely candidate.
I guess the early training worked as I have yet (knock wood) to break my arm. I have bruised my bum though!
And I have taken some pretty spectacular falls, but I am not attributing any of them to age. It's all about natural born clumsiness. Still, I think it is a good idea that I take yoga and a balance Pilates class.
I have added mindful meditation to my routine as well. I have not broken anything other than my nose, but I don't want to press my luck so I will do what I can.
The worry I always heard was "crack your scull." My mom broke her hip and used a cane for a while. We took it away as soon as she was ok, as she used it as a weapon...she still kept it handy though.
ReplyDeleteI've fallen many times in my life as well. Down the basement cellar stairs, on the ice behind my vehicle, down the front steps of the house I grew up in. Thus far, I've been lucky like you, no broken bones just bruises and hurt pride.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad fell often too, and he used to say, he'd be fine as long as he hit his head (which he often did). He had a bad fall about 5 months are moving to the nursing home at age 96 which resulted in him being wheelchair bound for the rest of his life.
A balance class sounds like a good way to work on your balance. Enjoy!
Another thing to look forward to in later life. Well at lest now I'm forwarned so I can start to prepair for it.
ReplyDeleteThese are the things people don't tell you about getting older.
Have fun at your classes
I fell twice last year, within 2 weeks of each other. One was not my fault. A great dane, at the dog park ran and bumped me, and I fell backwards. Just one of those freaky things.Now I try to be very careful about falling.
ReplyDeleteI've had a few falls that left a mark, but nothing serious. I do have impaired balance, though, and I am doing exercises to help, but I can tell I have lost ground over the last year. I need to work harder on it.
ReplyDeleteThey say you can tell a person's age by how long they can stand on one leg. Pretty sure I am one hundred. Good idea to work on balance. Thanks for the reminder---I may work on that also.
ReplyDeleteFalling is certainly an issue for us older folks. I've managed to avoid breaking any major bones with a fall though did fracture a finger bone that had met a soft ball head on when I was in high school, jamming the knuckle then, so that all these years that finger's nail would curve down as it grew out. When the fracture healed these many years later, the nail now grows straight.
ReplyDeleteI learned how to take a stage fall when in college theatre classes so if I feel myself going, I just fall in that manner, completely relaxed, so no problems so far.
Olga, I got a friend request from you on Facebook which seems suspicious. I then go a message from you that also seems suspicious. I am afraid you have been hacked or your profile on FB has been copied. Send me a private email if you wish.
ReplyDeleteFalling is a scary thing. I've had several bad ones in my life. Balance is absolute a goal we all have to work towards.
I must admit that I gave up skating for fearing of falling and breaking something. While I have never been coordinated I have gotten much better at staying upright than when I was 2!
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