As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. When it comes to fall prevention, exercises for the elderly and active ageing are key.
Leg exercise is great for seniors to build up strength and fall prevention.
Strengthen the senior’s thigh muscles with this “sit-to-stand” exercise on a hard floor.
If your senior finds the above exercise too easy, why not “level up”? Help your senior reduce the use of arm support for the initial push from sitting-to-standing position. For example, put their hands on their lap instead of on the arm rest.
Bonus tip: Do the exercise carefully. If the senior moves too suddenly, he or she may become giddy, lose balance and fall.
Related: Ageing Well: 5 Essential Health Tips for the Elderly
Train your senior’s confidence and awareness of the body to help them overcome a fear of falling.
Bonus tip: When the senior is more confident with this exercise, progress to balancing on one leg, with just one arm on the wall. For a higher level of difficulty, progress to balancing on one leg without support.
And here are three ways to make your home safer instantly:
These tips were provided by Dr Lai Junxu, director and founder of Omnimed Healthcare, a mobile healthcare service that offers house calls round the clock.
This article was first published on NEXTSTEP Magazine, Year 2016, Issue 3. NEXTSTEP is a quarterly magazine on Community Care by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
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This article was last reviewed on 22 Nov 2023
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