Seniors: Staying fit at home to avoid falls

Every year, more than 85,000 older people aged 65 and over fall so badly that they require treatment by a doctor or in a hospital. The causes are manifold: physical factors such as lack of strength and balance or visual impairments play a role. But external aspects such as slippery floors, lack of handrails and railings, or poor lighting also lead to falls. Because people over 65 belong to the Covid 19 risk groups and are currently expected to stay at home, their risk of falling increases - if they do not exercise sufficiently.

A rolling stone gathers no moss

Those who do not move quickly lose Muscle masswhich tends to diminish in old age anyway. The sense of balance also decreases with age. The risk of falling increases. Most of the time, such accidents happen in everyday situations: when climbing stairs, going for a walk or cleaning the house. However, the risk of falling can be counteracted with physical and mental training. This has been proven by numerous studies. With sichergehen.ch, the BFU and its partners (including Pro Senectute and Health Promotion Switzerland) operate a platform where you can also find exercises for training at home - at different levels.

Adjust level slowly

Especially older people who already have a restriction (and therefore e.g. a rollator) or are weakened should definitely train in order not to lose even more mobility. However, it is very important to start with light exercises, increase them slowly and become more stable along the way.
For example, to strengthen your muscles, you can hold on to a chair or the kitchen combination, lightly bend into the Knee walk and stand up again. For people without restrictions, it is recommended to start with the standard program on sichergehen.ch. A Exercise example for balance training is to stand on one leg and tap the floor sideways with the other. The well-trained can perform the exercises on unstable surfaces.

More info

www.bfu.ch