Programs for Reducing the Risk of Falling

One of the biggest concerns for older people is falling. With a quick peek at some sobering statistics, it’s easy to understand why: 

• Falls are the leading cause of injury related death among adults ages 65 and older.

• In 2021, 38,742 adults aged 65 and older died from preventable falls.

• Over the past 10 years, deaths from falls in older adults has increased 60%.

Falling for people 65 and older is a significant health risk. There are numerous programs designed to help reduce the risk of falling as seen in this article:  https://www.ncoa.org/article/evidence-based-falls-prevention-programs/. The programs listed here are all evidence based. Most of them are comprehensive and combine and educational component with hazard removal and exercise programs. They are each effective to a similar degree.

One area that most of them fail to address is the role of your feet in how you balance. That’s a significant omission to me. Our feet are our primary point of contact when we’re moving around in the world. They are specifically designed to help us stay upright and move the way we want to through our environment. They feed a great deal of information to our brain about where our body is in space and the changes in the way our body is moving over whatever surface we are moving across. When that input is limited by the function of our feet it increases the risk for falling. 

I teach a class and provide individual instruction on the same material with my clients that improves the function and health of our feet. I call it “Happy Feet”. It provides a simple daily exercise routine that can dramatically improve the health and function of your feet. This in turn can substantially decrease the risk of falling.  

Contact me hear at this website or via my Facebook page, The Gift of Movement, if you’re interested in more information. You don’t have to become one of the statistics. 

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