BOISE, Idaho — The older we get, the easier it is to have a fall, but the way to staying safe is the exercise you should do to make sure you don't become a statistic as you age.
(The following is the broadcast transcript)
Staying active is important for avoiding falls as we age.
That's because, as Dr. Daniel Meltzer explains, it’s easier to lose muscle mass the older we get.
"Some of the biggest muscles in the body are in our lower extremities, so not surprisingly if we're losing muscle that's one of the quickest areas we tend to lose it."
And losing those muscles can lead to imbalance, and that can lead to falls.
"Balance to your point, balance is. Very important it's not to just proprioception which is small muscles but strength which is the larger muscles. But we know that falls are leading causes of morbidity injury and mortality death as we age."
Those muscles that help us get out of a chair are the ones we need to maintain the most.
Squats or repeated standing from a seated position can help, even if we're unlikely to return to the muscle mass of our 20's.
"You certainly can get stronger and you can preserve what you have as you age."
Also, make sure you check with a doctor before making medication changes. One of the biggest causes of falls is imbalance caused by drug interactions.
