Maybe you wonder why agebuzz spends so much time focused on balance and fall prevention. Well, as we’ve previously pointed out, around the world falls are the primary cause of accidental deaths and now we have new data reporting that fatal falls more than doubled among US older adults, from 10,000 in 1999 to over 36,000 in 2020. That’s a staggering increase in fatalities, and those increases are reported among all races, ethnicities, and genders. While this new reporting does not explicitly state the reason for such a large increase, there are trends that may contribute, including longer lives lived with chronic illness (which increases the risk of falling), and the multitude of medications that so many of us take that also increase the risk.  For more on this worrisome trend, steady yourself and click here.

What these fatal falls also indicate is that no one escapes the possibility of a tragic fall and thus, balance and fall prevention become central to quality- and quantity- of life as you get older. Even when a fall is not fatal, it is often a life-changing event, including upping your odds of entering a long-term care facility, where the risk of another fall is 3x higher than for those who live independently in the community (and where reports of falling are apparently significantly underreported). So even if you’re lucky enough not to succumb to a fatal fall, your life following an injurious fall may never be the same. Therefore, vigilance and risk aversion are essential.

Even if you pride yourself on being steady and strong, the risk of a fall is ever-present as you get older. Why is that? It could be due to physical factors beyond your control (a natural loss of strength and flexibility, or loss of mobility or coordination from such diseases as arthritis and diabetes) or it could be due to naturally occurring physical changes that you’re not paying attention to (such as vision or hearing loss). Even more, systemic inequities, such as less access to quality care, healthy food, or reliable transportation, can all up your risk of falling. Finally, an unfortunate lesson learned during the pandemic is also clear: social isolation and loneliness among older adults can also increase the risk of falling so that social activity itself can help in fall prevention.

So what can you do to prevent yourself from falling? Of course, lifestyle and behavior are critically important, including eating well, getting sufficient sleep, engaging socially, and of course, exercising to maintain and even improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and stability. Even if you are a regular walker, or you engage in a weekly tennis game, that may not be sufficient. As one expert has stated, “Based on a recent study, exercises that combine balance, joint motion, and strength resistance may be more effective at preventing falls than a single-focus exercise program.” You’ve got to mix it up with a variety of exercises that focus on the range of abilities you need to prevent a fall. Writing in The Conversation, Dr. Evan Papa, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at Tufts University, lays it out plainly: He suggests 5 different forms of regular exercise as part of your fall prevention strategy, including balance training, strength training, Tai Chi, yoga, and flexibility training. While that may sound like a full-time occupation, remember your current lifestyle is dependent on your ability to stay upright and uninjured. Dr. Papa also recommends you make use of an assisted device (cane or walker) to help prevent a serious fall. For an up-to-date set of tips for choosing and using a cane, click here.

And if you do have a fall? Dr. Leslie Kernisan from Better Health While Aging recently updated her information on what kind of assessment your doctor should undertake to determine why you fell and whether anything can be done to prevent a subsequent fall. Not all falls are fatal, and not all falls are your fault, but doing all you can to cut your risk and lessen the likelihood of injury is something within your control.