How good is your balance?
The answer is important for all of us as we age, but especially critical if you have osteoporosis.
I’m going to share some important information about how targeted exercise can help you improve your balance to reduce the risk of falls. I’ll also share news about an exciting online workshop that I’ve created to help you develop a strong balance practice at home.
But first, let’s examine some important statistics. In the United States, people over age 65 account for 75 percent of all deaths caused by falls, though they represent just 13 percent of the population. Moreover, 40 percent of people over age 65 fall at least once a year. Additionally, between 2000 and 2016, the death rate from falls among those over age 75 more than doubled.
And it’s not just seniors who are at risk of falling from poor balance. Researchers in Brazil found that middle-aged people who can’t balance on one leg are twice as likely to die early. That’s right. Scientists assessed 2,000 people aged 50 to 75 and found that those who couldn’t stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds were 84 percent more likely to die within the next decade than those who could complete the so-called flamingo test. That’s scary.
But then when we overlay this information with osteoporosis, the alarm bells really sound loudly. Falls are the leading cause of fractures. In the U.S. one in 3 women will have a fracture related to a fall each year. And low bone density due to osteoporosis is a main reason that falls easily result in fracture. If you fall once, your chance of falling again doubles.
Although those statistics are cause for concern, simply being afraid of those risks can cause you to restrict your activities, which leads to further frailty and more falls. In other words, fear of falling becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
So, what should you do? Be proactive. Exercise.
Multiple highly regarded studies from around the world have shown that maintaining muscle strength and exercising to challenge your balance can effectively reduce the risk of falls.
That’s why I’ve created a workshop that will show you how to assess your balance and develop a regular balance practice that will restore your confidence, your strength, and your stability.
For just $39, you will have ongoing access to all the resources in my online course, Better Balance for Osteoporosis.
The $39 one-time payment is less than half the cost of a single private session with me in my studio, and with this course you will be able to return again and again to the program resources.
The Build Better Balance for Osteoporosis course includes more research about balance and osteoporosis, 75 minutes of balance assessment and balance instruction with modifications for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Levels, and a 26-page companion guide that will explain and show you all the steps that you will need to develop a regular balance practice at home.
Join me as we continue to learn how to take charge of our health as we age.
