I had something happen today that reminded me how important exercise is for preventing frailty and falls as we age. Two of my clients fell over the weekend-one needs a new pacemaker, as his heart rate was only 30 bpm, and he simply wasn’t getting enough blood to his brain when standing. Exercise strengthens the heart muscle too. Another simply lost her balance and tried to grab a swivel chair for balance, which didn’t work too well. Folk’s, I can’t emphasize the importance of balance, and strength and flexibility are a big part of balance. There are many different ways to challenge and improve your balance and strength, please don’t wait until you have a fall to try improving balance-you may not get a 2nd chance.
Stay well, John R. Blilie, M.S.