Preventing Falls - How to test & improve your Mobility, Balance & Strength
- Jennie Cox
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Around 30% of adults aged 65 and over and 40% of adults aged 80 and over fall at least once a year. Research shows that exercise programmes combining strength, balance and functional training can reduce falls by around 23–30%.
We all want to be able to live with independence and confidence to climb stairs, carry shopping, get up from chairs and play with grandchildren later in life!
So let's have a look at how we can test & train our bodies to reduce the risk of falls, live more confidently and have more fun with our families as we age...
Risk Factors for Falls...
1. Physical and Biological Factors:
Muscle Weakness: The loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) and strength in the legs and core directly impacts a person's ability to recover from a trip or slip.
Balance and Gait Issues: Shuffling, altered walking patterns and balance disorders.
Age and Sex: The risk of falling increases with age, particularly for those over 80. Older women fall and experience fall-related injuries at higher rates than men.
2. Medical and Health Conditions:
Vision Problems: Conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration impair spatial awareness and obstacle detection.
Cognitive Decline: Dementia and mild cognitive impairment affect attention, executive function and judgment.
Postural Hypotension: A sudden drop in blood pressure when rising from a seated or lying position can cause dizziness or fainting.
Chronic Illnesses: Conditions like arthritis, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease independently affect mobility, nerve sensitivity, and joint stability.
Urinary/Faecal Incontinence: Rushing to the bathroom, often at night in poor lighting, is a common cause of falls.
3. Medications:
Polypharmacy: Taking four or more medications significantly increases fall risk.
Sedatives and Antidepressants: Psychoactive medications, tranquilizers, and certain blood pressure or heart drugs can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and delayed reflexes.
Codeine Based Painkillers can increase the risk of falls by 60%.
4. Environmental and Behavioural Factors:
Home Hazards: Tripping hazards such as loose throw rugs, cluttered walkways, uneven steps, and poor lighting.
Inappropriate Footwear: Wearing worn-out shoes, backless slippers, or high heels.
Fear of Falling: Paradoxically, a persistent fear of falling causes individuals to reduce their daily activity. This inactivity leads to further muscle deconditioning, increasing the actual risk of a fall.
Why balance, mobility and strength all matter
Think of your body as a system:
Strength is the engine - it helps you stand up, climb stairs and catch yourself when you trip.
Mobility is the suspension - it allows your joints to move freely and efficiently.
Balance is the steering - it keeps you upright when the ground is uneven or life becomes unpredictable.
Can exercise really reduce falls?
It sure can! Research reviewed by the World Health Organization and NICE shows that multicomponent exercise programmes, combining strength, balance and functional movement training, can reduce fall rates by around 28% compared with less comprehensive exercise approaches.
That is why current UK guidance recommends exercise programmes that include:
Balance training
Strength exercises
Walking and gait practice
Functional movements such as sit-to-stands
Simple ways to test yourself at home...
Before training, it helps to assess where you are.
Balance tests:
Can you stand with your feet side by side for 10 seconds, with your eyes closed?
Aim: 10+ seconds
Can you walk in tandem or semi-tandem?
Chair rise test:
Can you stand up from a chair without using your hands?
Aim: Smooth controlled movement without pushing off from your hands.
Sit-to-stand x5:
Can you sit and stand five times in under 15 seconds?
Aim: Done within 15 seconds.
Walking Speed:
Can you walk four metres in under 5 seconds?
Aim: Under 5 seconds.
Timed Up-and-Go test:
Can you stand up, walk 3 metres, turn around, walk back and sit back down?
Aim: Less than 10 seconds is low risk, 10-20 seconds indicates mobility issues, > 30 seconds shows increased mobility issues and increased risk of falls.
If any of these are difficult, it highlights areas that may benefit from training!
A practical weekly plan for most adults over 60:
Strength training: 2–3× per week. Focusing on legs, hips and core e.g. seated leg extensions, calf raises, press ups against a wall, sit to stands from a chair.
Balance exercises: Daily. Single-leg stands (e.g. when brushing your teeth or making a cup of tea), tandem walking, Tai Chi. Using balance pads or cushions challenges the body to stabilize. (Use a wall or sturdy chair to hold on to to start & always stop if you feel dizzy).
Mobility work: 5–10 min daily. e.g. lower body twists, knee to chest hugs, ankle circles, foot rolling, mid back extension exercises.
Walking or aerobic activity: Daily. To build endurance and confidence!
Supporting Bone Health to Prevent Fractures:
Strong bones reduce the severity of injuries if a fall occurs. Osteoporosis affects millions of older adults, especially women after menopause. Maintaining bone health complements balance and strength training by reducing the risk of fractures.
Have a read of our Blog about Osteoporosis...
In Conclusion...
Falls among older adults are not inevitable. By focusing on balance exercises, mobility work, strength training and bone health, we can significantly reduce our risk.
How can our team help you prevent falls and move with confidence:
Foot Health & Diabetes Nerve Checks to improve proprioception & decrease foot pain, with Tamara our Foot Health Consultant.
Foot Reflexology.
Chiropractic care & Massage therapy to support: Joint function, Mobility, Posture, Movement patterns, Muscle strength and Balance. Personalised home Exercise Programs.
1:1 Pilates or Yoga sessions with Kiran.
References:
By Jennie Cox, Chiropractor
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