Anti Falls Strength and Balance Program

Service Description

Our 6 week strength and balance class is designed to support you in mitigating falls as much as possible, covering a range of exercises, lifestyle habits and environmental factors to reduce your risk of a fall! Age is no barrier to exercise. At any age, you can see improvement in your strength, balance, stamina, flexibility and more importantly the mental health benefits of exercise should never be underestimated. Why falls matter Most of us will have experienced a fall at some point. Having a fall will be nothing more than a bit embarrassing for many, however, a fall can be startling, upsetting and life changing, especially as we get older. Falls and older people Falls aren’t an inevitable part of getting older, but can become more common and be harder to recover from. If you, or someone you know, has fallen, you’re not alone: 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 experiences a fall at least once a year, more than 200000 older people are admitted to hospital after a fall each year in the UK. Falls are the most common reason for an ambulance being called to an older person **Causes of falls** Most falls among older people are caused by an interaction of a number of risk factors, with personal risk factors – such as weak muscles, poor balance and walking difficulties – commonly playing a part. Left unmanaged, these can significantly increase your risk of falling. Falls can also be caused by new, and often temporary, health conditions, including: constipation infection dehydration acute confusion For this reason, you should always speak to your GP practice, or another health professional – such as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist, if you’ve had a fall. Learn more about personal risk factors and falls Preventing falls Falls prevention is about identifying and managing the risks related to your health, well-being and environment. This includes: keeping active looking after your feet looking after your vision and hearing managing your medication identifying hazards moving around safely eating healthily