Minimising falls & reducing injuries becomes increasingly important as we age. With the help of a physiotherapist tailored exercise program, these quick & easy exercises can make a huge difference to your safety, confidence and independence.
Exercises to Help Reduce Falls – As always, speaking to one of our friendly physios will assist in assessing the best exercises and program to suit your specific circumstances.
When perform the following exercise, make sure you have something stable (e.g. a wall) nearby for support. Once you feel more confident, you can progress the exercise by increasing the repetitions.
- Heel-To-Toe Stand / Walk
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- Improve your balance when walking through narrow spaces (e.g. doorways/stairwells)
- Heel-to-toe stand
- Place one foot directly in front of the other and touching one another, bend you knees slightly
- Stand for 10 seconds
- Heel-To-Toe Walk
- Once you can perform the heel-to-toe stand comfortably, you can progress to heel-to-toe walk
- Perform the exercise next to a wall
- Place the feet ‘heel to toe’ with the left foot forward
- Steady yourself in this position
- Step forward with the right foot, placing the heel directly in front of, and touching, the toes of the left foot
- Step forward with the left foot, placing the heel directly in front of, and touching, the toes of the right foot
- Repeat this sequence, moving forwards along the wall
- Reverse direction, moving backwards along the wall
- Knee Raise
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- Help you to clear you foot off the ground when walking to prevent tripping, especially when climbing stairs or walking uphill
- March on spot, lifting knees as high as you can
- Maintain good posture and keep your hips level
- Your foot should not make a loud noise when being placed back on the floor (keep your footfall silent)
- Repeat 8 times
- Side Leg Raise/Sideways Walking
- Improve your balance when shifting your weight between your legs
- Walking sideway, with slow steps alongside your kitchen countertop
- Sit To Stand
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- Improve your stability and strength when getting up and down from a seated position
- Cross your arm in front of your chest
- Stand up slowly from a chair
- Slowly lower yourself back into the chair as softly as you can
- Repeat 5 times
For support or advice, please contact our physios for specific advice tailored to your needs.
For further information, please refer to:
Title: Falls Prevention – Home exercises
Source: NSW Falls Prevention Program