Did you know that 60-80% of all falls happen in your own home or yard? The two most common rooms where falls happen are in the kitchen and the bathroom. In the yard it’s usually the steps, a planter, or your own dog.
Since many people are staying at home more, now is the time to work on your balance so you don’t fall. But how do you work your balance when your balance is not good? I’ve put together a video showing you how to practice navigating different surfaces safely. In the video I will show you how to set up a safe balance station in your home.
Most Important!! You must either be bare foot or wearing non-slip shoes. Do not do this in socks! This is a huge slip and trip hazard. Trust me on this one. Broken hips have resulted from walking around sock footed.
- Pick a carpeted room, or a workout room with a rubberized floor. Find a very stable object to hang on to. You can do this in a hallway, living room, or bedroom, as long as there is something stable to hang on to and a non-slip floor.Dressers, the back of a couch, or walls will work. Beware: People often pick counters in their kitchen to hold on to. However, even if you have shoes on, once you place a cushion on the floor, the cushion could slip.
- ** If your balance is really affected, have a loved one stand behind you with a gait belt around your waist to support you if you should lose your balance. Remember to keep your head over your spine.
- Line up a couple of items like a folded yoga mat, stretching mat, couch cushion, anything with varying degrees of firmness to them that are not slippery.
- While holding on to a stable item, walk sideways along the different surfaces. Notice how each one feels under your feet. Pick your foot up high, then place it down.
- Be mindful to pick up the following foot high and place it down leaving plenty of space between your feet.
- You will be tempted to place your feet close to each other (this is how falls happen). Think “WIDE” as you are stepping, leaving space between your feet. The following foot is the culprit as you will try to quickly place it down, and it often gets placed too close to the first foot.
- Do this back and forth, facing the same direction, so you work both legs as the lead foot.
Keep active during this time at home! It will boost your immune system and help your Parkinson’s. You don’t want to return to class in worse shape!
Until next week, stay active,
- 💜 Coach Kimberly