Mood

Your mood can affect your balance both in the short term and the longer term. It’s perhaps tempting to sweep emotions under the rug when it comes to balance health, but they do affect you – both in terms of what you feel capable of doing now, and what you believe you can achieve in the future.

Short term:

Stress and worry can make us less aware of what is going on in our bodies, and the process of worrying or thinking hard about something can use up cognitive capacity which may result in reduced ability to react to hazards and move around safely.

Longer term:

In addition to this, worry about your physical capabilities and a fear of falling has been shown to increase your risk of falling, as people typically reduce their activity to keep themselves safe, which results in lower capability, which results in more fear.

Furthermore, anxiety and depression make it harder to get out and do even activities that you used to enjoy. Isolation and loneliness can also play a part here, and while these feelings can make the thought of going out seem impossible, it’s important to strategize some small steps to make it easier for you to do so.

Don’t worry, even if you find yourself struggling with all the above scenarios, there are ways to address them. It starts with small steps that you can manage now.

Fear of Falling:

Many things affect whether someone falls, and they can be grouped into intrinsic (the person themselves) and extrinsic (environment) factors. If you are afraid of falling, let’s start by examining both.

Intrinsic Factors: How good is your balance? There are objective ways to check this:

  • Use your ZIBRIO Stability scale to measure your balance and fall risk

  • Ask your doctor for a fall risk assessment and confide your fears to them

  • Ask a physical therapist to evaluate your strength and balance (some states require a doctor’s referral for this, but not all)

If you find a physical test shows you are at risk for falling, then taking action to build back muscle strength and neuro-muscular connection is your top priority. This can be done with physical therapy, and if you are confident to exercise alone, you may want to try ZIBRIO’s Better Balance Program, available in the BalanceCoach app.

Alternatively, ask at your local gym or community center for programs that help with balance, including Tai Chi.

Are you worried about falling because you feel dizzy or light-headed? These are two things that are important to talk to your doctor about. Dizziness can be caused by certain medications, so ask for a review, and to try alternative brands or doses, if appropriate.

While you’re working on your physical capability, you may still feel anxious, and this is when it’s important to strategize ways of keeping yourself safe while out and about.

  • Can you use a cane or walker to enable you to get out and see others?

  • Can you ask for help from friends, family or neighbors to get to PT appointments or classes?

  • Can you give yourself a bit of extra time to accomplish these trips? Take the time you need to walk, without hurrying.

  • Remember that a little balance practice every day will show results much faster than 1-2 sessions a week.

Extrinsic Factors: How dangerous is your home environment?

If you haven’t yet looked at your home with a view to making it safer for you, now is the time.

There are 4 areas to look at:

  • Clutter – make sure your stuff isn’t tripping you up. Can you have a clear out? Is it possible to move easily to the parts of your home you use regularly, or do you need help to reorganize?

  • Trip hazards – trailing cords from lamps (or anything plugged in), loose rugs, pet’s toys

  • Slip areas – is your bathroom easy to use? Can you get up from and down to the toilet easily? Can you get into and out of the shower / bath safely without slipping? Grab bars placed near to these items can make a big difference and don’t need to cost a lot.

  • Lighting – if you wake at night, how easy is it to get lights on so that you can see? As we age, we rely more on vision for our balance, so at night we are at a disadvantage. Voice activated lights, or night lights can help. Experiment with what you find easy to see before you need it.

Bear in mind that your balance does change a bit from one day to the next. Get comfortable with giving yourself extra time to do things, but do them all the same. If it takes a few more minutes to get to the phone, or get out the door, that’s okay, so long as you do it safely. No-one says you have to be a speed machine.

Inspiration: Sometimes it helps to see where others like you have found success. Remind yourself what good balance means to you. If you weren’t worried about falling, what would you do? How good would that feel?

While balance typically declines with age, it is highly responsive to what you do and is less a function of how old you are. Discover how others changed their poor balance into good balance with small changes. If they can do it, you can too.

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