By Carin Clegg, Dietitian and Fitness Professional
Instead of April Fools, be smart and raise your awareness of how to prevent falls. The 1st April is April Falls Day and fall prevention is everyone’s business.
After the age of 25 health factors decline if not participating in regular physical activity and eating nutritiously. These include bone density, muscle mass, metabolic rate (leading to unwanted fat stores), blood sugar control, balance, joint mobility, muscle strength. Consequently, chronic disease risk such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and falls risk increases.
You know the saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, well that is why it is so important to set up helpful habits before you are too far ‘over the hill.’ And this will also help you age gracefully.
Let’s look at the key factors that assist with keeping us on our feet over our life and when we age.
Eating regularly
Eating and even preparing your own food regularly over the day helps you to eat all the nutrients your body needs.
Having a good routine of eating meals and snacks at certain times each day will keep your energy levels up, fuelling your mind and body is a great way to maintain those healthy eating habits as you age. Skipping meals is linked to poor appetite, weight loss and increase falls risk as we get older.
Protein
Protein rich foods are important for maintaining muscle mass and strength, something that declines as we age.
Protein rich foods include: nuts and seeds, legumes like lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, dairy foods and soy milk, fish and seafood, meat like beef, lamb, pork, kangaroo, chicken, duck and other game meats. It is a good habit to include a protein rich food at each meal and snack.
Calcium
Calcium and Vitamin D work together to help maintain strong bones. Calcium–rich foods include dairy foods, such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, custard, dairy alternatives, which are fortified with calcium, such as soy milk, almond milk, soy yoghurts, fish with the bones like canned salmon, calcium set tofu. We need 3 serves of dairy/dairy alternatives daily after the age of 65 years old to maintain our bone strength and density as we age.
Vitamin D
Our body usually makes the majority of vitamin D through UV light exposure. To ensure you are making Vitamin D, direct sun exposure on bare skin is required i.e. not through glass. In our region we need about 15 minutes per day in summer or 30 minutes per day in winter wearing shorts and t–shirt will give you your daily dose of vitamin D. You may need to soak up more rays if you are more covered up, are older, have health conditions that impact vitamin D absorption and creation, have darker skin or do not go outside every day.
If you are concerned you are not getting enough vitamin D you can ask your GP for a blood test to check your levels.
Hydration
Keeping hydrated is also important to prevent falls as we age.
Drinking water at each meal and snack time is a great habit to start and carry on through to your golden years. Remember soda water, tea and coffee also count for fluids.
Physical activity
For people over the age of 65 years, the exercise guidelines recommend 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity physical activity preferably every day, including strength or weight bearing activities 2 days a week and limit sedentary activity.
If someone is diagnosed with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, mental health condition or any kind of chronic disease, exercise is now being prescribed as treatment as it is now known to be an important way of managing and preventing progression of the condition in conjunction with or sometimes as a replacement to medicine.
The best kind of activities to do is the ones that you enjoy and I recommend choosing 3 each week. There is so much out there to explore and see what the right fit is for you including catered to the older active adult. From chair yoga to dancing, from park run (or walk) to the gym, bushwalking to circus.
The biggest barrier I find is people being afraid to try something new, worried they will do it wrong or make a fool out of themselves. Especially when our bodies do not do what they used to be able to do or are just not fit for the new type of activity, yet!
We need to break down this barrier, big time. As kids we are told practise makes perfect. The more you practise, the easier and more enjoyable it will be. Remember persistence pays off and patience is a virtue!
So, go on. Get out there and find something that you will love and that keeps you on your feet in your golden years!
Carin Clegg is the Director of Bright Diets, is a Paediatric Dietitian and Fitness Professional with an interest in sustainability. Carin wants everyone to be clever about their eating to feel happy, healthy and vibrant! Reach out at 0413 774 411, www.brightdiets.com.au or on the socials.