Better balance for seniors

POST FALLS - Jack Smith has fallen at least three times, and he wants to do his part to reduce the risk of it happening again.

"I was suffering from cancer and didn't know it," the 86-year-old Post Falls man said of his earlier tumbles.

Smith was among those who attended a free class presented by River City Physical Therapy on Monday at the Post Falls Senior Center aimed at what seniors can do to ease the risk of falling.

He uses a walker now because of his previous falls.

"Before the cancer came along, I was fine," he said.

But, rather than moping about his situation, he wants to learn how to improve his balance and was enlightened during the class.

"You have the ability to exercise right at home at the kitchen sink or at the counter," he said. "My advice to older folks like me is to take advantage of the (classes) that are out there.

"It takes practice and patience, but there's not anything that is impossible."

Attendees learned that simple exercises such as raising up their bodies with their toes, swaying one leg sideways while being planted on the other and lunging forward with one leg at a time goes a long way toward building strength and better balance.

Safety precautions such as having someone around and having chairs and counters next to you for balance in case you begin to fall should be foremost when doing any exercise, said Cory Lewis, physical therapist.

Lewis' main message is that any activity is better than no activity, adding that most exercises can be done at home. He said seniors should build up their exercise routine slowly. Otherwise, the risk for injury becomes greater, he said.

"We're big about independence," he said. "If we think they can exercise at home, we let them."

The fine line, Lewis said, comes when seniors think they can manage themselves, but they can't.

Seniors may also choose to wear a "Life Alert" bracelet in which emergency responders are alerted if someone falls.

Post Falls' Vera Brown said she was reassured during the class that she is doing what she's supposed to to help prevent falling for the first time. She participates in an exercise class at a local church.

"It's great because I can do things that I couldn't before and don't have to worry much about falling," Brown said.

The class will resume on Monday at 9 a.m. at the senior center with individual assessments. Attendance at the first class is not a requirement.

Joanna Adams of the Panhandle Health District, who attended the class, said seniors should know that free programs, including the district's "Fit and Fall Proof" class, are available.

"To be effective, you have to exercise on a regular basis," she said. "You also want to have good guidance on the proper way to do exercises."