This Causes Most Falls for Older Adults

Harvard Medical School Professor Brad Manor wrote in the Harvard Health Blog that "dual-tasking" — standing or walking while concurrently performing a separate cognitive or physical task — causes the most falls among older adults, reports Yahoo! Finance . Examples could include reading while walking, or talking and carrying a cup of coffee while strolling. Manor said standing upright or walking down a well-lit hallway entail continuously stabilizing the body's center of mass over the relatively small base of support generated by how one positions their feet on the ground. "This control requires quick reflexes, as well as strong muscles of the trunk, hips, legs, ankles, and toes," he noted. "However, to avoid falling we also need to pay attention to our body and environment, predict and perceive unsafe movements of our body, and adjust accordingly." Older people spend more cognitive effort on such tasks, diverging resources from controlling the center of mass over their feet, which often leads to falls. Preventive steps Manor suggested include boosting environmental awareness, minimizing distractions in crowded rooms and elsewhere, and avoiding talking while moving.