November is Falls Prevention Month

Stay Independent. Prevent Falls.

2017 marks the 10th annual Finding Balance Falls Prevention campaign.

“Check Your Vision” Week focuses on creating awareness around seniors’ eye health, vision care, and the steps they can take to reduce falls due to changes in their vision. Plan activities to encourage seniors to have their eyes checked by an optometrist or ophthalmologist yearly.

November is Falls Prevention Month

Stay Independent. Prevent Falls.

2017 marks the 10th annual Finding Balance Falls Prevention campaign.

During November 8-14, the campaign will focus it's key messaging on Keep Active:

Keep Active

As you age, it is important to keep active to improve your strength and balance.

Benefits of physical activity

• Keeps bones and muscles healthy and strong
• Improves your balance
• keeps your heart and lungs healthy
• Increases your energy
• Helps you sleep
• Reduces your fear of falling
• Helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and high blood pressure
• Improves memory and attention
• Improves mood and sense of well-being

Suggestions

• Try to do 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least 5 days each week.
  • Moderate intensity: you will sweat and breathe harder
  • Vigorous intensity: you will sweat and be out of breath
• If you are just getting started, build up slowly and add a few minutes each day
• Include activities that strengthen both arm and leg muscles
• For strength try wall push-ups, stair climbing or exercises with weights or bands.
• For balance, try standing exercises, Tai Chi
• For endurance, try walking, gardening, dancing, cross-country skiing, or swimming
• For flexibility, try stretching, yoga, or Tai Chi

 
 

Finding Balance activity challenge

SENIORS' KEEP ACTIVE CHALLENGE

November 1-30, 2015

We want to help seniors keep active! Join us as we travel across Alberta. Choose where you want to go and then start your journey! Any physical activity will count towards the trip. Keep track of how many steps you take or how many minutes of physical activity you do each day. Add these into the UWALK website to see how far you go by the end of November. If you belong to a senior’s centre or recreation program, you join as a group to travel together. Groups can order a map to track your group’s progress.

The Seniors’ Keep Active Challenge is sponsored by UWALK. Register on the UWALK website and then join the Challenge. You can join the Challenge starting October 26, 2015.

Join the Challenge! Click here to register.

Get your free Finding Balance pedometer at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network (while supplies last).

Senior's Falls Prevention Month - Virtual Trek Across Alberta

This November’s Seniors’ Falls Prevention month focuses on the ‘Keep Active’ message. In partnership with UWALK, Finding Balance is hosting a virtual TREK across Alberta. Seniors across the province can join the TREK challenge by counting and recording the number of steps they take from November 1 to 30. The virtual TREK challenge begins in Coutts, Alberta and finishes in Fitzgerald, Alberta. The goal is 3,263,500 steps.

Let's take steps together to prevent falls.

You can pick up your free Finding Balance pedometer and passport (while supplies last) at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network office.The passport provides information on how to join, count steps, convert minutes of other activities like biking or shoveling into steps and where to log all steps. Group leaders can log steps for their group or individuals can log their own steps.

#301, 4710 - 50 Street, Leduc AB.

www.lbdpcn.com

For more information on Finding Balance and preventing falls, please visit:

http://www.findingbalancealberta.ca