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To prevent falls, lead a balanced life

When Hillary Clinton fell boarding a plane two years ago in Yemen, it was a tumble watched around the world, with the secretary of state's spill preserved forever on YouTube.

The rest of us do our stumbling in relative privacy, but Clinton certainly is not alone in suddenly finding herself going down.

Falls are the second most common injury accident, after motor vehicle accidents. While often thought of as more of an aging hazard as bones become brittle and joints and tendons less pliable, a bad fall can hurt bodies at any age. The best prevention is to work on simple balance, a necessary skill whether you're kicking a soccer ball, carrying groceries or turning to wave from airplane steps.

Fitness experts say it's never too early or late to improve balance. Many exercise regimens incorporate balance training including Pilates, yoga, tai chi, dance and martial arts. You can also practice balance by sitting on a stability ball or by standing on one leg while you brush your teeth.

Start young, said Beverley Combs, who teaches strength and stretch classes at the Santa Rosa YMCA to students ranging in age from 30 to 90.

"You can't wait until you're 60 or 70 and fall over and break your hip," Combs said. "You can learn balance at any age."

Of course, that won't keep you from tripping on a tree root in your hiking boots.

"You can do all the good stuff to get strong and you could still fall," she said. But depending on your bone strength, you might bounce and not break. And if you work to get good core strength, you may right yourself before you hit the ground.

The three elements of balance are the auditory system, the sensory nerves called proprioceptors that are in muscles, tendons and joints, and the visual system.

"The inner ear is like a carpenter's level," said Darcie Fellows, who owns Santa Rosa Gymnastics and teaches step aerobics at the Y. "If we get a cold and it affects our inner ear, our level doesn't work."

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