Do you offer online classes?
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In response to Covid-19, we have moved all our classes online. I can’t wait to reopen the studio when the time comes—it provides a great sense of community to our members—but we’ll definitely be keeping our online programs going forward.
What should older adults know about falls?
StepWISEnow class in Briarcliff Manor
On Balance
An Interview with Balance and Falls Expert Molly Roffman by Connie Zuckerman
M
olly Roffman—a tion, and A Matter of Balance: New York StateManaging Concerns about licensed physical Falls, with balance-fitness therapist specializing in fall classes such as Line Dance prevention and balance trainand Balance Basics, and ing—is founder and director of balance-component classes StepWISEnow Balance Fitness, such as Core Connect and in Briarcliff Manor. She was Seated Stretch & Strength, inspired to develop StepWIwhich focus primarily on SEnow by her experience strength and flexibility. Molly Roffman rehabilitating patients who sustained fractures and other fall-related Who is the ideal participant? injuries. Recently we sat down to discuss Anyone over the age of 55. There are often her work. Here are the highlights. subtle changes in our balance beginning in our mid-to-late 50s, and it’s vitally What is StepWISEnow? important to be proactive about balance StepWISEnow Balance Fitness is grounded fitness. The majority of our participants in the knowledge that falls are preventare women, so we’d like to encourage more able. As the New York State Department of men to take balance fitness seriously, since Health states, “Falls are not accidents! They they are more likely to die from a fall. Men are not random, uncontrollable acts of fate, need to understand their risk and take but occur in predictable patterns, with recpreventative action. We also provide a safe, ognizable risk factors and among identifiinclusive, welcoming place for people with able populations.” StepWISEnow combines movement challenges, such as Parkinson’s evidence-based fall-prevention programs disease, to participate with confidence and such as Tai Chi for Arthritis & Fall Prevensecurity.
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That most of them are preventable—they are not a natural consequence of aging. It’s also important not to minimize the warning signs of a trip or loss of balance and discount it as unlikely to happen again. The first fall is the greatest predictor that another fall is likely. A fall is usually the result of multiple risk factors coming together. Risk factors can be divided into three broad categories: behavioral (rushing); environmental (slippery surfaces); and physiological (leg weakness). Fall prevention involves some elements of detective work. We must go back to the “scene of the crime” to identify all the circumstances that contributed to the fall so we know how to prepare and what to do differently moving forward.
What are the typical causes of balance problems in older adults?
A common cause is inactivity, which leads to weakness, stiffness, poor posture and loss of energy. Time spent watching screens—TVs, computers or cell phones— adds up. Adopting the 4 Cs can help: commitment to yourself to act, consistency of practice, challenging yourself each day, and confidence that you can improve and succeed. Being proactive is the key to fall prevention, and adopting the 4 Cs will help make a daily balance practice part of your lifestyle and routine. A second, less well-recognized cause of falls is multiple medications. According to the CDC, simply being on four or more medications puts one at increased risk for a fall. It’s important that older adults have regular medication reviews with their primary physician to determine if they are on the right medications at the right dosages.
