As you age, not only does the risk of an injury increase, but the risk that those injuries that do occur will be more serious than they otherwise would have at a younger age also increases. Once you get past the age of 50, you have to be cognizant of various things that you previously didn’t have to worry about.
With the proper precautions, you can protect yourself from various orthopedic injuries, including strains, sprains, fractures, and more. A new report finds an author offering some insights, and we’d like to expand on those to show how you can keep the more serious damage at bay.
His first piece of advice is to become more aware of your own position as you go about your day. Once you hit a certain age, you can’t just let your limbs flail about without watching where you’re going. You want to know what obstacles are around you at all times, making sure that your actions are deliberate so that you’re not tripping over something or running into an object that could do you harm.
One of the ways you can help yourself in this regard is to pay attention to your living space. When you were younger, maybe you thought nothing of hopping over or scooting around something that jutted out into a frequented pathway. At an older age, you want to make sure that these obstacles aren’t even around.
Position furniture so that it’s not blocking paths or making areas unnecessarily narrow. Don’t let mail or newspapers pile up, and make sure that things like rugs are stuck to the ground via double-sided tape so that they won’t bunch up or cause you to slide.
The author also notes the importance of lending focus to one task at a time. In our busy world, multi-tasking has become second nature thanks to the proliferation of Smartphones and other mobile devices. But this multi-tasking can prove injurious if it causes you to not pay attention to your surroundings.
If you’re out for a stroll, don’t carry on a phone conversation or send a text. Distracted walking is a very real thing, and it sends people to the emergency room with serious injuries on a regular basis. Even within your own residence, make sure to keep your mind on whatever task you’re doing. Similar to what we described above, this can help you identify and circumvent hazards that may otherwise cause you trouble.
Finally, make sure that you’re giving yourself plenty of time to conduct actions. Don’t try to rush up steps or around your property, and if you’re working out, respect the importance of a break period and a decent warmup and cool-down.
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