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Carolyn Harstick left last week’s fall prevention workshop at the Spokane Valley Senior Center with a new perspective on balance.
Harstick was one of nearly dozen participants in the Nov. 20 class sponsored by Tai Chi for Health, a Spokane-based company run by Bob and Cindy Petet. After starting with tai chi lessons nearly two months ago, Harstick felt the low-impact exercise, based on a Chinese martial art, would help her develop increased strength and stability.
“I’ve fallen before and broken my wrist,” Harstick said. “I’ve seen how tai chi can improve your balance, where you root into your feet and just become more aware.”
Harstick drops by the senior center for classes each Monday and practices tai chi at home for around an hour each day.
“I find it calming,” she said. “It’s about breathing and relaxing.”
While Harstick said she has developed fall-prevention skills while learning more about tai chi, last week’s program focused specifically on information to address a problem that last year sent over 380,000 seniors to the hospital with traumatic brain injuries. Around half of those who fall are not able to live independently after receiving care.
In the U.S., about one-third of the elderly population, or 23 million people, lose their footing on an annual basis.
“A lot of seniors don’t have the leg strength and balance to protect against falls,” said Bob Petet.
A 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society found that 700 seniors taking tai chi classes over a four-month period “significantly reduced the number of falls…and reduced the risk of multiple falls by approximately 70 percent.” Other studies report that tai chi helps address problems related to arthritis, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and fybromyalgia.
“The more you stick with it, the better you feel,” said Carol Munkers, an attendee at the fall prevention class who began taking tai chi four years ago. “When I started, I didn’t realize all the health benefits. It’s a very easy exercise but it does a lot of good.”
Bob describes how physicians are now recommending that more patients try tai chi to ease a variety of ailments.
“After they’ve started, we ask the students to go back to their doctors to evaluate their progress,” Bob said. “Most of the doctors will pick up the phone and call us because they’re amazed.”
In addition to reviewing the basics of tai chi, the workshop deals with a number of external factors that people can take in safeguarding their homes against fall risks. Bob describes how dim or bright lights can be a distraction leading to a spill. Optimum lighting in all areas of the home are a key in stable footing. Other utilitarian steps include cleaning up the clutter off floors, making sure chairs have arms for support, installing handrails in all staircases and eliminating distractions such as cell phones.
“You should have walkways that are at least four feet wide in your home,” Bob said.
Walking devices such as walkers and canes should always be inspected by licensed physical therapists, Petet said. An improperly fitted device – or failure to use the walking aid – significantly increases the risk of falling.
Students in the workshop learn about balance points, the importance of a straight and consistent stride and the benefits of a regular exercise program that improves strength, energy levels and flexibility. Attendees are also encouraged to have their vision checked and to visit their doctor for a complete physical and a review of current medications.
“We know about the statistics,” Bob said “Now it’s a matter of what we can do.”
Want to find out more?
To learn more about Tai Chi for Health, call Bob and Cindy Petet at 468-0587. Classes are offered at the Spokane Valley Senior Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place on Mondays and Tuesdays. The next course runs Jan. 4 through March 22. To contact the senior center, call 926-1937.
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By
Craig Howard
