Stay Strong Through Seasonal Changes: Reducing Fall Risk and Boosting Your Mood
As the seasons change, particularly from summer to fall, many people experience physical and emotional shifts that can affect their health and well-being. With cooler weather and shorter days, it’s not uncommon to notice changes in mood or mobility. For older adults, this transition period can also bring increased risks, particularly when it comes to falls and depression. But the good news is that by staying aware and making a few small adjustments, you can stay strong, prevent falls, and boost your mood throughout the changing seasons.
Let’s dive into how seasonal transitions affect both your physical stability and emotional health and what you can do to stay active, safe, and upbeat during this time.
How Seasonal Changes Affect Fall Risk
As fall approaches, environmental factors, such as wet leaves, lower light levels, and colder weather, can contribute to an increased risk of falls. Here’s why:
Reduced Daylight: With shorter days, there’s less natural light, which can make it harder to see clearly, especially for those who already have vision problems. Dim lighting can increase the risk of tripping over objects or misjudging steps.
Cooler Temperatures: As temperatures drop, muscles and joints tend to stiffen, making it harder to move with the same fluidity as during warmer months. Cold weather can exacerbate conditions like arthritis, leading to decreased mobility and balance.
Slippery Conditions: Wet leaves, rain, or even early frost can make walkways slick. Without proper footwear or attention to surroundings, it’s easy to slip and fall.
Layered Clothing: While it’s important to stay warm, wearing multiple layers or bulky clothing can restrict movement. If clothes are too long or loose, they may also create a tripping hazard.
How Seasonal Changes Affect Mood
In addition to physical risks, seasonal transitions can also impact mental health. Many older adults experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or seasonal depression. It’s a form of depression that typically begins in the fall and continues through the winter months. Symptoms can include feelings of sadness, low energy, and a lack of motivation, all of which can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle and increase fall risk.
Lack of Sunlight: Exposure to sunlight affects the brain’s production of serotonin, a hormone that influences mood. With shorter daylight hours, the body may produce less serotonin, leading to feelings of sadness or depression.
Decreased Physical Activity: As the weather becomes colder and less predictable, it’s easy to stay indoors and become less active. However, reduced physical activity can weaken muscles and joints, making falls more likely. It can also deprive you of the endorphins (feel-good chemicals) your body releases when you exercise. This can deepen feelings of isolation, which contribute to depression.
Routine Disruption: Many people establish routines during the warmer months, such as outdoor walks or social gatherings. The transition into fall may disrupt these activities, causing loneliness or a feeling of disconnection. With motivation lower due to lack of sunlight, it can seem even more difficult to carve out a new routine that works with the new weather pattern.
Winter Months Are Worse for Falls
The latest data from the CDC shows more falls occur in the winter months in the US. The number of falls continues to increase, making it imperative that older adults and their care team help them take action to keep their balance strong in the face of winter hazards
Strategies for Reducing Fall Risk in the Fall and Winter
While seasonal changes present challenges, there are many simple ways to stay safe and reduce your risk of falling. By taking a proactive approach to balance and mobility, you can remain active and independent through autumn and beyond.
Exercise for Strength and Balance
Balance is a perishable skill! Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce fall risk. Strengthening your muscles and improving your balance will help you stay steady and confident and the effect of exercising has far reaching payoffs in your daytime mood and night time sleep quality.
Tai Chi or Yoga: These low-impact exercises are excellent for improving balance, flexibility, and muscle strength. Plus, they help reduce stress and improve mental clarity. The dynamic nature of Tai Chi is especially helpful for improving balance. If at all possible do these exercises standing, rather than sitting for the biggest benefits.
Strength Training: Resistance exercises, like lifting light weights or using resistance bands, or simply using your body weight to sit and stand repeatedly improve muscle strength, which is essential for stability. Exercise has also been proven to improve range of motion, arthritis and other mobility issues.
Stretching: Simple stretches can keep your joints flexible and reduce stiffness, especially in colder weather.
Move with intention: even in your own home, lift your feet when you walk. When turning, give yourself space and time so you don’t trip over your own feet.
These don’t have to take a long time, even stopping to do a few simple exercises, such as those in the ZIBRIO BalanceCoach app, for ten minutes a day, can help tune your body into better balance.
Wear Proper Footwear
Supportive, non-slip shoes are key to preventing falls, especially when navigating wet or uneven surfaces. Bear in mind that some trainers with very cushioned soles may make it harder to balance, as the softness dampens the signals coming in from the bottom of your feet. Look for shoes that have:
Non-slip soles for better grip on slippery surfaces
Proper arch support to maintain stability
A good fit to avoid tripping or losing balance
Common-sense Home Safety
Many falls happen in the home, you can protect yourself by taking a common sense approach to home safety. Look around your rooms and consider:
Removing clutter, especially in hallways and stairs
Making sure your lightbulbs work, or installing motion sensor or night lights
Putting grab rails in bathrooms
Arranging your kitchen so that frequently used items are easily to hand and don’t involve using ladders, or bending down uncomfortably low
Strategies for Boosting Mood and Emotional Well-Being
Did you know your mood is one of the six pillars of balance health? When we feel low, we are less aware of our surroundings and the effort to get up and move can seem too great. If you also have a fear of falling, this can lead you to further reducing your activity in an attempt to feel safe. Unfortunately, this will actually increase your risk for having a fall. So what can you do about it? There are a number of small steps you can try.
Stay Active Indoors: If outdoor activity becomes limited, find ways to stay active indoors. Indoor exercise classes, Tai Chi or Yoga, even dancing around your living room can keep your body moving and lift your spirits.
Get Outside When Possible: Even though the weather is cooler, it’s important to get outside for fresh air and natural light whenever possible. Exposure to sunlight, especially in the morning, helps your body produce serotonin, which boosts your mood. Take short walks during daylight hours, take an outside exercise class if available, or try a new sport like pickleball.
Stay Connected with Loved Ones: Take advantage of technology to engage with family and friends, even if they’re. not close by. Chatting via video can really bring a feeling of closeness. Try making some new friends, joining a class or activity you haven’t tried before is a good way of reminding yourself that learning something new can be fun.
Consider Light Therapy: For those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, light therapy can be very effective. Special light boxes mimic natural sunlight and can help regulate your mood by boosting serotonin production.
Engage in Enjoyable Activities: Whether it’s reading, knitting, listening to music, or working on a puzzle, finding activities that bring you joy can improve your mental state. Keeping your mind engaged also prevents the negative effects of boredom. Just remember to get up and move around regularly. Your balance, you joints, and your overall health with thank you for it!
Give Yourself an Unfair Advantage
Most of us go through life not knowing how our balance is changing from one day to the next. This can lead to a gradual decline that we’re not even aware of. Fortunately, it’s now possible, using technology spun out of the US space program, to measure your balance, understand your fall risk and get a personalized action plan to strengthen your balance. This powerful yet simple approach can help you change your balance, no matter your age or the state of your balance. Learn more about how ordinary people just like you have leveraged this knowledge to change their lives here: Personal Balance Stories.
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