Fall Prevention and Staying Active During Winter Weather
Brrr, it’s cold out there! With winter and icy weather comes safety risks, such as getting injured from a strain while shoveling (or slipping on ice as you walk in a parking lot!)
Having your balance assessed this season could help you to avoid fall-related injuries. Give Stride Sports & Physiotherapy a call today to schedule an appointment, so we can help you feel steady on your feet!
Our therapists are the balance experts in the field and want to make sure our patients lower their fall risk as much as possible.
Staying Safe and Active In Winter
Between the limited daylight hours, chilly temperatures, and occasionally icy conditions outside, staying safe and healthy can be challenging. Anything you can do to keep active during the winter months is a step in the right direction!
Ice and snow are the biggest threats that winter poses, especially to older patients! Slipping on ice can result in nasty, painful falls. However, with preparation and planning, you can stay safe and active in the winter months. This may sometimes feel difficult to accomplish due to injuries and inclement weather, but knowing the proper steps to take can help you keep doing the things you enjoy no matter the conditions outside.
The most common injuries related to cold weather happen from falls on icy sidewalks, steps, driveways, and porches. Ideally, you will stay off the ice when possible. Walking on ice is extremely dangerous, regardless of how good your balance is. Do your best to keep your steps and walkways free of ice with sand, salt, or cat litter.
If you plan to run or walk on snowy, icy surfaces, attaching snow or ice spikes to your boots or running shoes will help you maintain traction to reduce the risk of falls. Be careful when wearing spikes on the pavement as they are designed to penetrate the ground and affect your balance.
How Can a Balance Expert Help Me Reduce My Fall Risk?
The physiotherapists at Stride Sports & Physiotherapy are balance experts who can help you improve your balance and fight back against the risk of falling this winter.
Your therapist will perform a thorough physical examination to identify the source of your pain and/or injuries if they are present. Your mobility, strength, balance, and gait will be assessed as well to determine your fall risk. This information will help us create a program that includes targeted manual techniques, mobility work, strengthening, and any appropriate balance and gait techniques that can help keep you upright and on your feet this season!
What Should I Expect During Therapy?
The first thing you should know about therapy for balance is that this kind of therapy is not a “one size fits all” approach. Your program will be specific to your needs and wants and fit into your lifestyle.
Some of the interventions you can expect to experience at Stride Sports & Physiotherapy are:
Strengthening Exercises
These exercises will address muscle weakness which is often a primary contributing factor to poor balance and falls during winter weather. With strength and balance training, patients are better equipped to recover from unexpected lapses in gait or a momentary loss of balance to prevent falls.
Static and Dynamic Balance Training
This kind of training will be incorporated into your physiotherapy treatment to help your body learn how to better respond to environmental challenges to their balance. For example, you may be asked to stand on one leg while performing a mentally challenging task, such as reciting the alphabet or reading a paragraph of text out loud. Our physiotherapists will also teach you balance strategies to help mitigate fall risk.
Gait Training
Gait training will include activities to improve gait mechanics and increase your confidence and safety in navigating across different terrains (icy sidewalks, porches, parking lots) and around various obstacles, such as snow. Our physiotherapists will also evaluate the need for an assistive device or perhaps adjust the device you are currently using.
Endurance Training
Endurance training may improve muscle endurance and improve aerobic capacity for activity. Both will reduce fatigue as a risk factor for falls when walking or completing daily tasks.
Contact Us Today For a Balance Assessment
Stride Sports & Physiotherapy wants our patients to feel safe and confident in their mobility and balance. Winter can be a difficult time for those with compromised balancing abilities; however, with the help of a physiotherapist at our clinic, it doesn’t have to be!
Call us today to have your balance assessed this snowy season. We can determine if you are at risk for falls, show you how to prevent them, and address any pain or discomfort you may be having. The well-being of our patients is important to us, no matter what season we’re in!
Our Patients Get Great Results
“Brinda is kind, compassionate and really cares about people. She ensures that you get the proper treatment you deserve. The place is clean and the staff are wonderful and courteous. I would highly recommend this place.“
-Erik A.
Staff Spotlight
Brinda Mistry
Physiotherapist
Ruchika Ray
Physiotherapist I Partner
Bryson Yee
Physiotherapist
Dr. Rahil Seth
Chiropractor
Harsh Shah
Physiotherapist I Owner
Krunal Patel
Physiotherapist | Owner
Ritesh Nayak
Physiotherapist | Owner
Stride Physiotherapy is Proud to Announce the Opening of Our Newest Clinic on December 15th, 2024
Stride Sports & Physiotherapy – Heritage Valley Inc.
2927 119A St SW
Edmonton, AB T6W 2X9
Phone: 587-605-4088
Fax: 780-800-4446
Clinic Email: heritagevalley@stridesportsphysio.ca
5 Health Tips For The Holiday Season
The holidays can be one of the most challenging times of the year for those who are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is a time for family and friends, for good food and decadent desserts. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are five tips to help you stay healthy during the holidays.
1. Shop Well For Yourself
- It is more important than ever to stock your kitchen with healthy foods. Have healthy snacks handy. The more convenient they are, the more likely you are to eat them. Instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat, promise to eat your 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day.
2. Schedule Your Exercise
- Your schedule will be very hectic this holiday season. Schedule your workouts just as you would any other appointment. It’s ok if you can’t make it to class, but make sure that you get some activity in at least three days per week.
3. Just Say No
- You probably aren’t aware how much extra food you consume just from people offering it to you. A sample at the market here, an extra cookie at an office party there and it all adds up. Just think twice before you take that food and decide if you really want it.
4. Skip the Baking
- Do you make baked goods for giving? Chances are you eat much of what you bake. Who wouldn’t? Instead make non-food gifts, or prepare ingredients for baked goods and put them in pretty jars — let your gift recipient bake it up. That way, they can eat it when they want it and you don’t have to be tempted in the kitchen.
5. Hydrate
- Keep your water bottle with you at all times. You should be drinking eight, 8-oz glasses of water each day. One handy trick is to buy a 64 ounce water jug. Fill it up in the morning and know that you need to finish it by the end of the day.
Feel Better by Eating Better!
Roasted Root Vegetables
- 12 oz rutabaga, peeled & cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 8 oz celery root, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 oz peeled baby carrots
- 8 oz fingerling potatoes
- 3 medium parsnips, peeled & cut into 1-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored & cut into
- thin wedges
- 2 shallots, peeled & cut into thin wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine rutabaga, celery root, baby carrots, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, fennel, and shallots in a shallow roasting pan. Add oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
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Exercise of the Month
Seated Sciatic Nerve Tensioner
Sit in a chair with one foot flat on the ground and the foot on the side you want to work flexed with your toes pointing towards your face. Lift one lower leg by lightly contracting the upper thigh while simultaneously lowering your head, slowly tucking your chin towards your chest and exhaling. Slowly return to start.
3 Sets, 10 Reps, 0 Hold
