We may have just enjoyed the last gasp of summer, with a week’s worth of glorious sunshine marking the start of September, but make no mistake… autumn is well on the way!
As lovely as this time of year can be, it is important to make sure that you do all you can to keep yourself safe, as the change in the weather brings with it all sorts of risks. There are lots of potential hazards that can crop up at this time of year, so taking care with how you tread can make a big difference to personal safety.
First of all, consider your footwear. Ankle support is a must when you’re out and about in wet conditions, so choose your shoes carefully to help prevent you from turning over on your ankle if you do suddenly slip.
Of course, even if you do have the perfect pair of shoes on your feet, you can still take a tumble, so learning how to fall can help make sure you don’t sustain any serious injuries. If you do feel yourself going, don’t try to put your hands out to break your fall as you may end up with a broken wrist.
Instead, try to stay as relaxed as you can while falling. This may sound counterintuitive, but it can make a huge difference to the outcome, so try to curl up and roll into the fall instead of trying to stop it from happening.
You can even try doing some simple exercises to help you improve your balance and reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls. What about working on your single leg strength? This is great for improving your balance and there are lots of exercises you can try, everything from single leg split squats and box jumps to Bosu ball glute bridges.
If you’re not sure which exercises are best and need help finding the ones best suited to your mobility levels, get in touch with the physiotherapy team here at Clear Physio to see how we can help.