Old Lad

As I continue on this journey into Old Age I seem to be becoming more clumsy. I occasionally knock things over. I live in a house with low doorways and find myself bumping my head having not ducked enough. Why is this? My eyesight is OK with glasses – I don’t use those irritating varifocal lenses, bifocals for me, and my balance seems ok. Neurologically I suspect it is part of the subtle change that occurs in depth of perception in vision and slight impairment of hand-eye coordination. So it needs more care and concentration in reaching for things. Wineglasses are a particular hazard..

Of course the biggest hazard of clumsiness is falling. It is estimated that from the age of 65 onwards the average person has a one in four chance of having a fall in any given year. Over 75 the risk is much higher. Although there are obvious reasons like accidental trips, or falls on ice, or dizziness caused by some of the medicines us old lads take, it seems that the biggest cause of falls is the condition called Sarcopenia.This is a decline in muscle mass, strength and function that increase with age. As well as leading to falls the onset of sarcopenia also accounts for the sense of increasing fatigue on climbing stairs, the stiffness getting up and down out of a chair and worst of all, if a fall occurs, an inability to get up. We can mitigate some of the effects by regular exercises, especially walking, and strength improving exercises using resistance movements . But to some degree you have to be aware of this decline in muscle function and take precautions to adapt to it and avoid falling. It’s worth remembering that falls in the home are a big cause of hip fractures and also a big cause of loss of independence.

So I find myself being more cautious doing day to day things. I take stairs a bit more slowly – although stair climbing is good strengthening exercise – and if there is a hand rail I use it. I have invested in a pair of walking poles for country walking and have been surprised at how much easier they make walking on uneven ground. I never walk around with both hands in my pockets. I recently had a trip to the north of Norway and invested in some spikes for my shoes to use in the snow and ice. And I do daily resistance exercises for my legs. So hopefully I can avoid a serious fall. But I still knock wineglasses over and this morning I bumped my head! All part of (old) life’s rich tapestry.