Safety in home can have a different meaning for you depending on the stage of life you are in. For example, motor vehicle accidents take more lives of children, adolescents, teenagers and young adults aged 1-24. From ages 25-64, drug overdose and opioid abuse is tragically the top cause for lives taken. After the age of 65, falls become the most significant cause of death in the home.
Comparing home safety statistics to workplace causes for injury, there are scary similarities. The top two causes for approximately 50% of all injuries at work are caused by overexertion (refer to the rule of too’s article) and slips, trips and falls. Due to these injuries that cause pain or disability, falls and drug abuse can become much more prevalent. It becomes our duty and opportunity to do what we can to prevent these problems from happening to each of us and our families.
As in all cases of health and safety for your life, prevention of injury is the key to healthy living and substantial healthcare savings. 4 keys to putting a proper focus on prevention will save you much pain, heartache and financial distress in the future.
4 KEYS TO PREVENTING INJURY
1) Motion is lotion – this basically means that choosing movement over being sedentary will help you in countless ways. Embrace motion in your life to keep yourself moving more smoothly.
2) Nerves need three things to be happy including blood flow, space and movement – gentle and dynamic nerve stretches can be powerful in preventing pain and injury. Nerve stretches are a life skill everyone should develop. Static stretching of nerves is not as healthy as dynamic stretching (moving the nerves gently to end range or through available range). Nerves do not like to be stretched more than they should be. They will let you know you pushed too hard which is a regrettable pain. Build up how assertively you perform these by starting easy and gentle and build up more tolerance. For education on nerve stretches you can perform, email bryan@wrightpt.com.
3) Deep strength in the core of your spine is important to overcome pain and injury. Simple daily exercises can and should be incorporated into your routine to fortify your deep layer strength. These not only improve the condition of your spine, but will affect your lower and upper extremities positively as well. More to come on this subject. In the meantime, feel free to email bryan@wrightpt.com for further insight on core strength in the home.
4) Your habits of daily living can and should be adapted to healthier lifestyle choices as time goes. Some simple tips for everyday safety include installing supports in your bathroom and kitchen, stabilizing staircases, clearing steps around your home, getting good rest through the night, ensuring proper nutrition and incorporating a daily exercise routine that brings you enjoyment.
In all my years of studying how to prevent injury, disease, and improve quality of life, I have seen a powerful common denominator. That commonality is that exercise is a keystone habit. Exercise is responsible for decrease in fall risk, injury risk, lower morbidity and mortality rates, decreased risk for cancer of various kinds, reduction in diabetes prevalence and side effects, increase in bone density, increase in mood and self-confidence and the list goes on.
Knowing how to incorporate an enjoyable exercise program for your life can be as simple as dedicating yourself to doing it and asking appropriate professionals for assistance to customize this lifestyle change for your most effective benefit. An ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure in this case. Please call us at 208-736-2574 and ask for a complimentary screen if you would like further information on how to advance individually.
