This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Stay Strong to Stay Alive

Poor leg strength contributes to thousands of preventable falls that occur each and every year. Strengthening your legs is the key to preventing falls.

Poor leg strength contributes to thousands of preventable falls that occur each and every year. Strengthening your legs is the key to preventing falls and reducing the risk for hip fractures and head trauma.

The Centers for Disease Control says that the number one cause for accidental death in people age 65 years and older is head trauma as a result of a fall. As you get older, there is a significant increase in the risk of a fall especially if you are not actively working to strengthen your body.

Leg strength declines as you age more as a result of increased sitting times and reduced physical activity rather than your age itself. No matter how old you are, you can still reduce the risk of falls and fractures by practicing simple, leg strengthening activities along with a daily balance challenge.

The top three favorite leg strengtheners that we use in my Posture Perfect! classes are sit-to-stand-to-sit, supine leg press and wall slides. My favorite balance challenge is single leg balance. Once learned, these exercises are easy to perform at home because they do not require any special equipment.

Try these exercises daily for 30 days and see what a difference they can make in your leg strength, balance and self-confidence.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?