Accidental injury is among the leading causes of death in the developed world. In fact, it’s the fourth leading cause of death.

The pattern is all too common: an elderly person in relatively good health falls, breaks a hip, and never seems to recover fully. Health and quality of life declines precipitously, and within a year or two, it’s game over.

There is something you can do about the risk of falling when you age. working out can help prevent you from losing muscle and keep your strength so if you do trip you have the strength in your legs to stop you from falling.

There are two types of strength that can be trained Concentric and Eccentric. Working on both types of strength is important to prevent falls.

Eccentric strength is the strength associated with muscle lengthening, as opposed to concentric strength, which is the strength associated with muscle contraction. To illustrate what this means, imagine a bicep curl: we use concentric strength to contract the bicep and raise the dumbbell, but in order to lower the dumbbell in a controlled fashion, we need eccentric strength. Without it, gravity would cause the dumbbell (and forearm) to collapse down rapidly and without control.

In the video below I will demonstrate a simple but effective exercise I show my patient to build strength in their legs.

Dr. Steve, your local Elgin Chiropractor * Squatting* exercise. – YouTube

Go to our YouTube Channel to learn more about squatting.