Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/23/2021 --The most common cause of injury visits to the emergency room for seniors is falls, according to experts at Intermountain Healthcare. Experts say as an individual ages, the risk of falls increases.

"Falling can wreak so much havoc on our lives depending on what goes down or how bad the fall is," said Chanda Vaniman, exercise specialist at the Intermountain Healthcare St. George Regional Hospital in Utah. Loss of mobility effects physical health, mental health, independence, and overall wellbeing.

Vaniman says common risk factors that contribute to falls in seniors include:

- the fear of falling itself.
- mobility limitations while undertaking the activities of daily living.
- impaired walking patterns (gait).
- impaired balance.
- visual impairment.
- reduced muscle strength.
- poorer reaction times.

"You just consistently work on balance you will be less likely to fall and hopefully prevent falls," she said.

Some simple balance exercises include standing on one foot and walking by placing one foot directly in front of the other. It is also important to insure a safe environment by removing tripping hazards such as loose rugs or objects left on the floor.

The most important thing is to always keep moving, even if it is difficult.

"I love working here and watching the older adults continue to move regardless of the setbacks they have and it is amazing to see what that does for them. We get into trouble when we stop moving. Something hurts or we don't feel good and we quit moving and we can't move. The body kind of solidifies in that particular shape or way and so it is harder to move, so if we just keep moving we will keep our bodies going and keep doing the things we want to do," said Vaniman.

Intermountain LiVe Well Centers offer a variety of classes -- both in center and virutal -- to help with overall well being. For more information, please visit https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/wellness-preventive-medicine/live-well-centers/healthy-at-home/.

About LiVe Well
LiVe Well is part of Intermountain Healthcare, a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs. For more information, see intermountainlive.org or Intermountain Healthcare.