Nathan Estrada: Balancing skills for longevity

Our balancing skills start to decline as early as our late 20s and our ability to balance is high on the list of things that determine our lifespan. Toppling over and requiring hospital treatment could signal the beginning of the end, in fact the leading cause of injury-related death for people 65 and over is falling. How often have you heard that an older person 'had a fall' and was never the same again? In this episode, Nathan Estrada, a physical therapist with Denver-based Nymbl Science, explains the link between longevity and balancing skills. He also outlines the simple measures that can be taken to mitigate the dangers of falling and how technology can help. In this episode we cover:Defining balance and why we need itThe role of mobility in meaningful livesCombining brain games and functional movementStumbling, almost falling - the canary in the coal mine. Why the fear of falling can lead to accidents in the futureWhy improving balancing skills should be on the agenda for everyone over 30Acting 'old' and how to avoid itWhy "aging is not less"The problems posed by removing household obstacles that could help improve mobilityWhy the employees of nursing homes shuffle their feetThe most helpful interventions to mitigate the risk of fallingWhy you don't want people to have to lie at your funeralDISCOUNTS▸ DoNotAge is offering listeners to LLAMA a 10% discount on its range of products, including NAD boosters. Use the use code LLAMA for purchases at DoNotAge.orgHealth queries can be answered by emailing: [email protected]▸ Recharge Health is offering LLAMA listeners a $30.00 discount on the purchase of FlexBeam, for red light therapy, which may help your body heal and promote  the health of skin and muscle tissue .  Use the code LLAMA at checkout. ▸ Time-line is offering LLAMA podcast listeners a 5% discount on its Mitopure products - Mitopure Powder, Softgels and Mitopure + Protein. Mitopure supports improvements in mitochondrial function and muscle strength. Use the code LLAMA at checkoutFit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showThe Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.