I thought I’d add a few more ways to avoid falling after I read the post that Chris recently wrote. It was a great article that listed 10 ways to avoid falling. I read it and was going to comment on the website but then thought I’d share my comments here instead.
Stairs
- Be careful on stairs that aren’t carpeted. I stayed in a house recently that has hard wood floors and stairs. I went down one flight wearing just my socks and thought oh, this is dangerous. The combination of socks and slippery stairs is not a good one. I made sure to wear shoes with a sole after that.
Pets
- Pay attention when walking a dog. I’ve been knocked over a couple of times by a dog suddenly lunging on the leash after something. Fortunately, I fell into a snow drift both times.
- Train your dog better. This is advice for me because Penny loves to walk but doesn’t always have good leash manners.
- If you tie your dog to something, make sure the leash is visible and flat to the ground. I tripped over a line that was several inches off the ground, fell and hurt my wrist. It took many weeks to recover from that injury.
House Repairs/Cleaning
- Be careful when trying to change a light bulb or do something towards the ceiling. Do not stand on an unsteady chair and certainly not a swivel or rocker chair when trying to reach high spots in the house. Use a footstool or a step ladder instead. It can be a bother to get the step ladder out but take the time to be careful.
- Do not leave the vacuum plugged in or with the cord draped across the room. Put it away after you’ve used it.
Running or Walking
- Keep your eyes open for uneven sidewalks. It’s easy to catch your foot on one and go sailing.
- Do not walk and play with your phone at the same time. I’m embarrassed to admit it but I did this once and tripped on a very uneven sidewalk (see point immediately above!) and fell. I was ok but I broke my two-week old phone and had to spend a lot of money to get it repaired.
- Be sure to pick your feet up. People shuffle along and often trip over their own feet.
- Keep your shoes tied even if it means having to stop your walk to retie your laces. I have a friend who recently hurt her wrist because she tripped on her laces while walking and fell.
Shopping
- Believe those Wet Floor signs when you’re out in public. I’ve seen people fall on wet floors while out shopping.
Well, I came up with a few more ways to avoid falling. Can you think of any?