Are You or Someone You Care About at Increased Risk for Injurious or Fatal Falls?

Jul 13, 2019 | Live without Dizziness

Do you know someone who has dizziness, has vertigo, or who is out of balance?

Older people are at more risk for injurious or fatal falls. One in four people over 65 years of age fall. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. (NCOA 2019)

The cost of a fall can be devastating, not only hospital costs (over $70B by 2020), but also loss of mobility and independence. Falls can also lead to a downward spiral of further decline in ability to function in the home and community, mood changes, social isolation and lack of interactions with family and friends. A fall may leave your loved one fearful of falling and unable to perform the activities they enjoy most e.g. walking, hiking, dancing, shopping, or golfing, to name a few.

Falling is not an inevitable result of aging and can be prevented through evidence-based fall prevention programs, such as Otago, that is delivered by a trained expert.

Do you want to improve the quality of life of someone you care about? Join us at our next Otago Workshop:

Otago Exercise Program Workshop – FREE EVENT!
Saturday, August 10th, 2019
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Please RSVP by calling (210) 833-8336

What else can you do to improve your loved one’s balance and reduce falls?

  • Perform a safety check of the home environment by clearing out clutter, removing throw rugs and other trip hazards, and wearing proper fitting shoes
  • Review all medications for side effects
  • Encourage use of an appropriate assistive device such as a cane, a walking pole, or a walker
  • Support by attending group or individual exercise activity programs to build muscles (force, endurance and power), aerobics, flexibility, and balance training

For more information about a Discovery Consultation Visit, please call (210) 833-8336, or send us an email at: ahnewpt@gmail.com.

Dr. Ann H. Newstead, PT, DPT, PhD
Certified Exercise Expert in Aging Adults (CEEAA)
Specialization in Geriatrics, Neurologic and Vestibular Rehabilitation

AHNew Physical Therapy
14418 Old Bandera Rd.
Old Town Helotes, TX 78023
(210) 833-8336

Walk for Life…AHNew Start For Spring

Apr 1, 2019 | Live without Dizziness

How to Start Walking Program for Your Health…And Keep Going –

March 2019 – Blog

It’s spring! It’s time to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. A walking program is a perfect way to get energized.

Don’t let knee or back pain hold you back – walking is a perfect way to keep moving.

How do you start? And how do you keep going?H


Select the best time of day. Find a friend or buddy who can walk with you and keep you both accountable. Take a few minutes to select your clothing, good walking shoes and don’t forget your water.

Select a pace that you can walk and talk at the same time. Add an easy warm up of 5 to 10 minutes of walking, followed by gentle stretches, works well. Increase the intensity of your walk by speeding the pace up just a little bit at a time. You can also increase your distance not more than a few minutes each session.

End with a cool down by slowing your pace, doing a few gentle stretches, and drinking some nice cool water and eat well-balanced nutritious snack – more on this next month!

Every step counts! Aim for 10,000 steps a day. We will be holding a free Informational Workshop on “How to Start a Walking Program” was Saturday, Walking Clinic at Helotes Fitness Park on March 30th at 8:30 and 11 am (near Parrigin and FM1560).

Enjoy your spring and start AHNew!