Working on your hip strength could help prevent falls in older age

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-04-10 14:45

Australia; International; NSW

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Improving your hip abductor strength and hip flexor power could help prevent falls in older age, according to a study by international and Australian authors that looked at how strength in specific leg muscles impacts fall risk. In a group of 94 adults aged around 70, the team tested the strength and power of their knees, ankles, and hips before monitoring how frequently they fell over the year. They say those who didn't fall over that time had significantly better hip abductor and hip adductor strength, and hip abductor, hip flexor, and knee flexor muscle power, compared to those who had fallen. This could mean maintaining strength in those areas could prevent falls later in life, they conclude.