How to avoid a leading cause of death and injury in old age

Thinking about old age

Ever since the last Full Moon in Capricorn, there has been ever-increasing focus in the news about the declining health of our elderly politicians. With Capricorn and Saturn ruling old age, the spotlight on this issue this month is especially timely. (By the way, the presidential showdown between two elderly men in the United States reminds me of this clip from the movie Up) :

This has a lot of people, myself included, thinking about old age. What will my health look like when I get to my 70s and 80s and beyond? How can I take care of myself now, to avoid becoming unnecessarily sick or injured later? Is it possible to be vibrant, active, and relatively independent in one’s final decades of life? In my last article I discussed the importance of cognitive health. This time, I want to talk about avoiding one of the most common injuries among our elders.

Falls—a large danger

By far the biggest cause of injury over the age of 65 is falling. Falls also comprise the leading cause of injury-related death in that age group.

Even when they don’t cause death, falls are dangerous and can lead to disability, hospitalization, chronic pain, and expensive treatments. Avoiding falls should be an important part of thinking about our future health!

Fortunately, the risk of falls later can be greatly reduced by taking simple steps now! What do you think is the #1 predictor of falls in the elderly? The answer surprised me, and it may surprise you too. It’s not cognitive health, physical frailty, or balance, although those are extremely important factors.

The #1 predictor of falls is toe strength.

Weird, right!?

But that’s what the data says. How many kilograms of force your toes can exert directly correlates with whether or not you will experience an injurious fall after the age of 65.

When I learned this, I immediately thought of the fact that Saturn is in Pisces. Saturn rules the older ages, as well as long-term planning. And Pisces rules the feet. Now is a good time, astrologically, to think about building strength in our feet, to improve our chances of having a healthy experience in our old age!

How to build toe strength

Fortunately, there are simple ways to build up toe strength over time, which will reduce our risk of falling later. One of the easiest ways to build toe strength is to walk barefoot as much as possible.

Shoes cramp our toes and prevent the tendons from engaging properly, which diminishes their strength. Our feet are meant to splay when we walk, to absorb the weight of the rest of our body. Most shoes prevent this splaying motion. So barefoot is the healthiest way to walk. Of course, we do need to wear shoes in polite society… so when buying shoes, look for ones with as wide a toe bed as possible. And I’m sorry-not-sorry, high heels are out!

Here are some other simple exercises you can do to build toe strength!

Forward Lean

This exercise, is easy to do at any time, although it’s best to do it with bare feet, if possible. I do this while washing the dishes!

• Stand in front of a wall, about ½ meter away. Your hips and shoulders should be parallel to the wall, and feet should be shoulder width apart.

• Lean forward slightly, keeping your heels on the floor. Your toes should press downward into the floor to support the weight of your body as it leans forward.

• If you lose your balance, catch yourself against the wall. Then reduce the angle of your forward lean.

• Try to hold your leaning position for 20 seconds.

• Over time try to increase the angle of your forward lean, as well as the length of time you can hold it.

Toe Point on Stairs

Whenever you go up or down stairs, try to point your toes straight forward. Normally, most people point their toes outward a bit when walking stairs, and that is natural. However, to develop the muscles and neurological reactions that help you retain your balance in a potential fall, you can make an exercise of pointing your toes forward instead. This activates and strengthens the tendons and muscles involved with keeping your balance.

Be sure to keep a hand on the railing! If those muscles aren’t developed yet, I don’t want you falling, while you’re in the process of trying not to fall!

Start Now!

Saturn will be in Pisces until the end of May, 2025. This is a good time to think about the long-term structures (Saturn) that will build strength in our feet (Pisces), to avoid one of the leading causes of injury and death in old age (Saturn).

Fortunately, this kind of preventative care is simple, cheap, and easy to incorporate into daily life!

Happy walking! :)

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