Ivana Trump's death reminds us how dangerous falls can be. Here's how to reduce your risk

When Ivana Trump’s cause of death last month was ruled an accident — that she suffered blunt impact injuries to her torso as a result of falling down the stairs in her New York City home — the 73-year-old tragically reminded us that around one million Americans fall down stairs annually.

And that around 12,000 annually die from these falls.

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According to a 2017 study that appeared in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, older adults, younger children and women reported suffering the most injuries, but all folks of all ages are at risk, said the study’s authors.

“Stairs are a common source of injury among all ages, and the frequency and rate of stair-related injuries are increasing,” said the study’s senior author, Dr. Gary Smith of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

The study noted that around half of all homes in the U.S. contain stairs and that costs — both direct and indirect — associated with falls down stairs add up to around $92 billion annually.

Among the most common causes of falls on stairs are the following:

• Slippery steps

• Liquid pooled on steps

• Torn carpets

• Poor lighting

• Unsafe handrails

• Uneven or missing steps

• Clutter on the staircase

• Attempting to carry an object or objects

• Improper footwear

• Distraction or inattention while traversing stairs

Published reports have noted that there was a spilled cup of coffee found next to Trump’s body.

One of Trump’s friends told Inside Edition that she always feared something like this could happen because she found negotiating the stairs in Trump’s palatial abode to be “treacherous.”

All falls are dangerous

The statistics don’t lie: The older we get, the more at risk we all become to falls.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control “each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries” and “at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures” annually as a result of falling.

And our bones aren’t the only things we injure when we fall: The CDC also notes “falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.”

Among the conditions that can affect your balance and increase your risk for falling are vitamin D deficiency, the (over)use of certain medications (including tranquilizers, sedatives, painkillers and/or antidepressants), vision problems and home hazards (such as loose carpet or throw rugs and slippery floors and showers).

In addition, absent a regular and targeted exercise program designed to improve balance, flexibility and functional strength, you’ll lose muscle mass every year.

Losing muscle mass as you age decreases your ability to handle routine aspects of life, such as carrying groceries, performing household chores, getting in and out of cars, and the like.

But there are ways to mitigate your risk factors.

Improving your balance

Balance is a skill — so working on it is something we should all do regularly.

According to Joe Ardagna, a certified personal trainer and co-founder of Slash Fitness in Delray Beach, you can work on improving your balance at home with a few simple exercises.

“Just standing on a single leg is an excellent way to improve balance,” said Ardagna. “This exercise strengthens your ankles, improves your balance and engages your core.”

The first time you do it, be sure you’re next to a wall or other surface that you can use for support if you need it.

As you begin to improve your leg strength and balance, you can try more challenging exercises on slightly unstable surfaces that you can create at home by rolling up a yoga mat or large towel.

Among the more challenging but relatively safe at-home balance exercises, said Ardagna, are alternating lunges (feet on the edge of the surface and with or without light hand weights), bodyweight squats (again, feet on the makeshift surface’s edge) and pushups (or modified knees-on-the-ground pushups) with your hands placed on the unstable surface.

For his more advanced clients, Ardagna has them do their balance training on a BOSU ball — which is a two-sided fitness device made of hard rubber: one side is flat; the other side is in the shape of a “half” fitness ball, like a dome. The two sides have varying degrees of pliability.

The BOSU ball provides a relatively safe yet challenging amount of instability that improves users’ strength, balance and coordination.

“Because BOSU exercises can be done with either the dome side or flat side up, each will offer different levels of desired instability,” explained Ardagna. “This makes it a good option for beginner, intermediate and advanced exercisers.”

Ardagna recommended that BOSU beginners use “the dome side up, near a wall, or something they can hold onto for support. Another option is to place one foot on the BOSU and one on the floor for more stability.”

First-time BOSU users would be well-advised to do their exercises under the supervision of a personal trainer.

Ardagna stressed that we should all make balance training a priority.

“Balance training is just as important as strength training,” he said. “Improving your overall balance can help prevent falls, promote better posture and make you more coordinated.”

Of course, before embarking on any new exercise program, consult with your own physician.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How to improve strength, balance and avoid dangers of falls