I spent many years as a home care physical therapist, and geriatrics were the bulk of my case load. Diminished balance was a common trait among my clients and it was often my duty to try to improve their situation. Intuitively, I often had them move outdoors onto the grass or other uneven surfaces and begin to walk, even if they needed to use a walker for assistance. As people age, our culture tends to move people into more supportive footwear and caution them from leaving very level surfaces, for fear of falling. What becomes of this is a loss of the physical and neurological stimuli that can maintain and even build balance and strength.

The results and recommendations of these two studies seem in absolute contrast. If a community sees crime on the rise, many will buy (or sell) stronger locks, while others will try to find the change the source of the larger problem. I believe that the first study is the “safety” model of medicine, the one that encourages “stronger locks”. It ignores the potential for change in all of us. I think that we are capable of more. There are many ways to build and maintain strength and balance as we age.