--- title: "One in Three People Over 65 Falls Each Year, and Many Falls Can Be Prevented: 8 Ways to Stay Steady This Winter" description: One in three people over 65 falls each year. The strength and balance exercises, home changes and checks that cut your risk of a fall this winter. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-07T20:05:02.599Z updated: 2026-11-07T20:31:46.913Z canonical: https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/how-to-prevent-falls-older-people-winter image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-7500667.webp categories: Health, Fitness & Movement content_type: Guide region: United Kingdom publication: Rich Health Magazine schema_type: Article --- Around one in three people aged 65 and over falls at least once a year, and by the age of 80 the figure rises to one in two. In England, falls led to around 220,000 emergency hospital admissions among people over 65 in a single year, and two in three of those patients were aged 80 or older. A broken hip can change the rest of a life. Between 18 and 33 per cent of people who break a hip die within the following year, and around one in five moves into long-term care. Falls are not an inevitable part of getting older. Exercise that trains your balance and the movements of daily life reduces the number of falls by around a quarter, and programmes that add strength work to balance training cut falls by about a third. Winter brings ice, wet leaves and dark afternoons, which makes the next few weeks the right time to start. If your mother or father is over 65, these steps are worth sharing with them too. ## Strength and Balance Exercises The NHS advises you to stay active every day and to do activities that build strength and balance at least twice a week. Balance and functional exercises, which practise everyday movements such as standing up from a chair, stepping sideways and turning, have the strongest evidence behind them. Tai chi also reduces falls. You can start at home with a sturdy chair: - Sit-to-stand: rise from the chair without using your hands, then sit back down slowly. - Heel raises: hold the back of the chair and lift onto your toes, then lower. - One-leg stand: hold the chair and balance on one foot, working up to 30 seconds. - Heel-to-toe walk: walk along a hallway placing one heel directly in front of the other toes. Hold on to the chair at first and let go as you grow steadier. Programmes led by a physiotherapist or trained instructor show the biggest effect, so ask your GP surgery whether your area runs a strength and balance class. Building muscle helps at any age, and our guide on how [lifting weights after 50 wins back lost muscle](https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/strength-training-after-50) shows you how to start. ## Medicines Review Some medicines affect your balance or make you light-headed, and sleeping tablets and sedatives are known to raise the risk of a fall. Ask your GP or pharmacist to review everything you take, including anything you buy over the counter. Tell them about any dizziness or faintness, as low blood pressure and poorly controlled diabetes can also cause it. ## Eye Tests and Hearing Checks Good vision supports good balance. Have your eyes and your glasses prescription checked at least every two years, even if your sight seems fine. Your ears help control your balance too, so see your GP soon after you notice any change in your hearing. Earwax and ear infections are common causes and are often easy to treat. ## Shoes and Feet Wear well-fitting shoes with good grip, a low heel and high sides. Avoid walking around the house in socks, tights or bare feet, and avoid high heels. Keep your toenails short, and report any foot pain or loss of feeling in your feet to your GP or practice nurse. ## A Safer Home - Clear clutter, trailing wires and loose rugs from walkways and stairs. - Put non-slip mats in the bath or shower. - Fit grab rails in the bathroom and handrails on steps, including garden steps. - Use a night light or a motion-activated light near your bed for trips to the bathroom. Anyone can ask their local council for a free care needs assessment, which can lead to home adaptations. Many councils and local Age UK branches also run home safety checks and handyperson schemes. ## Winter Ice and Dark Afternoons Clear ice and snow from your path, steps and driveway before you go out. Wear boots with a wide, low, non-slip heel, and keep outdoor lights on or carry a torch once the afternoons draw in. If the pavements are icy and the trip can wait, wait. ## Food, Fluids and Vitamin D Dehydration makes you light-headed and dizzy, so aim for 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. Tea, coffee and sugar-free squash all count. Eat regularly, even if that means small snacks instead of three full meals. Calcium-rich foods and enough vitamin D keep your bones strong. In the UK, the NHS advises a daily vitamin D supplement through autumn and winter, as our guide on [why UK sunlight cannot make enough vitamin D](https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/vitamin-d-winter-uk) explains. Vitamin D supports your bones, although supplements do not prevent falls on their own. ## Alcohol Alcohol raises your risk of falling and can interact with some medicines. Avoid drinking heavily, and check the leaflet of any medicine you take for warnings about alcohol. ## What to Do If You Fall Stay calm and check yourself for pain or injury before you move. If you feel able to get up, roll onto your side, push up onto your hands and knees, crawl to a sturdy piece of furniture, put one foot flat on the floor and rise slowly. Sit down and rest before you do anything else. If you cannot get up, call for help with your phone or personal alarm, or shout and bang on the wall or floor. Keep warm with anything within reach and change position about every 30 minutes. Carrying a mobile phone or wearing a personal alarm means help is always one press away. Call 999 if you or someone else may have hurt the head, neck, back or hip, or cannot get up. Do not try to lift someone yourself. After any fall, see your GP, who can refer you to a local falls service for muscle, eyesight and medicine checks, balance training and a home safety review. In many areas you can refer yourself. Find out more on the [NHS falls page](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/falls/). ## FAQ **Q: What is the best exercise to prevent falls in elderly people?** Balance and functional exercises have the strongest evidence. These practise everyday movements such as standing up from a chair, stepping in different directions and turning, and they reduce the rate of falls by around a quarter. Programmes that combine balance training with strength exercises cut falls by about a third, and tai chi also helps. Aim for strength and balance activities at least twice a week, ideally in a class led by a physiotherapist or trained instructor. **Q: What are 6 tips to prevent falls?** Do strength and balance exercises at least twice a week. Ask your GP or pharmacist to review any medicines that may affect your balance. Have your eyes tested every two years and get any change in your hearing checked. Wear well-fitting shoes with good grip. Remove trip hazards such as loose rugs and trailing wires, and fit grab rails where you need them. Drink enough fluids through the day to avoid light-headedness.