Muscles to Strengthen to Get Up From a Fall

Strength training, cardiovascular exercise and balance training are not things that should be restricted to young people and athletes. While an older person is not likely to do the same vigorous exercises a younger person might do, all three of those types of exercise are vital for maintaining balance, bone health and building strong muscles -- which can help you prevent or recover from a fall. Since your entire body works as a unified machine for mobility, a beneficial strength and balance program should include strengthening all the major muscles of the body.

Tripping Without Falling

• Strong legs and hips are vital for movement as well as recovery from falls. If you've slipped or fallen forward and recovered without hitting the ground, you'll recruit leg muscles including the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves, as well as the hip flexors and knee extensors. No matter what your age, a 2000 study out of Michigan's Hope College found that these are the muscles you'll use to recover from a forward fall.

The Source of Movement

• Your legs help you move around -- but don't overlook the importance of a strong core when you're developing your strength and balance program. The core includes the muscles that stabilize your spine and pelvis -- which leads to control over all movements, suggests a 2005 study published by the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. The core includes the rectus abdominis, the internal and external obliques and transverse abdominis of your abdomen, as well as the erector spinae and multifidus of your spine. Additionally, the gluteal muscles of the buttocks and the muscles of the pelvic floor and hip girdle help to stabilize the core.

Using Your Arms

• If you have a fall, the National Institute on Aging recommends that you stay down for a few seconds to determine whether you're extremely hurt, since getting up too fast can make any injuries worse. If you can, roll onto your side. This will require core strength, but also strength in the biceps, triceps and forearm muscles including the brachialis. You'll also need arm, leg and core strength to crawl to a location where you can get some help. When you're doing balance training or strength training, your arm muscles will also help you stay stable.

Slower Reaction Times

• The muscles of older people studied in that Hope College study tended to react slower than those of the young people studied -- a testament to why it's important to take other steps to prevent falls, beyond just strength and balance training. This should include keeping floors dry and free of debris, adding slip-resistant backing to rugs, providing proper lighting, and wearing sturdy shoes with non-skid soles, recommends the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Additionally, you should take extra care any time you change your medication -- especially medications that alter the central nervous system, reminds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.