If you or a loved one fears falling, here’s a simple way to dramatically reduce the risk: lace up some canvas sneakers. People over 65 were eight to eleven times as likely to fall while barefoot as they were while wearing sneakers, according to a two-year study by the CDC, Group Health Cooperative and the University of Washington. Wearing other kinds of shoes was safer than going barefoot, but still 30-50% riskier than wearing flat canvas shoes, because of such factors as heel height.
MYTH: Cracking your knuckles (or other joints) will give you arthritis
MYTH: Cracking your knuckles (or other joints) will give you arthritis
FACT: Cracking your joints does no damage and, in fact, protects them against arthritis. Researchers at John Hopkins University found that osteoarthritis is more often present in those who never crack their joints (fingers, backs, knees) than in those who do. That may be because cracking a joint reduces the space within it and results, at least temporarily, in a greater range of motion and flexibility.
