Preventing Hazardous Falls

Merry Christmas!!

As we age one of the biggest issues we face is the fear of falling. Today’s movement can combat that fear. It is a movement that can help preserve strength, improve agility and prevent hazardous falls. And you can do it in your pajamas, as I do in the video to prove a point…

We can do many things away from the gym that helps keep us mobile and increase our life expectancy.

If you have grandchildren you might find it necessary to sink to their level. If you don’t have grandchildren you might have reading glasses that fall under the chair, car keys that drop from your hands, a weed that needs to be reached. In other words, you need to get down and back up!

The inability to get up and down is closely related to the risk of falling. (Brito et al.2012)

Ground to standing moves, such as the ones I demonstrate in the video, help improve strength and mobility and extend life expectancy. They also help you grab those keys, pull that weed, or play with that grandchild.

Ground to standing drills can also be terrific preparations for tennis, baseball, hockey, football, soccer, and many other ground sports. It is not a drill limited by age. Everyone needs to be doing them!!

Ground to standing drills enhance circulation, they work ankle, hip, mid back, and pelvic joints. Increasing the speed of these drills works the cardiovascular system creating a cardio workout that you won’t get bored with!

I started from a standing position in the video so you could see the whole movement. But you could start from sitting, or kneeling or have a chair positioned close by if you need it. As always, start where you are.

1. Stand to Lunge to Stand.

• Start in a standing position.
• Step out with one foot forward.
• Kneel down and bring the opposite hand down to the ground.
• Then bring the other leg down. Now you are in a quadruped position.
• To return to standing bring one foot to kneeling.
• Bring the hands to the knee and push up to a standing position.
• Repeat 8-10 times on each leg.

2. Stand to Hinge

• Touch the ground and shift your weight to your hands.
• Walk out with your hands into a flat position.
• Place your hands at your chest.
• Push away from the ground and shift your weight back to your feet.
• Stand upright.
• Repeat 5-8 times.

3. Crisscross Applesauce Spin

• Sit in the crisscross applesauce position as we did in grade school.
• Rotate back and away from the top of your legs.
• Spin your feet and hips 180 degrees in the opposite direction.
• Use your hands to push up, then reverse on the way back down.
• Do 5-8 on each side.

Give these a try and let me know what you think!