At age 59, it's better to get a cancer diagnosis than to fall!

Last month I attended Perform Better's One-Day Conference in South San Francisco.  Four icons in the fitness industry (Gray Cook, Dan John, Todd Durkin and Martin Rooney) presented one-hour lectures to an auditorium full of movement specialists, personal trainers, physical therapists, massage therapists and athletes in the morning and put four teams of us through an exercise component in the afternoon.

Dan John, a renowned Lifting and Throwing Coach, immediately caught my attention when he said,
 "As a 59 year old man, it's better for me to be diagnosed with cancer than it is for me to fall"!

Statistically, he's right!!!  According to the CDC:

• 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 and one-half of those over 80 will fall this year
• Falls are leading cause of death and injury in people over 65
• 99% of hip fractures are due to falls
• 20% of people who break a hip will die within two years
• Over half will need assistance in one or more activities of daily living the rest of their life

Wow!  As an oral cancer survivor, I know the horrific pain of radiation.  However three years after my treatment ended, the memory of the pain is starting to dull and I am blessed to say my life is not significantly different now than before having cancer.  I can only say this because I worked out everyday during treatment and after six months of presentations and staff trainings, I took a six-month hiatus to rest, recover and routinely build muscle and self-confidence.  

If I was twenty or thirty years older (69 or 79, respectively), tripped, fell and broke my right hip while walking on the sidewalk, statistically the fall would have a greater impact on my life than cancer did.  

I'd like you to think about this for awhile.  A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Think about investing in your future by investing in your balance today.  

The tips and techniques that I teach in my balance and movement classes, will stick with you for the rest of your life.  Your self-confidence will blossom as your balance improves.  

I. N.V. E. S. T.  in Y.O.U!

I offer a dynamic one-time workshop that will help you better understand balance and how aging and exercise impact your independence.  Remember that movement is LIFE.

I also offer the best balance training program for older adults.  FallProof™ is a progressively challenging program that systematically trains the muscles and senses involved in balance.  Definitely not your average 'senior center fall prevention class'.

Visit my website for more information.  THE FALL PREVENTION LADY 
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BENEFITS OF FALLPROOF BALANCE TRAINING

For nearly a decade, I have been doing what I love and living my purpose; teaching older adults how to improve balance and strength so they 

DO NOT FALL DOWN!

Dr. Debra Rose designed FallProof™ balance training with a specific target audience in mind.  Although FallProof™ is not for everyone, I have seen people of all ability levels benefit from the program and hundreds of lives have changed for the better because of this program.  

Benefits:

The Fallroof™ program has been proven to reduce the risk of falling in participants who have completed one or more rotations of the program. The goal of FallProof™ is to deliver:

• Improved postural alignment
• Increased limits of stability
• Improved integration of sensory information
• Increased confidence
• Improved performance of activities of daily life
• Heightened awareness of risk factors and circumstances
• Improved walking ability
• Improved ability to recover from loss of balance

One achieves these benefits from the structured and progressive program of activities specifically designed to address the multiple dimensions that contribute to balance and mobility.  THIS IS NOT YOUR SENIOR CENTER FALL PREVENTION CLASS!!!

Techniques taught by balance and mobility specialists include: 

• Center of Gravity Control Training
• Multisensory Training
• Postural Strategy Training
• Gait Pattern Enhancement Variation Training
• Strength & Flexibility Training

Improvements are measured by pre- and post-assessment testing.  

Obviously, volunteers cannot teach this class.  A person cannot become a FallProof™ specialist after a 3-day training.  Certified specialists are required to re-test every two years in order to maintain certification.  WARNING:  There are people who were certified and have failed to maintain their certification.  Not only is this unsafe for the consumer but it also lacks integrity and fidelity to the program.  Ask your instructor if she is currently certified. 

As I mentioned, FallProof™ was designed with a specific target audience in mind.  The ideal candidate for the classes I teach meet the following criteria:

• Community dwelling, live independently in own home or apartment
• Able to safely walk a distance of 200 feet without the use of any assistive device (cane or walker)
• No memory loss or cognitive impairment likely to adversely impact judgment and/or decision-making abilities
• No unstable medical condition (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or asthma)

 If you meet these criteria and are ready for results, 

please visit my website for dates and locations of upcoming classes.  

www.thefallpreventionlady.com