Summer's Sizzling Improvements in Woodland Brains and Balance Class

2019 has busy summer for the Fall Prevention Lady!  I've been presenting neuro-balance workshops and teaching brain-based fall prevention classes in local Sacramento communities.   I just completed a four-week Brains and Balance Training session at the Woodland Community Center and senior fitness test improvements were sizzling fantastic!

As you know, I use the only standardized fitness tests for seniors; Rikli and Jones' Senior Fitness Tests, to assess fitness components associated with falls.  Thanks to testing over one hundred seniors for my research study, I ALWAYS measure pre- and post-scores to test the efficacy of the class.  Tests provide OBJECTIVE DATA; numbers don't lie.   Students not only feel better, they SEE the numbers.

Each participant is tested in lower body flexibility, lower body strength, and dynamic balance and agility skills on the first and last day of class.  In my summer Woodland class, there was a tie for most improved.   The tie was between two women; 74 and 73 years old.  

Look at these life-changing numbers:
                                                                   73                                              74
                                                             
Lower body Strength:                 10/16     +6  stand ups               11/15             +4 stand ups
Lower body Flexibility:              0/+5       +5 inches                     -4.25/+1        +5.25 inches
Dynamic Balance & Agility:      8.4/7.3   +1.1 sec faster               6.6/5.4         +1.2 sec faster

AWESOME STUFF!!!!

Translated into normal language, both ladies significantly increased lower body strength.  They built leg muscles standing up and sitting down.  Legs are your fall prevention muscles so this is a big deal.

Both ladies increased lower body flexibility by over five (5) inches!!!  One, can reach her toes for the first time in 30 years and the other can reach five inches past her toes.  This improves their walking gait and eliminates low back pain.

Finally, both ladies can get up and walk quickly and safely around a cone that is eight feet away.  Stronger legs and flexibility in the hamstrings result in quicker movement.  This life saving skill can get a person quickly across the street when the light starts flashing.  Quicker reaction skills and ability to navigate around an object can prevent a fall.  LIFE SAVING.

The senior of the class, my dear 85 year old Audrey, increased in all three components.  She continues to increase her lower body strength, gain flexibility and quicken her reaction speed with each repeat performance.  This session she did increased lower body strength by a sizzling four (4) more stand ups and sit downs.  In FOUR WEEKS!!!

Brain-based Training with Parkinson's Disease

After my Fall Prevention 101 and Parkinson's Disease presentation at the Parkinson's Disease support group in Lincoln Hills, I started working with several people for private sessions in their home in the Lincoln Hills neighborhood.  Ironically, I just started in-home brain-based balance and fall prevention training with another woman who is living w/Parkinson's .  I'm visiting her in her Carmichael home for private sessions.

That's three new clients living with Parkinson's within one week: talk about a sign that I'm supposed to work with Parkinson's Disease right now!  Praise God!

Although these people share the same diagnosis, each person is totally unique.  Every brain is different.  Although there are some similarities in my approach to activating their nervous systems, their training programs are different.  Through systematic testing and retesting, I determine which areas of the brain need more activation and which areas might need inhibition.

Discovering these key pieces of information about the brain is a process and critical for precise results.  All this is done through sensory tests that activate the cranial nerves, and peripheral nerves.   Different inputs, different results.  The direction of head turns and eye movements are unique to each brain but once we find the "high payoff" drills, it's magic!

Movement is Life.  It's time to start LIVING

Results are measured by one of several fitness indictators.  Everything is personalized.
Living with Parkinson's is a lifelong challenge.  Thanks to neuroscience research and recent discoveries, there are simple ways to activate areas of the brain affected by Parkinson's.  The more you activate these areas, the better you feel.

Neuro-training will not cure you of Parkinson's but it can significantly improve the quality of your life while living with it.  The brain loves sensory input and there are fun ways to activate dopamine production naturally.  Ways to stimulate the basal ganglia for better movement.  Ways to activate the cerebellum to reduce tremors.

If you don't use it, you lose it.  Work with me and I will show you how to activate areas of the brainstem, frontal lobe, cortex and cerebellum for better balance, accuracy and coordination.  One session will not eliminate your problems but will get us on the right track.

Think one week of brain-based training for every month you have had Parkinson's.  Holistic, brain activation drills to immediately improve balance, vision, movement and pain.  You're worth it.

Sign up for your personalized brain-activation program for better balance, movement and vision.  Less pain, too.

Schedule your 90-minute consult today.  In-home or Video-Conference.  $150.
info@thefallpreventionlady.com

Lucky 13 students in Holiday Brains and Balance Session

I am thrilled to have 13 eager students enrolled in my holiday session of Brains and Balance Training at the Woodland Community and Senior Center in Woodland California.  A diverse group of men and women between 49 and 86 years old decided it was time to do something about their failing balance skills.

As I completed pre-assessment senior fitness testing, the small group got to know each other as they played balloon volleyball and called out things associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The first day is a healthy balance of movement and learning and everyone is assigned homework.

The second class focused on proprioception and walking gaits.  Students laughed as they tried simple movements in both directions and tried to remember which walking gait was #3.  Reaction speeds got better as threat was reduced.  Nervous smiles were wiped away with laughter.  Movement is life and relearning how to move should be fun!

Everyone brings their unique challenges to balance and movement because we all have lived different lives and made different choices in that lifetime.  Some of us were dealt a rotten hand.  We're all trying to get by the best we can and for some, that's harder to do.  

I'm so excited about working with this awesome group who has taken time out of their busy holiday schedule to invest in themselves.  These people are giving themselves the gift of independence.  Gain control of their body and learn to move again with sensory input activation.

Brains and Balance Training.  These people are learning how to activate parts of their brain that contribute to good movement, stable balance, better vision and less pain.  All through sensory activation drills and muscle activation exercises.  

You've got to give the brain what it needs for healthy function.  Let me show you how!  Join a brains and balance training class or enroll in my online balance training program!
Gift yourself.  

Oldest Balance Training Class Member Was Most Improved!

I finished teaching a 4-week Brains and Balance Training session at the Fair Oaks United Methodist Church shortly before Thanksgiving and I'm still bragging about the personal improvements!  In fact, there were some record-breaking achievements in the sense that I've never seen this much improvement in the fifteen years I've been teaching this class.

I"m proud to say that the oldest in the class was also the most improved!  At age 86, a sweet lady went from needing her hands to stand up (7) seven times in 30 seconds to being able to stand up and down (11) eleven times without using her hands at all!

WOW.....think about that....not having to use your hands to stand up anymore!  This woman no longer needs help standing up from the chair!  Independence.  Dignity.   All from four-weeks of brain-based balance training.  Not only can she stand up without help, she's able to do four more chair stands.  Huge improvement and since our legs are our "fall prevention muscles:, she's less likely to fall down!

Lower body strength increased and so did her lower body flexibility.  On the first day of class, this remarkable lady was 4.5 inches away from touching her toes.  On the last day of class, she was able to touch her toes!  This  gain of 4.5 inches in lower body flexibility means she's not as stiff and less likely to trip or shuffle.

86 years old and making this type of physical improvement proves that our body was made to be in motion.  Movement is life and when you learn how to train the body systems involved in balance, the payoffs are instant and life changing.  

Give the gift of independence, allow your loved ones to age with dignity.  Sign them up for my ABCs of Balance workshop.  Enroll them in four weeks, or eight sessions, of brain-based balance training with me, the The Fall Prevention Lady!

If you're not in the Sacramento region, I have an online brain-based balance training course, Balance Training 101, that offers the same training techniques used in my live classes.

Movement is Life.  Gain strength and flexibility so you can move

Number 1 rule of brain-based fitness: Sensory Before Motor

 Brains and Balance Nugget #1:  Sensory Before Motor

I was at the Western Peripheral Neuropathy Association's 20th Anniversary and told the group to rub their feet.  Paint their affected areas with light touch, stroking the skin, paying attention to the feeling.  It's time to touch your feet.  
Rub the toes. 

For people who can't feel a body part, like feet, or only feel pain or tingling;  touch your skin.  Gently rub the body part. Wrap it and rub it.  Feel the touch.  Pay attention to the body part so your brain remembers it's there and how to move it.   

Sensory before motor.  Focus on feeling your body before you try to move it.  Re-introduce your brain to your body.  One joint at a time.   It's a brain thing! 

The fascinating thing about the brain is that the half of the brain is dedicated to sensory processing.  Half of your brain.  If you're not stimulating the senses that the brain relies on in order to move safely through life, then half of your brain is dying.  

The two things a healthy brain needs is 1.  Activation 2.  Fuel.  Use it or lose it, especially sensory neurons of the brain.  One of the golden rules that Dr. Cobb of  Z-Health Performance consistently talks about is sensory before motor.  Skin stimulation. 

Simple.  Subtle.  Strategic.  

Holistic life care through specific brain activation techniques.  Simple.  Try them.  Rub your feet.  Rub your skin.  Then move.  

Sensory before motor.  It's how your nervous system functions.  Trust me.

Brains and Balance Lady,
also known as the Fall Prevention Lady

Brains and Balance Vision Skill Training with Coach Kelly

Vision is a skill and like all skills, it will improve with practice.  Balance is a skill and like all skills, it will improve with practice.  Mental clarity is a skill and like all skills, it will improve with practice.

Are you seeing a pattern?  All skills will improve with consistent practice.  This is based on the exercise science "SAID" principle; the body undergoes Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID) when practicing or training to improve efficiency. 

In other words, practice makes perfect.  

Your body will get good at whatever you practice however you practice it.  

If you practice bicep curls, your body will adapt to imposed demands (what it's being asked to do) and get stronger to lift the amount of weight with the least amount of effort.  Yay, bigger arm muscles.
If you practice walking with a limp, your body is going to get really good at walking with a limp.  If you sit scrunched over in your chair or on the couch watching TV or playing on your phone, your body will get really good at sitting in a scrunched over position.

Think about what you're asking your body to do each day.  You're unknowingly building skills through habit.  The tricky part of skill training is doing it correctly.  You have to know HOW to train a skill in order to get better at the skill.

That's where I come in; I am trained in the skills of vision, balance and movement for optimized physical performance.  Your performance can be as simple as getting up from a chair, functioning in your daily life or improving your walk through this life journey or as complex as increased precision in your golf game, increased cardiovascular endurance for biking or running or regaining control of your body after a stroke.

Whatever your challange or goal, 

increased brain function 

will catapult your game!

Vision is the number one input to the brain and your trainer MUST KNOW the goal of each vision drill, what warning signs to look for and most importantly, how to train your eyes for optimized performance.

Every brain is different and general training classes are a great place to start before the need for individualized attention becomes apparent.  The basics will get you started but in order to thrive and make substantial changes, it's important to individualize your program.  

Feeding Pattern of the Brain for Better Balance and Performance

The brain is a remarkable organ that uses approximately 70% of your daily caloric intake to function.  The better the fuel source, the better your brain can function.  The anatomy of the brain is such that the "old" brain, where the sensory and autonomic regulators live, get fed first and the "new" brain, where you make decisions including all voluntary movement and feel emotions, gets fed last.

The feeding pattern of the brain follows blood flow; back to front, bottom to top.  Oxygenated, nutrient dense blood enters the brain from the bottom, back region and flows up and to the front lobes of the brain.  Bottom to top, back to front.

What does that mean to you?  Sensory input to the brain has a powerful effect on how you move. Your vision, vestibular, and skin/joint/muscle receptors all get fed before your 'voluntary' movement; before the decision making part of the brain gets fed.  Sensory before motor.

In order to function optimally, your brain needs fuel and activation.  Stimulating the sensory receptors activates different parts of the brain so the "use it or lose it" principle applies to neurons in the nervous system more importantly than muscles.

Fuel sources for the brain are oxygen and glucose.  Breathe and Eat.  Feed the back of the brain before you feed the 'human' part.  Make better decision and move better if you feed your brain the nutrients it needs.

If you want to improve your balance, feed your brain accordingly.  Eat sugar.  Enjoy juicy fruits.  Orange juice is your new staple.  I'm not a nutritionist but I am studying neurology.  Research demonstrates that the brain needs quick absorbing sugar; fructose is wonderful.

Eat often enough so your blood sugar can supply the ENTIRE brain with the fuel it needs to function and stay away from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).   PUFAs prevent the absorption of glucose.

In other words, PUFAs do not allow your brain to access the sugar in the blood.  The result?  HIGH BLOOD SUGAR.  Not because you're eating too much sugar but the PUFAs block the absorption of sugar.

What contains PUFAs?  Think nuts, nut butters, nut oils, grains, chickens and cows that eat grains.  Your brain needs fuel and activation.  Fuel is oxygen and glucose.  Yes, sugar is good for the brain.  Nuts are not.
Ray Peat Resources: LINK to LIST

Absorb that information, breathe and eat some fruits and chocolate.  Like all things in life, moderation.  Your brain will function better and you will ultimately think and move better.

Feeding pattern of the brain:

Back to Front, Bottom to Top

The Fall Prevention Lady™

Younger faces and more men in balance classes

Over the past decade, I've been teaching FallProof™ balance and mobility classes to older adults in communities throughout the Sacramento California region.  As a certified movement re-educator and balance expert, I've seen the positive impact of multi-sensory training upon hundreds of lives and I'm proud to continue to teach 4- and 6-week sessions to adults who live at home and want to stay there through improved balance & quicker reaction speeds necessary to prevent a fall.

I've recently noticed a change in the 'average' FallProof™ class participant; 81year old females are now early to mid-70s with equal mixture of males and females.   As an established fall prevention coalition member, this demographic shift is exciting proof that "FREE" hospital outreach programs are successfully offering evidence-based programs to our "older" more frail adults.  

Most baby boomers, society's "younger" older adults, want to get a head start on retirement plans.  Due to the overwhelming number of research studies that demonstrate exercise as the number one way to remain independent and THRIVE in later years, these boomers are ready to invest time and effort into research-based programs led by qualified instructors.  As such, more people in their sixth and seventh decade, including MEN, are proactively enrolling in community-based "balance" training classes offered by qualified health and fitness independent contractors!  

I'm psyched because I've taken my "multi-sensory" masters degree to the next level with brain science.  As a certified Z-Health Practitioner, I train the nervous system and the engine running it; your brain.  Founded on research and science, Z-Health principles train the input, the interpretation and output of the nervous system.  The better the input, the better the output and the results are immediate.  No guessing if you're doing the best drill for your brain; your movement shows it!

As we age, there are two things we don't want to lose: 

1.  Your balance

2.  Your brains

My brain-based balance training class is perfect for anyone who is concerned about losing either #1 or #2, or both!  Your brain is a "use it or lose it" muscle and needs proper activation and proper fueling in order to run efficiently.  Want to learn more about how to train your brain so you can move well, balance well and see well?  

Visit my website (The Fall Prevention Lady) and enroll in one of my classes:

"Brains and Balance Z-Training with Coach Kelly"

Save your spot.  Be proactive.  Re-write the next chapter of your life.

Kelly

Now that fall prevention is mainstream.....

As a movement specialist, I am constantly researching new scientific discoveries in order to help my clients move better with less pain.  If I'm not studying assessment and exercise videos made by the best of the best, I have my nose in a book or personal notes from recent conferences.

My personal desire to learn as much as possible about efficient movement has been the driving force in my life since I moved to California over fifteen years ago.  As a Public Health educator, I was fascinated by the effect that our daily choices have on our overall wellness, especially movement patterns.   The longer a person makes poor choices, the more likely s/he is to have chronic disease and/or a chronic movement disorder.  It's called bad habits.  It's called life.

It was during my gerontology internship with the Area 4 Agency on Aging in 2006 when my focus turned from the association of daily choices and chronic health conditions to the prevention of falls through daily choices; specifically movement choices.  I instantly discovered FallProof and the importance of training the musculoskeletal and sensory systems responsible for balance, strength, flexibility and mobility.

Remember that in 2006, fall prevention was basically an unknown topic.  Sure, seniors were falling but not many people in influential positions realized how many older adults were falling, fatality and injury rates, the direct and indirect costs of these falls or the fact that a majority of falls could be prevented through a multi-factorial approach (Rose, 2003).

Fast-forward 12 years. What was once a specialty, fall prevention education and balance training for older adults, has become mainstream.  Due to the explosion of the aging population, fall prevention services are now offered by hospital systems and community agencies for free.  They are able to offer free because of government funding; only available to large agencies and non-profit companies that offer 'evidence-based' fall prevention programs (proven effective and able to be duplicated to the masses).

As an independent contractor, I can't compete with free!  As such, I've had to step back and do some personal reflection in order to figure out what's next. I understand that having volunteers who do not come from a physical fitness background not to mention have specialized adult learning training will only work for a specific segment of the population for a limited duration of time.  I also understand that the needs of the younger baby boomers will not be met by these programs.

I do know it's my spiritual gift to work with older adults. I do know my focused studies in aging, balance, and injury prevention have elevated my expertise as a balance and mobility specialist to a new level.   I'm a coach with over fifteen years of hands-on experience leading groups through the best balance training program for older adults.

What's next for this movement specialist?  Neuroscience.  Neuroplasticity.  Neurophysiology.
Think brains.  Think balance.  Think Brains and Balance on the Z-Train!

Stay tuned.

I can tie my own shoes now!!!

While the face of participants in my FallProof™ balance & mobility classes is getting younger, I still have the honor of coaching a few people over the age of 80.  In the April session at Fit4-U, I had both the 83-year old mom and her 56-year old daughter in class.  This was quite a combination and both did exceptionally well.  In fact, the oldest member of the class was also the most improved!

Barbara came to the Fall Prevention 101 workshop I presented at the local Church of Latter Day Saints and she was told me she eager to get started on the homework exercises since her balance was 'horrible'.  She was the first person in the door on the first day of balance training and she proudly stated that she had been doing her homework every night!

She came to class using a walker and said she only used it once in awhile and mostly because her daughter was so worried about her balance.  I assured her it was ok to use it when necessary and smiled as I said, 'you won't be needing that when I'm done with you!'.

By the fourth class, Barbara had switched from bringing her walker with her to carrying a cane.  She didn't use either in class but carried them 'just in case'.  The improvement in her walking gait became evident to everyone by the fifth class; she was standing taller, no longer looked at the floor and her walking stride was longer and stronger.

On the first day of class, she refused to do the sit and reach assessment because her back and legs were so stiff, it hurt for her to bend forward toward her toes.  I showed her a modified way to do that exercise and on the last day, she not only did the assessment but also scored in the 37th percentile for women her age in lower body flexibility!!!

At the last class, she was so excited about everyone's kind responses to her noticeable posture and walking gait improvements.  She was in tears as she recollected how she couldn't touch her toes or put on her own shoes before participating in this class.  She smiled ear to ear as she talked about how surprised her daughter in Arizona will be with her improvement when she visits next month.

A wise, vibrant woman, Barbara gets the connection between staying active and being independent.  She can't wait to repeat the beginner class in June and I can't wait to see her again, too!

Movement is life.  Start living.
The Fall Prevention Lady

Intermediate, Ongoing Balance and Mobility Training

Finally!!!  I will be offering ongoing, intermediate level balance and mobility training class in Sacramento for anyone who has graduated The Fall Prevention Lady's four-week FallProof™ beginner level program.

Details:

• Tuesday and Thursday mornings 
• 10:30a-Noon 
• Fit4-U Fitness Studio  (4440 Marconi Ave, next to Tricks Gymnastics)
• $99 punch card

Eligibility:

• Attended my 4- or 6-week FallProof™ beginner program
• Able to walk more than 300 feet without assistive device
• No uncontrolled medical conditions
• Cognitively intact

This is balance training at the next level.

As a balance and mobility specialist, corrective exercise trainer and movement specialist, I will implement a variety of training techniques designed to help mature adults move better with less pain.

The main focus of the intermediate classes will be FallProof™ balance and mobility training techniques however some brain training www.ontheztrain.wordpress.com will be practiced as I teach you how to break poor movement habits and learn more efficient, pain-free patterns.

Mark your calendars!

What is FallProof™.... with the Fall Prevention Lady

FallProof™ is a multi-dimensional, physical therapy-based approach to the muscular, sensory and behavioral imbalances that occur as we age.  This program progressively challenges the different senses as well as the muscles involved in balance and is proven to improve strength, flexibility, awareness and ability to respond to circumstances that can cause a person to fall.

Feedback from prior class attendees is that this class should be required for everyone over the age of 60; especially people who want to stay independent and enjoy their hard-earned retirement years.

Kelly Ward, aka, "The Fall Prevention Lady"  has been a certified FallProof™ balance and mobility specialist since 2008 and is the only certified FallProof™ specialist practicing in the Sacramento region.  To maintain certification, specialists must meet competency and contact hour requirements every two years.   CAUTION... make sure your FallProof™ specialist is currently certified.  It's for your protection.

Dr. Debra Rose, director of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence, co-director of the Center for Successful Aging and world-renowned fall prevention expert, created FallProof™ balance and mobility training with a specific audience in mind; people over age 60, who live at home and who are at high to moderate risk of falls.

How do you know if you're at risk, not to mention moderate/high risk of falls?

• You have fallen in the past six months
• You are concerned about falling
• You are living with peripheral neuropathy
• You are living with limited vision

You feel it...

• You feel unsteady when walking
• You need to use your hands when getting up from the chair
• You feel your balance "isn't what it used to be"
• You 'feel wobbly'

In my professional opinion, FallProof is the best balance and mobility training program for mature adults who live at home and want to stay there.   It's not rocket science however balance-specific exercises are required for maintenance.  The training techniques you learn will stick with you for life!  

"Walking the Cats" in a FallProof™ balance class

• If you want to keep what you have; if you're happy with what you can do right now...this program is for you.

• If you want to improve your balance, feel stronger when you stand up, feel more stable when you're walking or stop suddenly when walking; this program is for you. 

• This program is for ANYONE who is concerned about their balance or who has ever thought about "not ending up like your parents".  

Balance is important.  More so than we think....until we lose it.  Do me a favor; stop right now and try to name two people who have fallen or whose life has been changed because of an accidental slip, trip or fall.....

If you can name two people whose life has been changed because of a fall, DON'T BE THE THIRD!  Statistically, one in three people over the age of 65 fall each year (CDC).  FallProof™ is proven to increase strength, flexibility and confidence; major fall risk factors as we age.

Upcoming 4-week FallProof balance training classes:
1.  Thursday, March 30.  T/Th, 10:30-noon.  Fit4-U.  4440 Marconi Ave.  $99.  Ends April 27.
2.  Tuesday, April 18.  T/Th, 1:30-3:00pm.  Parkside Church.  5700 S. Land Park Dr. Ends May 11.

Visit my website, THE FALL PREVENTION LADY for more information.
Follow my page on Facebook:  The Fall Prevention Lady

Greatest Improvement Award is a TIE; 66 and 69 year old

We just finished another awesome 4-week FallProof™ balance training session at Fit-4U Fitness Studio and the results are in!  Everyone, from age 66-81, improved in at least TWO areas of physical fitness directly involved in daily balance.

The greatest improvements were seen in lower body strength and lower body flexibility; both essential in a steady walking gait, reduced tripping hazards and improved reaction times.  I use standardized senior fitness tests to do pre-and post-testing; after all, you're guessing if you're not assessing.

The (69) sixty-nine year old participant results:

• Lower body Strength:  75% stronger in pre-and post-scores
• Lower body Flexibility:  Gained an inch of flexibility and movement
• Dynamic Balance and Agiliity: Quicker by one and half seconds

(66) sixty-six year old female:

• Increased lower body strength by 15% however she is now in the 100th percentile of women same age.
• Increased lower body flexibility by three and a half inches; placing her in the 13th percentile for similar age and gender

Excellent job everyone in the class!

While I love seeing huge improvements like these, four weeks is an unusually short time to expect such results.  It is not a competition but these numbers do not lie; your body was made to be in motion.  Let's keep it that way!

Next class begins March 30th.

• Visit my website and save your spot! The Fall Prevention Lady 
• Keep up to date.  Follow me on Facebook:  The Fall Prevention Lady

Post-balance training test results are in and this is amazing!

I just finished coaching a four-week FallProof™ balance training session at a local church here in Carmichael, California.  Even though we had a small group, the improvements were HUGE~

I test fitness parameters associated with fall risk both the first and last day of class to measure the effectiveness of the classes.  I do this for several reasons; one, I am a firm believer in using standardized tests to measure the effectiveness of intervention strategies.  Secondly, I am a firm believer in the FallProof™ program and have been keeping data for over eight years to show the effectiveness of the program and the methodology of instruction.

Lastly, numbers don't lie.  Balance can be a subjective feeling that is hard to measure so having pre-and post-data clearly shows the impact of participating in the class on the three fitness parameters associated with balance and falls.

Ages varied from 67 to 89. Fitness levels ranged from highly independent and active to high fall-risk.   Here are the results:

•  Dynamic Balance:  89 yo improved her speed and agility by 2.5 seconds  (+2.5 seconds)
•  Lower body strength:  67 yo increased leg strength by 5 chair stands, putting her in the 100th   percentile for women her age  (+5 stands)
• Lower body flexibility:
• 89 yo man: improved (4)four inches in (4)four weeks   (+4.1 inches)
• 81 yo woman:  increased flexibility 6.5 inches in four weeks  (+6.5 inches)

I am so proud everyone in the class.  These people "get it" and understand the importance of consistent movement to remain independent .  They also "get" the fact that balance can improve but it takes effort.  Isn't your independence and vitality worth the effort?  

Next class starting March 30th at Fit-4U Fitness Studio. 

Contact me at info@thefallpreventionlady.com

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Visit my website:  The Fall Prevention Lady.com

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

Walk Steady. Stop Confidently.

 A class in Sacramento that teaches you how to 

walk steady and stop confidently!

The FallProof™ balance and mobility training program is the best program for anyone over the age of 60 who is living life at home and realizes your balance is getting worse and you want to do something about it before a fall so I can stay at home and live the quality life you have worked so hard to enjoy!  FallProof™ is also perfect for anyone who may have already fallen and DOES NOT WANT TO FALL DOWN AGAIN!

FallProof is a theory-based, multi-sensory balance training program that was developed years ahead of it's time!  I fell in love with this program from my first exposure in one of creator Dr. Debra Rose's workshops at the International Council on Active Aging Conference in 2007!  

After spending time at the conference with Dr. Rose's team of graduate gerokinesiology students, I knew I wanted to be certified FallProof™ balance and mobility specialist and coach older adults through this progressively challenging program to improve their balance, increase self-confidence and reduce fall risk. 

That was over ten years ago!  It's been quite a decade but I have continued to offer the best balance training class for older adults throughout the Sacramento region.

If you're 'ambulatory', 'mobile', or 'barely get around', this class is for you!  This balance training session is in Carmichael area, close to Whole Foods.  Love to see you there this week.  

UPCOMING FALLPROOF CLASS IN SACRAMENTO:  

WHERE:    Parkside Community Church
                   5700 S. Land Park Dr.  Sacramento, CA 95822

WHEN:  Feb.14- March 9th

DAYS:    Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

TIMES:   1pm-2:30pm

COST:    $99 per person
REGISTER:  info@thefallpreventionlady.com

STOP WIDE!!!! Don't Fall Down!

Stop WIDE.

Anyone who has participated in one of the balance and mobility training classes I instruct in the Northern California region will more than likely automatically demonstrate the "wide stance reaction" when they hear those words.  Some may smile as they remember me saying with a grin, "Put some flare into it!"

One of the crew putting some flare into her wide stop!

   Imagine you are walking along a sidewalk and something catches your eye in the window of store; you stop to look at the item as you're passing by.  Think for a minute:

• Are your feet close together?  
• Are they facing the same direction?  
• Is your weight centered over your feet? 
• Are your feet facing one direction and your shoulders in another?  

How you stop impacts your immediate balance and prepares you for anything in the near future.   The wider your feet are apart, the more stable you will be while standing still.  With your feet hip-width apart, you are stable and more likely to remain stable if a dog or little child came around the corner.

Obviously, it's easier to stop wide when you "anticipate" or see, the need to stop.  But what about those times when you have to stop suddenly?  You're Christmas shopping and you have to dodge the masses; stopping and starting along the path for your own safety!

Stop Wide is a balance and mobility training technique used to increase safety whenever you stop walking; expectantly or suddenly.  Class participants line up on one side of the room.  After I demonstrate proper walking form, I show how to "stop wide".  Some giggle as I exaggerate my wide stop but they're usually the ones who remember; feet wide!

Then it's the participant's turn; they start walking across the room, practicing proper walking form and physically responding to my verbal cues to correct form.  Suddenly, they hear a loud "STOP" command!  

Some instantly come to a stop then step feet out wide, some keep on walking.  You may suddenly hear someone say "WIDE" as they remind classmates in proper form.  Then there some who literally hang on by their toes as they regain sense of body position (where the body parts are in space; oriented to body position) and slowly place feet in proper wide stance.  

Senses awakened, they start walking again, "STOP".  Physical responses quicken as neurons start firing and people's 'stop pattern' becomes more efficient.  The message 'wide' slowly hits home and the feet go out.  As we continue to practice this STOP WIDE exercise in conjunction with other walking gait patterns, I see the vast improvements in stability, mobility, balance and coordination in each participant.  

This is one of my favorite fundamental mobility strategies taught in the FallProof™ progam and the participants love it.  If you want to learn how to stop wide, register for one of my classes!  If you do not live near me,  video coming soon! 

STOP WIDE!!!

The Fall Prevention Lady