What does your belly button have to do with your balance and what in the heck is belly button training???
One definition of balance is keeping your belly button over your feet whether you're walking or standing still (Dr. Debra Rose, Director Center for Successful Aging, Creator of FallProof). This is because your belly button is your center of gravity and your feet are your base of support. Belly button training is learning to keep your belly button over your feet at all times.
Balance, like aging, is different for each of us because we have all lived different lives, made different choices and face different challenges. Also, we all have different belly buttons!
In my Brains and Balance training classes, I teach belly button training to increase people's awareness of their center of gravity and how to move in such a way to keep their belly button over their feet. I assign evidence-based Stepping On balance training drills for homework.
The only way to improve your balance is to continuously challenge yourself. Since everyone starts with different abilities and challenges, there are modification and progressions that everyone needs to know when trying to improve their balance.
Don't wait for an accident, enroll today so you can learn how to keep your belly button over your feet!!!
Showing posts with label baby boomer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby boomer. Show all posts
Monday, February 18, 2019
Monday, February 11, 2019
82 yo Widow Overcomes Fear of Falling
The oldest member of my recent Brains and Balance class lived in fear of falling. Many older adults live with the fear of falling because they fear that a fall is the beginning of the end. Most people who live alone live in fear of falling and not being able to get up from the floor. The thought of lying on the floor for hours or days, scares some people so much that they limit their daily activities. They quit doing things they enjoy and things that need to be done for fear of slipping or tripping.
This is the beginning of a vicious cycle because the less you do, the weaker you become. The weaker you become, the greater the risk of falling. This is known as the cycle of fear.
Fear of falling is a recognizable psychological condition that happens after a fall. A little fear is a good thing but when your fear of falling interferes with your daily life, you need some help getting back on your feet.
My class student's daughter recognized this fear in her mother and brought her mom from Fresno to Sacramento to participate in my four-week brain-based balance training class.
This is the beginning of a vicious cycle because the less you do, the weaker you become. The weaker you become, the greater the risk of falling. This is known as the cycle of fear.
Fear of falling is a recognizable psychological condition that happens after a fall. A little fear is a good thing but when your fear of falling interferes with your daily life, you need some help getting back on your feet.
My class student's daughter recognized this fear in her mother and brought her mom from Fresno to Sacramento to participate in my four-week brain-based balance training class.
By the end of the second week, this 82 year old lady was sitting up straight, smiling and laughing in class. In the third week of class, she walked through the obstacle course without her walker! She was stopping and starting in response to verbal command and was no longer holding onto the counter when walking. The last week, she was doing weight shifts with her eyes closed and throwing her arms back and forth while doing multi-planar lunges.
On the last day of class, this amazing woman got up and walked eight feet with a steady, confident gait. She announced to the class that she was no longer afraid of falling and that her daughter had to remind her to take her walker with her. She has overcome the paralyzing fear of falling!
It's never too late to gain control of your body. Learn how to react when losing your balance. Be aware of your surroundings. Practice drills that will increase your reaction speeds. You do this with brain-based balance training. Enroll in my Brains and Balance Training classes and change the way you live your life.
Don't live in fear. Live free.
Class schedule on my website: www.thefallpreventionlady.com
Class schedule on my website: www.thefallpreventionlady.com
Monday, December 10, 2018
4 Balance Training Myths for people over 60; Make sure you're not doing #3!
Balance is an essential skill that we learn as children and take for granted as adults. Suddenly you're 73 and realize, "wow, I can't walk a straight line anymore (and I'm sober)!"
Many people don't realize how complex balance is or the amount of body systems communication that is required to stay upright.
I'm going to bust 4 common myths about balance in hopes of increasing awareness of what you can do to improve your balance and prevent a fall.
Here we go:
1. I have to stand on one leg to improve my balance... unfortunately, the "old" litmus test for one's balance was the ability to stand on one leg. My client Bob said to me,' my balance is failing'. I asked, 'How do you know?'. He answered, 'I can't stand on one leg'. I've been teaching balance and mobility training classes for over fifteen years and I've only seen about 20 people who could stand on one leg. Your feet are your base of support and the wider the base, the more stable you are. The ability to stand on one leg is the most challenging position and there are so many progressions to work through to get there. Although that may be a goal, standing on one leg does not measure balance.
2. I need to train on uneven surfaces like a wobble board, foam pad or BOSU. It cracks me up when I see trainers put their older adult clients on wobble boards or the half dome BOSU to train balance. That's insanity!!! The SAID principle states that your body gets good at whatever you practice. If you practice standing on a wobble board, guess what you're going to get good at? Standing on a wobble board. How does that help you in real life??? While it's true that standing on an uneven surface will strengthen your ankles, there's no long-term benefit to standing on a wobble board. Don't waste your money or time trying to stand or squat on a BOSU ball or wobble board.
3. I walk and that's all I need to do to improve my balance. BIG FALSE. There are four components of fitness associated with good balance; flexibility, strength, endurance and posture. Steady balance requires a combination of these four training techniques. Walking is an excellent exercise but it's primarily an endurance activity. You want to follow a balance program that includes strengthening exercises, flexibility movements, and posture training for the best balance possible. Research studies demonstrate that walking alone does not improve balance and prevent falls.
4. It doesn't matter where I look when walking, standing or doing exercise. It's painful for me to watch some group fitness classes for older adults because the instructor doesn't give one cue about where to look. Nor do personal trainers in the gym. So many of the older adults I meet tell me they have to look at the floor so they don't fall down. WRONG!!! This downward stare not only affects your posture and but also limits your ability to react to obstacles in your pathway.
I've created an online course,
"Balance Training 101: Brain-based Program to Do at Home so You Can Stay at Home", where I share some of my best balance training tips and techniques so you can stay at home.
One of the best features is the exercise video library for you to watch so you forget what to do. This course makes it easy for you to train your balance at home so you can stay at home. No special equipment needed; just a desire to improve balance.
Yours in Fitness and Balance~
The Fall Prevention Lady
Many people don't realize how complex balance is or the amount of body systems communication that is required to stay upright.
I'm going to bust 4 common myths about balance in hopes of increasing awareness of what you can do to improve your balance and prevent a fall.
Here we go:
1. I have to stand on one leg to improve my balance... unfortunately, the "old" litmus test for one's balance was the ability to stand on one leg. My client Bob said to me,' my balance is failing'. I asked, 'How do you know?'. He answered, 'I can't stand on one leg'. I've been teaching balance and mobility training classes for over fifteen years and I've only seen about 20 people who could stand on one leg. Your feet are your base of support and the wider the base, the more stable you are. The ability to stand on one leg is the most challenging position and there are so many progressions to work through to get there. Although that may be a goal, standing on one leg does not measure balance.
2. I need to train on uneven surfaces like a wobble board, foam pad or BOSU. It cracks me up when I see trainers put their older adult clients on wobble boards or the half dome BOSU to train balance. That's insanity!!! The SAID principle states that your body gets good at whatever you practice. If you practice standing on a wobble board, guess what you're going to get good at? Standing on a wobble board. How does that help you in real life??? While it's true that standing on an uneven surface will strengthen your ankles, there's no long-term benefit to standing on a wobble board. Don't waste your money or time trying to stand or squat on a BOSU ball or wobble board.
3. I walk and that's all I need to do to improve my balance. BIG FALSE. There are four components of fitness associated with good balance; flexibility, strength, endurance and posture. Steady balance requires a combination of these four training techniques. Walking is an excellent exercise but it's primarily an endurance activity. You want to follow a balance program that includes strengthening exercises, flexibility movements, and posture training for the best balance possible. Research studies demonstrate that walking alone does not improve balance and prevent falls.
4. It doesn't matter where I look when walking, standing or doing exercise. It's painful for me to watch some group fitness classes for older adults because the instructor doesn't give one cue about where to look. Nor do personal trainers in the gym. So many of the older adults I meet tell me they have to look at the floor so they don't fall down. WRONG!!! This downward stare not only affects your posture and but also limits your ability to react to obstacles in your pathway.
I've created an online course,
"Balance Training 101: Brain-based Program to Do at Home so You Can Stay at Home", where I share some of my best balance training tips and techniques so you can stay at home.
One of the best features is the exercise video library for you to watch so you forget what to do. This course makes it easy for you to train your balance at home so you can stay at home. No special equipment needed; just a desire to improve balance.
Yours in Fitness and Balance~
The Fall Prevention Lady
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Lower blood pressure naturally with brain-based training
I have been working with a 92-year old client for the past five months. While he is one of the healthiest seniors I've met, his blood pressure on the right side has been notably high this past week. First of all, if your doctor isn't taking your blood pressure on both sides, FIRE HIM/HER IMMEDIATELY. Second of all, if your personal trainer doesn't know holistic ways to lower blood pressure, fire him/her immediately.
As a Z-Health Brain Practitioner, I've studied the brainstem which controls autonomic processes such as blood pressure. As a certified and practicing Z-Health Practitioner, I implement drills that activate the brainstem, resulting in lowered blood pressure, without medication. In this client's case, I active right cortex to lower right blood pressure.
Today's measurements are a perfect example.
Starting blood pressure measurements:
Right: 138/89. Considered high by medical professionals.
Left: 128/78. Considered borderline high by medical professionals.
Ending: After one hour of brain-based training, blood pressure measurements: his numbers were perfect!
Right: 111/74. Within normal limits, perfect without medication
Left: 114/70. Within normal limits, perfect without medication.
As you can see, there is quite a difference between the right and left side at the beginning of the session. If my client went to his doctor, and they took his blood pressure on the right side, he would be diagnosed as hypertensive and been prescribed high blood pressure medication.
IF they measured his left side, he would be borderline and perhaps given blood pressure medication. Either way, this man does NOT need to be on blood pressure medication; he needs to be active!
Without any medication, this older guy, over age 90, lowered his blood pressure through brain-based exercises. I activated his right cortex to lower right side autonomics. But since he leans right, I also focus on left frontal lobe activation drills.
Today was a perfect combination of vision, vestibular and proprioceptive drills to activate both the right and left cortex which results in lower autonomic measurements like blood pressure. The take-home message is ditch your medications and start moving with a trainer who activates the muscles and senses of the brain for better output.
Brain-based training is the future of fitness. I am educated and trained to active the muscles and senses involved in balance and optimized performance. Move better. See better. Balance better.
It's real.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Posture begins in Lengthened Spine
Studying Z-Health functional applied neurology, I have learned more about balance and the brain than I had ever imagined. The brain determines not only how we move through life but also how we see, balance and think. This information is so good, I have to share tidbits that will help you move better, balance better and see better.
Today I am going to talk to you about posture. Posture is a reflex and posture is controlled up to seventy (70) percent by your vision! Wow, think about those two statements for a minute. Posture is reflexive. And posture is driven by your vision.
First, posture is a reflex. For those people (and I used to train people this way) who throw your shoulders back, stretch chest muscles, strengthen neck flexors, hold your head level and even get massages to reduce tension in upper back, you know that the minute you walk out of the training session, your posture goes back to the way it was when you walked in.
That's because posture is reflexive. In other words, your brain is focused on a level horizon and despite life circumstances (accidents, bumps and bruises) and occupational hazards (poor posture from a desk job), your brain is going to keep the horizon level for balance purposes.
As a result, your head will tilt, bend and turn to keep vision level. The body will adapt physically to whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level. If you slouch your shoulders and stick your neck out all day to keep the computer screen level, then your body will adapt to forward head, shoulders slouched and whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level.
The scientific phenomena known as the SAID principle states that your body gets good at whatever you do, however you do it. If you look at the floor while practicing your drills, you will get really good at doing drills while looking at the floor. Look up and your balance won't be good. Cracks me up when I see people wasting money on 'balance manuals' that demonstrate people staring at the floor while doing the drills.
If you want to improve your posture, your balance and your vision, I suggest that you get into lengthened spine. I start all of my classes discussing how people are carrying their head on their shoulders. The average skull weighs between 8-12 pounds. When perfectly aligned, your vertebrae are aligned and the spinal cord is lengthened. When the head is jutted forward, the neck muscles have extra strain and weight of the skull.
Let me explain how to attain lengthened spine since how you carry your head directly impacts your vision, balance, posture and strength.
Lengthened spine: Sit or stand tall; both feet on the floor facing forward, top of the back of your head extended up toward ceiling, chin level and tucked back. Here's the kicker, tilt your front teeth SLIGHTLY down toward collar bone. NOT EXCESSIVELY but down where you see a level horizon. Keep your chin tucked back and yes, you now have a double chin but you're in lengthened spine!!!!
Every time you so much as think about your posture, get into lengthened spine and keep your eyes on a vertical target in front of you at eye level. Practice lengthened spine for every vision drill and try to maintain lengthened spine during balance challenges and all dynamic joint movement drills.
Posture begins with your eyes and is a reflex to life's imbalances. In my classes, I teach vision drills, balance drills and movement drills designed to activate the parts of your brain that crave activation in order to move well, balance well and see well.
It all starts in lengthened spine; shoulders are down, chest is lifted, pretend you have a string on the back of your head lifting toward the ceiling, your chin is slightly down, and your eyes are focused on a vertical target at eye level....NOT AT THE FLOOR.
Do this exercise throughout the day. Anytime your even think about your posture, immediately get into lengthened spine. Your spine and your posture will thank you. So will your brain.
Today I am going to talk to you about posture. Posture is a reflex and posture is controlled up to seventy (70) percent by your vision! Wow, think about those two statements for a minute. Posture is reflexive. And posture is driven by your vision.
 |
| The Fall Prevention Lady's Lengthened Spine Demo |
That's because posture is reflexive. In other words, your brain is focused on a level horizon and despite life circumstances (accidents, bumps and bruises) and occupational hazards (poor posture from a desk job), your brain is going to keep the horizon level for balance purposes.
As a result, your head will tilt, bend and turn to keep vision level. The body will adapt physically to whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level. If you slouch your shoulders and stick your neck out all day to keep the computer screen level, then your body will adapt to forward head, shoulders slouched and whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level.
The scientific phenomena known as the SAID principle states that your body gets good at whatever you do, however you do it. If you look at the floor while practicing your drills, you will get really good at doing drills while looking at the floor. Look up and your balance won't be good. Cracks me up when I see people wasting money on 'balance manuals' that demonstrate people staring at the floor while doing the drills.
If you want to improve your posture, your balance and your vision, I suggest that you get into lengthened spine. I start all of my classes discussing how people are carrying their head on their shoulders. The average skull weighs between 8-12 pounds. When perfectly aligned, your vertebrae are aligned and the spinal cord is lengthened. When the head is jutted forward, the neck muscles have extra strain and weight of the skull.
Let me explain how to attain lengthened spine since how you carry your head directly impacts your vision, balance, posture and strength.
Lengthened spine: Sit or stand tall; both feet on the floor facing forward, top of the back of your head extended up toward ceiling, chin level and tucked back. Here's the kicker, tilt your front teeth SLIGHTLY down toward collar bone. NOT EXCESSIVELY but down where you see a level horizon. Keep your chin tucked back and yes, you now have a double chin but you're in lengthened spine!!!!
Every time you so much as think about your posture, get into lengthened spine and keep your eyes on a vertical target in front of you at eye level. Practice lengthened spine for every vision drill and try to maintain lengthened spine during balance challenges and all dynamic joint movement drills.
Posture begins with your eyes and is a reflex to life's imbalances. In my classes, I teach vision drills, balance drills and movement drills designed to activate the parts of your brain that crave activation in order to move well, balance well and see well.
It all starts in lengthened spine; shoulders are down, chest is lifted, pretend you have a string on the back of your head lifting toward the ceiling, your chin is slightly down, and your eyes are focused on a vertical target at eye level....NOT AT THE FLOOR.
Do this exercise throughout the day. Anytime your even think about your posture, immediately get into lengthened spine. Your spine and your posture will thank you. So will your brain.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
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:
Save your spot. Be proactive. Re-write the next chapter of your life.
Kelly
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Most adult children don't know how to care for parent after a fall
People often ask me why I choose to specialize in the prevention of falls among the elderly or why I am fascinated with the effects of aging on the balance system.
Am I a physical therapist? Am I a personal fitness trainer? A
nurse? Did a family member fall? The answers are no, yes, no, yes
(respectively) but the reason I am passionate about fall prevention is
because that is my gift, my calling, from God.
Two weeks ago, my 90 year-old grandmother fell and broke her collar bone. She doesn't remember what caused her fall and was released with her left arm in a sling. My uncle Jerry, a retired District Attorney with a private practice, lives nearby and is watching her at her home. Like most professionals with a family, he is not sure how to care for someone after a fall. Like most adult children, he is unaware of factors that can increase the risk of a fall.
Two days after my grandmother returned home, she fell again. Luckily, Jerry was there but the fact that she fell on "his watch" was upsetting to both him and to my grandmother. She felt unsafe and he felt guilty, if not incompetent, to care for his own mother. When my mom went to visit, she immediately scheduled a family phone consultation with her daughther, The Fall Prevention Lady.
Over the speaker, I talked about what I know best; things that increase the risk of a fall such as things you can change an the things you need to be aware of, what I recommend talking to your doctor about, how to reduce these risk factors and the types of exercises that can improve balance and stability.
My uncle furiously took notes and subsequently made necessary phone calls and doctor appointments. After a review of medications, we discovered that my grandmother was taking four prescriptions that significantly depressed her central nervous system. Like many older adults, my grandmom likes her night cap however the combination of four CNS depressants and alcohol intensified confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, and thus, the risk of a fall.
Modifications have been made to both her medication management and home environment so now my grandmother can concentrate on her recovery and my uncle can feel confident that he is doing everything he can do to keep his mother safe. My uncle is a brilliant man who is respected in his field but he had no idea how to keep his mother safe after a fall. He is not alone; adult children cannot be expected to know how to care for a parent who fell unless they have an idea of things that cause falls and how to reduce that risk.
I had sent copies of my book, The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention, but most people are too busy to read about prevention until it's too late. Don't delay! Read my book and use the information when necessary. Or if you prefer a live conversation with an expert to help deal with the after effects of a fall, I am available for family consultations (for a fee). I am here to help.
Kelly Ward,
The Fall Prevention Lady
(916) 821-5715
Find my page on Facebook: The Fall Prevention Lady
Two weeks ago, my 90 year-old grandmother fell and broke her collar bone. She doesn't remember what caused her fall and was released with her left arm in a sling. My uncle Jerry, a retired District Attorney with a private practice, lives nearby and is watching her at her home. Like most professionals with a family, he is not sure how to care for someone after a fall. Like most adult children, he is unaware of factors that can increase the risk of a fall.
Two days after my grandmother returned home, she fell again. Luckily, Jerry was there but the fact that she fell on "his watch" was upsetting to both him and to my grandmother. She felt unsafe and he felt guilty, if not incompetent, to care for his own mother. When my mom went to visit, she immediately scheduled a family phone consultation with her daughther, The Fall Prevention Lady.
Over the speaker, I talked about what I know best; things that increase the risk of a fall such as things you can change an the things you need to be aware of, what I recommend talking to your doctor about, how to reduce these risk factors and the types of exercises that can improve balance and stability.
My uncle furiously took notes and subsequently made necessary phone calls and doctor appointments. After a review of medications, we discovered that my grandmother was taking four prescriptions that significantly depressed her central nervous system. Like many older adults, my grandmom likes her night cap however the combination of four CNS depressants and alcohol intensified confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, and thus, the risk of a fall.
Modifications have been made to both her medication management and home environment so now my grandmother can concentrate on her recovery and my uncle can feel confident that he is doing everything he can do to keep his mother safe. My uncle is a brilliant man who is respected in his field but he had no idea how to keep his mother safe after a fall. He is not alone; adult children cannot be expected to know how to care for a parent who fell unless they have an idea of things that cause falls and how to reduce that risk.
I had sent copies of my book, The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention, but most people are too busy to read about prevention until it's too late. Don't delay! Read my book and use the information when necessary. Or if you prefer a live conversation with an expert to help deal with the after effects of a fall, I am available for family consultations (for a fee). I am here to help.
Kelly Ward,
The Fall Prevention Lady
(916) 821-5715
Find my page on Facebook: The Fall Prevention Lady
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